NOTHING: JOHN CAGE AND 4’33” by Nicholas Day and Chris Raschka, Neal Porter Books, April 2, 2024, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 4-8)
What does nothing sound like? Learn about the offbeat history of John Cage’s 4’33,” a musical composition of blank bars, by Nicholas Day and Chris Raschka.
One night in 1952, master pianist David Tudor took the stage in a barnlike concert hall called the Maverick. A packed audience waited with bated breath for him to start playing. Little did they know that the performance had already begun.
A rain patters.
A tree rustles.
An audience stirs.
David was performing John Cage’s 4’33”, whose purpose is to amplify the ambient sounds of whatever venue it inhabits. That shocking first performance earned 4’33” plenty of haters; and yet the piece endures, “performed” by the smallest garage bands and the grandest symphonies alike, year after year. Its fans hear what John Cage hoped we would hear: “Nothing” is never silent, and you don’t need a creative genius, a concert hall, or even a piano to hear something worthwhile. All you have to do is stop and listen. —Synopsis provided by Neal Porter Books
Nothing is one of those books that you’d love to read to a classroom of kids. To see the wheels turn. To understand what composer John Cage is suggesting. There are so many jumping off points for learning: What is music? What sounds do you hear when asked to listen for 4 minutes and 33 seconds? What is silence? Why did the artist choose to illustrate this book in this way? The possibilities are endless.
Beyond that, Nicholas Day’s text is light and funny and a joy to read aloud. His pauses allow for readers to think, to fully absorb what they are learning. His text paired with two-time Caldecott Medalist Chris Raschka’s pencil-on-watercolor artwork are perfection. Raschka’s almost childlike illustrations help convey the intention behind Cage’s piece.
Nothing would make a great addition to a home or school library.
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