Book Pairing for Educators, Writers, Musicians, and Dreamers

I’ve done many different things in my life and as an author, there are times I have come up with an idea, started a project, only to discover that a very similar book already exists or has just sold to a big publisher. Many writers think that means they should abandon what they were planning and give up. But the truth is, there are often multiple books on the same subject. I knew when I was writing AN ACCIDENTAL HERO: A MOSTLY TRUE WOMBAT STORY about the fires in Australia in 2020 that there were other books being written about the same event. It didn’t deter me and all of the books were different.

Even picture book biographies like today’s perfect pairing, are so completely different that it’s important to keep going as a writer. Spoiler alert, these books are so much more than biographies! The way you tell your story is going to make it unique and separate from the way another author approaches the same topic. And if it’s a picture book, the illustrations will also be quite different as well!

Here are two highly acclaimed picture books about composer John Cage. They both have multiple starred reviews, and other honors. Each takes a different approach in the way they share about his view of music and his life. As a teacher I can think of so many interesting activities to create around these picture books for cross-curricular lessons.

In SILENCE SOUNDS SIMPLE: A Day in the Life of John Cage, author Gary Golio offers the reader a philosophical journey exploring what is sound, the importance of silence, an obvious nod to Cage’s most famous piece of “music” 4’33”. We also learn about Cage’s time in the woods as a mushroom hunter. The art, by Andrea D’Aquino invites the reader to think about what can be done with a limited color palette and there are a few spreads that will inspire even “non-artists” to play with colors just as John Cage played with the definition of music. What more could you want from a book than to be inspired to create on your own?

You can read my review here

In BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE MUSIC OF JOHN CAGE author Lisa Rogers immediately invites the reader in with the question, ‘What if all the sounds you heard …’ meeting them where they are, regardless of age with a list of sounds that might be music to some but noise to others: a garbage truck screeching, feet skipping, cats hissing, dog tags clinking – just to name a few! What a fun list to think about. And her repeating refrain, “Then you’d be like John Cage” is the perfect place to think about how creativity and what makes music. Or art? And speaking of art, the illustrations by Il Sung Na are fabulous. The detailed way they complement the text allows even the youngest listener to enjoy the book as they look for clues in the art. Some spreads have an overriding blue element to them, you can see Cage’s optimism and confidence in his music shining through on the pages with yellow and red. This touch is lovely.

You can read my review here

To order a copy and read more about BEAUTIFUL NOISE: The Music of John Cage, written by Lisa Rogers and illustrated by Il Sung Na Beautiful Noise

To order a copy and read more about SILENCE SOUNDS SIMPLE: A Day in the Life of John Cage, written by Gary Golio and illustrated by Andrea D’Aquino SILENCE SOUNDS SIMPLE

There is a third picture book about John Cage that I haven’t had the chance to read NOTHING by Nicholas Day & Chris Raschka I’m sure it would be fun to make additional comparisons and music using all three books.

My post from April Book Pairing for Educators and Writers is another excellent example of how two books on the same subject can be written in very different ways and work well together.