A delightfully colourful introduction to the orchestra, aimed to fire the imagination of children aged 4–9 years. There is a special guide in the book: a little green creature called Tormod. He is a troll who has come all the way from the top of a mountain in Norway to discover music. As he searches for the music that will help him to find his way home, readers learn about the different instruments—what they look and sound like, and how they belong in different families. Throughout the book children are referred to the tracks on the CD or online—however they prefer to listen—so that they can hear examples as they read. There is a musical quiz at the end, with multiple choice answers.

37 classical music tracks on the CD and on the webpage include: Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy, Mozart’s Overture to The Magic Flute, Tchaikovsky’s ‘Russian Dance’ from The Nutcracker, Copland’s Clarinet Concerto, Wagner’s Overture to Tannhäuser, Grieg’s ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ from Peer Gynt—and many more.

by Genevieve Helsby