Before Music: Where instruments come from by Annette Bay Pimentel, illustrated by Madison Safer

 This oversized picture book takes readers on a journey of discovery through sound. Each section is introduced with a full-page picture and the refrain, "Before music..." with an illustration of the person in the picture creating something. Turn the page, and you find the instrument, a description and explanation of how it works. Further information is given about that type of music-maker, divided into whether it is struck, blown, or plucked. There are also one-page biographies of "music innovators" spread throughout the story.

Back matter includes an explanation of organology, including how and why the book is arranged, selected sources, and a guide to making your own instruments.

An example of the organization is the section about "flexible sheets." It starts with a bearded man sheering sheep and gluing the wool to wooden hammers. "Before music... sheep frolic. baaa" "He is making..." turn the page and you see the sheep listening to music on a piano. Pimentel explains the science behind "How...flexible sheets make music" including vibrations and tone changes. A musical innovator, Remo Belli who developed drumheads out of Mylar, is profiled and then a selection of instruments made with thin flexible sheets that are struck (tabla, riq, puniu, kundu, and qilat), blown (gajde, highland pipes, and pulai) plucked (kora) and rubbed (cuica and sarinda).

The instruments, as you can see, are diverse, from all over the world, including indigenous and ethnic instruments, not just those most familiar to my readers from Western Europe. The music makers profiled include a variety of races and clothing and the innovators range from an English farmer to the men who created steel drums in opposition to British colonial rule.

This is significantly longer than a regular picture book, although one could read the introduction to each section as a narrative for younger children and then have them experiment with different types of instruments. It will be of most interest to homeschoolers and teachers wanting to incorporate a wide variety of information into their music studies, especially STEM and history, and present a truly diverse look at the world of music.

Verdict: While not a must-have title for most libraries, if you have an audience that likes to explore topics in depth and is interested in resources for music education, this is an excellent choice. I look forward to sharing it with several of my families and music teachers.

ISBN: 9781419745553; Published June 2022 by Abrams; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library