Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Fri Sep 16 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Actor Andrews and her daughter Walton Hamilton offer an account of the 11th-century monk who invented Solfège, which in turn became the modern system of musical staff notation.Introducing Guido d'Arezzo as a small boy in Pomposa, Italy, the writers gracefully weave in details about his education in the monastery and the sounds that surrounded him. Finding it hard to memorize the hymns, he devised a notation system to make learning easier, using the six syllables that began the lines of a familiar hymn ("ut," "re," "mi," "fa," "sol," "la"). Though his teachers dismissed his ideas, he drew on them when he trained the choir at the cathedral of Arezzo, and his methods proved so successful he was invited to Rome by the pope. The book concludes by explaining that Guido's notes changed over time; "ut" became "do," and the seventh note, "ti," was added later. This leads smoothly into illustrated scenes of monastery life accompanied by the lyrics of the Rodgers and Hammerstein song made famous by Andrews' performance in the film version of their musical The Sound of Music. Fedele's playful art, done in watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil, expresses contrasting moods beautifully and adds context. Extensive backmatter makes this useful for an even older audience. Even libraries still owning Susan Roth's Do, Re, Mi (2007) will want this richer depiction. The characters present as White. (This book was reviewed digitally.)A charming collaboration that strikes just the right notes. (note about the song, glossary, details on Guido's life in the abbey, information on the Guidonian Hand, historical note) (Informational picture book. 6-10)

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Actor Andrews and her daughter Walton Hamilton offer an account of the 11th-century monk who invented Solfège, which in turn became the modern system of musical staff notation.Introducing Guido d'Arezzo as a small boy in Pomposa, Italy, the writers gracefully weave in details about his education in the monastery and the sounds that surrounded him. Finding it hard to memorize the hymns, he devised a notation system to make learning easier, using the six syllables that began the lines of a familiar hymn ("ut," "re," "mi," "fa," "sol," "la"). Though his teachers dismissed his ideas, he drew on them when he trained the choir at the cathedral of Arezzo, and his methods proved so successful he was invited to Rome by the pope. The book concludes by explaining that Guido's notes changed over time; "ut" became "do," and the seventh note, "ti," was added later. This leads smoothly into illustrated scenes of monastery life accompanied by the lyrics of the Rodgers and Hammerstein song made famous by Andrews' performance in the film version of their musical The Sound of Music. Fedele's playful art, done in watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil, expresses contrasting moods beautifully and adds context. Extensive backmatter makes this useful for an even older audience. Even libraries still owning Susan Roth's Do, Re, Mi (2007) will want this richer depiction. The characters present as White. (This book was reviewed digitally.)A charming collaboration that strikes just the right notes. (note about the song, glossary, details on Guido's life in the abbey, information on the Guidonian Hand, historical note) (Informational picture book. 6-10)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Musical theater tie-ins and a moving underdog story couch an introduction to music theory in this picture book about Benedictine monk Guido d’Arezzo (c. 990–1050). From his youth in a monastery school, Guido “heard music everywhere,” from the chiming chapel bells to the “buzz and hum of bees and crickets.” Pondering an easier way to teach, the maturing student, who wonders why music couldn’t be written and read, invents a system of musical notation, only to clash with closed-minded teachers. By turns excited, heavyhearted, amazed, and grateful, Guido perseveres, and his “revolutionary ideas” spread throughout medieval Europe—reaching forward to today. Andrews and Hamilton’s step-by-step prose, and Fedele’s colored pencil, gouache, and watercolor illustrations of vibrant Italian landscapes and expressive, white-cued figures successfully combine to evoke strong emotions around Guido’s eventual success. Back matter includes a creator’s note and glossary. Ages 4–8. (Nov.)

School Library Journal (Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Gr 1–3 —Economically recapping the story of the musical monk, Guido, who came to realize that there were just six (then seven) notes that comprised all of music, and therefore all the hymns that previously had seemed impossible to teach and learn, Andrews and Hamilton have room to include the lyrics to "Do-Re-Mi," a tribute to Rogers and Hammerstein, and a glossary. It's best to just tumble along with the storytelling, which goes between invented moments ("His heart beat faster as he drew lines between and through the marks, as if they were climbing a ladder,") and supposition ("Guido surely would have forgiven them—grateful to have realized his dream of teaching music and to have made its joys easier for people to learn"). What the authors create is a basis for explaining how the musical code was cracked and then made available to everyone by the monk's discovery. The scenes of the Italian countryside are gentle and help place this historically for young readers. VERDICT An enjoyable glimpse of history delivered with a spoonful of sugar, and why not?—Kimberly Olson Fakih