Picture book #11 - Handel Who Knew what He Liked

Author: M. T. Anderson

Illustrator: Kevin Hawks

Genre: Fiction

Sub genre: Bibliography

Theme: Music history

Primary and secondary characters: Handel

Awards:

Publication Date: 2001

Publishing Company:  Candlewick Press

     Sometimes it can be hard to effectively teach a child about notable people in the arts without putting them to sleep, but this book by M.T. Anderson will be sure to keep their attention as well as give everyone a few good laughs. Because the book has a lot of words and details it would be best for readers around age 9 to 11, even older children would enjoy and learn a lot from this book. Not only does the book lay out a detailed view of Handel's life, it also describes various musical terms that aid in understanding. The illustrations add so much character to the book depicting happiness, depression, and energy. 

     My favorite page in the book is one of the first ones where young Handel is sneaking a clavichord to his room because his father did not want him to become a musician. This page and the few that follow it describe Handel and his beginning in the music career. The rest of the book goes through the various events in his life that led up to him being a famous musician. The last few pages describe how he is still being remembered today. 

     This book would be excellent in a unit over music. It gives a simple rundown of one of the most famous composers along with musical vocabulary. After this book a teacher could have students compose their own "mini" opera and perform it for various groups in the school.