A Forest Full of Music

My son couldn't stop talking about how Toby's terrible singing made the birds fly away—such a funny, unexpected twist for a book about music. The illustrations really capture that magical forest feel, and it's sparked great conversations about what sounds count as music.

My kid kept asking why the blackbirds ran away from Toby’s singing, which led to a great talk about how art isn't always about being good. The story’s gentle twist on that Kirkus quote really lands, and the illustrations kept her flipping back to study the birds’ faces. It’s the rare picture book th

The way this story turns the idea of music on its head is so clever—my kid actually gasped at the twist, and the line about the blackbirds still gets quoted at dinner. The illustrations do a great job of making Toby’s dream feel both magical and painfully funny.