Great books on a music theme for children and young people
From sparking creativity, upping motivation and encouraging relaxation, there are simply so many benefits to listening to music. We’ve put together a list of great tactile books about music for blind children that introduce instruments from the around world, musical genres, composers and artists, which are great for learning at school or enjoying at home.
Exploring Music 1: Peter and the Wolf
This fact book features a ‘feely’ version of Ian Beck’s picture book of Peter and the Wolf, the original music by Russian composer Prokofiev and tactile pictures of all the main characters in the story for children to explore.
Designed for children at Key Stage 2/3, this fact book introduces the instruments of the orchestra with tactile images and audio samples, accompanied by excerpts of Benjamin Britten’s ‘The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra’.
ABC UK by James Dunn and Helen Bate
Inspired and featuring the innovative picture book ABC UK by James Dunn and Helen Bate, this tactile pack explores the UK’s vibrant and unique cultural identity with reference to musical icons and genres including The Beatles and punk rock. Our adaptation also contains recipes, music, literary extracts and masses of information to prompt classroom discussions.
A rocking introduction to the history of popular music for teens and young adults, this entertaining fact book features tactile pictures of iconic music stars from the 1950s to the 1990s including Elvis, The Beatles, Bob Marley, The Spice Girls and Nirvana. Each decade is split into short audio guides with music samples and tactile pictures of iconic performers, rock photography, stage outfits and much more.
Rapunzel: A Groovy 1970s Fairy Tale by David Roberts and Lynn Roberts-Maloney
Set in the glamorous 1970s, David Robert’s lively retelling of this classic fairy tale is bursting with colourful period detail and a banging soundtrack with sampled tracks from artists such as David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Kate Bush and Black Sabbath.
Start off on a musical journey around the world with this lively fact book for Key Stage 2 and 3. Blind and partially sighted children can feel their way around tactile pictures of musical instruments while listening to music, sound effects and interviews with musicians.
Two Pounds of Onions from Earth by Lionel Giordano
Elliot and Zoox, two young boys from the planet Calavrox are mad about music and just want to practice their instruments but their mum sends them off to Earth for two pounds of onions instead! Our Touch to See version of the book includes tactile pictures of a busker and a guitar.
Borrow Explore Music 1: Peter and the Wold from our FREE library
Borrow Exploring Music 2 from our FREE library
Borrow ABC UK from our FREE library
Borrow Music NOW! Teenage Kicks from our FREE library
Borrow Rapunzel: A Groovy 1970s Fairy Tale from our FREE library
Borrow World Music from our FREE library
Borrow Two Pounds of Onions from Earth from our FREE library
