Please welcome my guest author, Valerie Bolling, with her list of 7 picture books about making music. I met Valerie from a KitLit diversity and inclusion committee that we sat on together. I found her to be a great leader, solution-oriented, and supportive. At that time her debut picture book, Let’s Dance, was about to be released and she had sold it herself. After Let’s Dance came out, she found her literary agent and had a slew of books coming out.
We are giving away a 15 minute Ask Me Anything session with Valerie. This is perfect for anyone who wants to learn about becoming a children’s book author, literacy, and more. As you can see from her experience, she gives wonderful feedback on query letters both to agents and editors.
Valerie is also savvy at marketing. She co-founded KidLit in Color, so she would also be great for advice for anyone looking to build a community in the children’s book space. Of course, she’s an incredibly talented writer and also an educator (newly retired), so she can answer any questions in those realms as well. To enter to win Valerie’s Ask Me Anything session, please fill out the Rafflecopter at the bottom.
What are your favorite picture books about making music? Thanks for sharing!
p.s. Here is one more:
And There Was Music by Marta Pantaleo
Music is magic. It’s a bridge, a memory, a celebration, a feel-good sensation, and more! Celebrate the wonder of music in this exuberant book. The end matter details different genres of music featured throughout the story. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
9 Picture Books About Making Music
Bing, Bop, Bam: Time to Jam! by Valerie Bolling, illustrated by Sabrena Khadija
Do you love music? Do you enjoy a party? Do you like spending time with friends? If any or all of these are your jam, then BING, BOP, BAM is for you! This rhyming book celebrates a neighborhood’s musical block party that features an intergenerational community, instruments, food from around the world, and, of course, fun. [picture book, ages 3 and up]
The Orchestra Pit by Johanna Wright
What happens when a snake wanders into an orchestra pit? It’s quite an adventure for the snake and the musicians! The story is fun, and the illustrations truly enhance it. Like, BING, BOP, BAM, this book introduces readers to different instruments. [picture book, ages 2 and up]
Double Bass Blues by Andrea J. Loney, illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez
Onomatopoeic sounds, few words. A boy is at his best when he’s playing his bass. He gets accolades at school and when he goes to play with his grandpa, but in between he is teased. Music is clearly his happy place; that happiness seems to sustain in the in-between times because he doesn’t get rattled. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
Clarinet & Trumpet by Melanie Ellsworth, illustrated by John Herzog
Clarinet and trumpet are great friends who make beautiful music together until … other instruments interrupt their groove. Will all of the instruments be able to play together? Will clarinet and trumpet go back to being friends? [picture book, ages 4 and up]
Because by Mo Willems, illustrated by Amber Ren
A cyclical story about a passion for music. A young girl is inspired after seeing a concert and becomes a musician – and then a conductor – herself. She dedicates her composition to her uncle whose ticket she used to see her first orchestra, and her performance inspires someone else. [picture book, ages 3 and up]
We Shall Overcome by Bryan Collier
This is a beautifully illustrated book of the famous gospel and civil rights song, We Shall Overcome. Seeing the art connected to the words makes it even more powerful. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
Sing a Song: How “Lift Every Voice and Sing” Inspired Generations by Kelly Starling Lyons, illustrated by Keith Mallett
Here’s another historic song that has been beautifully illustrated: Lift Every Voice and Sing, the African-American national anthem. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
p.s. Here is one more!
Jam, Too? by JaNay Brown-Wood, illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara
A conga drummer sets up his drum on the beach, setting a spontaneous jam session into motion. His conga drum is joined by a djembe, shekere, a pair of zills, and some maracas. A little girl doesn’t have a drum but finds a way to join in. Jacqueline Alcántara’s illustrations capture both the movement and the joy of making music! [picture book, ages 3 and up]
Valerie Bolling: Ask Me Anything GIVEAWAY!
We are giving away a 15-minute Ask Me Anything (AMA) from Valerie Bolling! This is perfect for anyone who wants to learn about becoming a children’s book author, literacy, and more. To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter below.
Valerie Bolling is the author of the 2021 SCBWI Crystal Kite award-winning and CT Book Award finalist LET’S DANCE! (March 2020). In 2022 Valerie is happy to welcome TOGETHER WE RIDE (April) and RIDE, ROLL, RUN: TIME FOR FUN! (October). Sequels to these books as well as a Scholastic early reader series, RAINBOW DAYS, are slated for 2023.
A graduate of Tufts University and Columbia University, Teachers College, Valerie has been an educator for almost 30 years. She currently works as an Instructional Coach for Greenwich Public Schools and is on the faculty at Westport Writers’ Workshop. She is also a WNDB mentor and deeply immersed in the kidlit writing community, particularly involved with SCBWI, the 12X12 Picture Book Challenge, and Black Creators HeadQuarters.
Valerie and her husband live in Connecticut and enjoy traveling, hiking, reading, going to the theater, and dancing. To learn more about Valerie, go to her website and Linktree, and follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
p.s. Related posts:
Picture Books About Strong, Independent Female Artists
10 Diverse Picture Books on Fine Artists!
Children’s Books about Unconventional, Inspirational Artists
Children’s Books About Art Mysteries
10 Inspirational Art Books for Arty Kids
Learning to See Art Books for Your Budding Artist
Visiting Artist Victor Hugo Zayas
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Multicultural Books for Kids on Pinterest.
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Children’s Book Activities on Pinterest.
My books:
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
- California Eureka Non-Fiction Gold Award
- Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Barbed Wire Between Us by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Violeta Encarnación
- ⭐ Starred review from Kirkus
- ⭐ Starred review from Publishers Weekly
- Kirkus: The Most Anticipated Children’s Books of Spring 2026
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
The Traveling Taco:
- California Eureka Non-Fiction Silver Award
- Reading Rockets’ Summer Reading Guide 2025
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
We Sing from the Heart: How the Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court
- ALSC Notable Children’s Book
- 2025 Carter G. Woodson Book Award Middle Level Honoree
- Orbis Pictus Recommended Book for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
- 2024 Julia Ward Howe Prize for Children’s Literature Winner
- California Eureka Non-Fiction Award Honor Book
- Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner (from National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council)
- Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year 2025
- Recommended Reading for the Social Justice Literature Award 2025 (International Literacy Association)
- Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- ⭐ Starred review from School Library Journal!
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Massachusetts Book Award Long List
- dPICTUS 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award Long List
- Nautilus Silver Winner, Nonfiction Children’s Picture Book
- Sunshine State Young Readers Award Orange Blossom List for Nonfiction
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Bank Street College’s The Best Children’s Books of the Year
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
