COPLAND: A STORY ABOUT AMERICA, by Veronica Mang, Viking Books for Young Readers, Feb. 24, 2026, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 4-8)
Copland: A Story About America, by Veronica Mang, is a story about music and taking risks and being part of something bigger than yourself.
This is a story about music.
But it’s also a story about America.
Aaron Copland was born in Brooklyn in 1900 at the dawn of a new generation. In a community of immigrants, he had a front-row seat to the many ways that the United States was growing and changing. During this electrifying time, Aaron began making music as dynamic and innovative as the people and progress around him. While some didn’t understand his style or appreciate his desire to break the rules in his compositions, he endeavored to create a sound that reflected the America he knew and loved. —Synopsis provided by Viking Books for Young Readers
Copland: A Story About America is an inspiring biography of a man who was constantly searching for ways to reflect the truth of what was going on in the world through his music. He wrote music that sounds like America.
Author Veronica Mang brings Copland’s life and thought process to the fore in carefully curated text that is conversational with an undertone of music. She relays his struggles, joys and accomplishments by posing questions that many readers will understand.
Mang’s vibrant artwork captures Copland’s work and dreams through movement and color.
Copland: A Story About America is a strong biography that belongs in home and school libraries alike.
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