Musical Tales & Tunes

By Lloyd Moss, illus. by Marjorie Priceman. A primer to instruments and musical ensembles.

Hear Berlioz the Bear by Jan Brett and visit The Boys Choir of Harlem and street musicians with LeVar Burton.

Hear the story by Jan Brett. Then go behind the scenes with The Boys Choir of Harlem and visit street musicians in New York.

In the story by Jonathan London, a cat creates a sound all his own and sees how the rhyme and rhythms affect his audience.

In the book by Tomi dePaola a young Indian boy follows his vision quest for a special gift he can give to his people. He discovers the Pueblo Indian peoples' use of natural materials in their pottery, painting and dance. 

John Steptoe's Caldecott Honor book retells Cinderella story and introduces the tale as well as history, culture of Zimbabwe.

The fairy tale of the miller's daughter who gets help spinning straw into gold.  LaVar Burton visits the Renaissance festival where daily life is re-enacted and traveling performers.

In the book by Jeanne Lee, a young Cambodian girl, who cannot hear or speak, is invited to become a dancer in the king's court. She finds a way to communicate through the beauty of movement and dance. 

In the book by Petra Mathers a shy mouse teaches herself to dance.  From mambo to hip-hop, host LeVar Burton does some fancy footwork, then he takes us on a tour of dance around the world.

In Eve Bunting's book a boy travels to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial with his father to seek his grandfather's name. 

In the book by Margaree King Mitchell, Uncle Jed, a black barber, struggles through the Great Depression to save enough money to open his own barbershop.

In the book by Lloyd Moss, a clever counting rhyme introduces instruments and ensembles.  Filmed on locationat Julliard School, LeVar Burton visits with an orchestra of 8 to 18 year-old and the performers of STOMP!

Lloyd Moss creates a clever counting rhyme introducing the instruments and ensembles. Gegory Hines narrates the story on the DVD and LeVar Burton and viewers visit with an orchestra and with the performers of STOMP!