To coincide with Glastonbury weekend, we've rounded up our favourite books which celebrate the history of music. 

 

Music: A Fold-Out Graphic History 

 

Learn about how different genres started - including classical, folk, jazz, gospel, rock 'n' roll, country, punk, grunge and pop.

Discover the stories of maestros including Beethoven, Wei Liangfu, The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, Nina Simone, Louis Armstrong and Beyonce.

Experience amazing musical moments from the first ever saxophone and early sound recording to the invention of the record and artificial intelligence.

All this and more features in this richly illustrated timeline of music from 60,000 years ago to the present day.

 

Once Upon A Rhythm: The Story of Music

 

It hums and it thrums through day and night the magical, mystical rhythm of life! Follow the story of music back to the very beginning. Did it start with a stomp or a clap? This playful poem is an ode to the colourful world of music and rhythm.

Musical Truth: A Musical Journey Through Modern Black Britain

 

Music can carry the stories of history like a message in a bottle. Lord Kitchener, Neneh Cherry, Smiley Culture, Stormzy...

Groundbreaking musicians whose songs have changed the world. But how? This exhilarating playlist tracks some of the key shifts in modern British history, and explores the emotional impact of 28 songs and the artists who performed them.

This book redefines British history, the Empire and postcolonialism, and will invite you to think again about the narratives and key moments in history that you have been taught up to now. Thrilling, urgent, entertaining and thought-provoking, this beautifully illustrated companion to modern black music is a revelation and a delight.

 

A History of Music for Children

 

A History of Music for Children takes readers on a musical journey around the world to meet a diverse cast of composers, musicians and performers. From Bach to Billie Eilish, Mozart to Miriam Makeba, the music makers in this book are connected by a love of creating and performing music. Tackling big questions including What is music? and Why do we make it?, it looks beyond the Western canon and explores the many exciting ways that music is composed, improvised, listened to, recorded, and passed on from generation to generation.

 

The Music In Me

 

This reassuring, playful picture book from the brilliant Sophy Henn is the perfect way to get to know all kinds of emotions!

Have you ever stopped to think about all the different kinds of music that make you, you? There are happy tunes and slow beats, a marching stomp and a sleepy swoon. Maybe, some days, you can’t find your rhythm and you feel all out of sorts, and then on other days your music will come together and you’ll march to the beat of your own drum. All this music and more is celebrated here.

A rousing rhyming text that’s sure to get those toes tapping is accompanied by Sophy’s signature bold, bright and stylish illustrations.