What’s My Instrument by Johnny Oddsocks

What’s My Instrument? is a book About Marilyn Mongoose who dreams of joining a band. But Marilyn doesn’t play a musical instrument and isn’t sure which one is right for her. So she tries out a number of different instruments until she finds the right one for her. I won’t tell you which instrument she chooses, but she definitely has a few mishaps on the way to finding her own way of making music.

So Marilyn’s quest to find her musical instrument completed, she turns her attention to finding band mates, holding auditions to see who should join her in her band. You will have to read the story to find out how the auditions go and what happens next.

This is a really nice, charming book for young readers. It is a short book written in verse – both of which really help to capture the attention of young readers. And there are loads of lovely illustrations showing Marilyn’s musical experimentation.

Things I like about the book:

• I love a children’s book written in verse. And especially with a book about music, that book having its own rhythm to it is something that fits together really nicely. If I were to be really nit-picky, I would say that there are a couple of lines that feel like the rhythm is maybe not quite there- but that is a very small thing in an otherwise absolutely lovely story.
• One of the best things about learning to play a musical instrument is being able to play with others, so I love that once Marilyn finds her instrument, she finds people to be in a band with her.
• The illustrations are simple but very effective and really add a lot of detail to the story, in a way that your little one will understand for themselves.
• I like that our protagonist is a girl, and that she wants to start a band, something that can often be thought of as something boys want to do more readily than girls.

This blurb on the back of the book says that is is the first instalment in a “What’s My…” series of books by author Johnny Oddsocks that are following characters who are trying to find out more about themselves and what they are good at- here music. So once you have read this book, if you want to read more of this author’s work then there is a QR code to take you to his website with more information on.

The author, himself a musician, is an author based in the West Midlands, a fantastic part of the country (absolutely no bias there, given that’s where I am based as well). He is father of 2 boys who, he says, inspire him to write his children’s books.

He aims this book for children aged 0-5, and I would absolutely agree with that recommendation. The story is simple, with plenty of support from colourful, fun illustrations, and the information on each page is short enough for young children’s attention spans. It is a very cute read.

At the time of writing, the book is available on Amazon priced at £6.99.

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