New picture book ties fiction, history to bring music appreciation to kids
(PRWEB) November 22, 2014 -- CAYUGA, Ontario – Author Tami Kerr and illustrator Tanja Kerr came from a family of gifted artists. While their mother, Magda, was a genius piano player - and they grew up with the cradle of musical instruments - their father, Garth, was the idea man. It was the union of music and wit that began the very concept of Davy Crotchet. As Garth became acquainted with musical terms, the word “crotchet” stuck due to its roughly-homophonic similarity to Crockett, the name of an American folk hero. This led him to imagine “THE ADVENTURES OF DAVY CROTCHET” (published by Xlibris) which his daughters transformed into a vibrantly illustrated and educational picture book, providing information on instruments, musicians and the art of music itself.
With an art style reminiscent of the beloved Asterix and Tintin series of graphic novels, the Kerrs provide a fun-filled reading experience for entire families. The colorful pages of their book follow the musical adventures of Davy Crotchet, who spends most of his time as a quarter note, or crotchet, as he is known in England. He is born out of the attempts of a frustrated composer called Mel Odi trying to give expression to his compositions. Davy becomes so dissatisfied with the way he sounds that he finally speaks up. Mel decides to send Davy to Germany to find an old friend who makes flutes. Hopefully, Davy can bring him back an instrument. So begins Davy’s journey with many surprises along the way.
The hero’s exciting adventures tie in with historical events and developments that influenced European instrument making in the 17th century. This provides readers young and old alike with useful tidbits of knowledge that aims to inspire renewed appreciation for music, the instruments and the artists who make it all possible.
“THE ADVENTURES OF DAVY CROTCHET”
By Tami Kerr, illustrated by Tanja Kerr
Hardcover | 8.5x11in | 44 pages | ISBN 9781493168033
Softcover | 8.5x11in | 44 pages | ISBN 9781493168019
E-Book | 44 pages | ISBN 9781493168026
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the Author
Tami Kerr was born in Haifa, Israel but spent much of her childhood near Cape Town, South Africa where she started studying percussion at the Hugo Lambrechts Music School. Kerr went on to study at the Rotterdam Conservatory and the Yale School of Music. She currently lives in Ontario, Canada. Tanja Ilsley (nee Kerr) is originally from Cape Town, South Africa, but also spent several of her early years in Israel. She started sketching and painting at an early age. Her art has been exhibited in Canada, South Africa, England and Germany. She continues exploring new themes and developing fresh perspectives for her artwork. She and her husband moved to England but currently live in Japan with their family.
Xlibris Publishing, an Author Solutions, LLC imprint, is a self-publishing services provider created in 1997 by authors, for authors. By focusing on the needs of creative writers and artists and adopting the latest print-on-demand publishing technology and strategies, we provide expert publishing services with direct and personal access to quality publication in hardcover, trade paperback, custom leather-bound and full-color formats. To date, Xlibris has helped to publish more than 60,000 titles. For more information, visit xlibris.com or call 1-888-795-4274 to receive a free publishing guide. Follow us @XlibrisPub on Twitter for the latest news.
Marketing Services, Xlibris, +1 888-795-4274 Ext: 7879, [email protected]
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