The Story Orchestra: The Sleeping Beauty

In the third musical book from the Story Orchestra series, Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty unfolds in broad, richly detailed scenes. Included in each are sound buttons that, when pressed, play 10-second clips from the ballet. The story opens with the queen and king—a mixed-race couple—presenting baby Princess Aurora at a party. Palace scenes show the arrival of the Lilac Fairy and fairy godmothers wearing fluttery, jewel-toned dresses. Soon, the evil fairy Carabosse appears with a sinister posse of crows and creeping black vines. Flint’s vivid writing captures the story’s whimsy and darkness: “Chandeliers shatter as she storms across the ballroom.” The storytelling is engaging even without the musical feature, but readers will relish the sound of Tchaikovsky’s stirring composition. Ages 4–7. [em](Oct.) [/em]