Review of Children’s Book “I Can Hear Music”

Petra Wallenmeyer

Petra Wallenmeyer

Human Defense Initiative

I Can Hear Music is a children’s book written by Brendan Lyons. It’s a short and sweet tale from the perspective of the baby talking to his or her mother. 

The artwork is done in the style of child’s drawings — but this is not a drawback. The art evoked feelings of nostalgia as I remembered the treasured pieces of artwork children have given to me. The linework looks as if it is done by a pen or pencil, and the scenes are filled in with colors falling predominantly in the primary or secondary parts of the color wheel. The scenes are mostly slice-of-life with a touch of whimsy and look as if they were made with water-based paint, with the broad brush strokes apparent. 

The story is told in simple couplets. The baby talks to mom and shares with her when they can begin to hear sounds from both inside and outside mom’s body. The point of sharing this information with mom is to encourage her to keep singing and talking, and to remind mom of why her heartbeat is so soothing, even after birth. The cool part? Everything the baby says about what kinds of sounds they can hear is true!

At the end of the book, a timeline is given for when different kinds of sounds can be heard before birth, as well as citations for that information. The book is great for a short bedtime or naptime story and can be a good starting point for conversations with curious kids on what they were like while still inside mom — or what their little brother or sister is experiencing now! In a gentle way, this simple story helps introduce kids to the humanity of babies still in the womb and can instill a sense of appreciation or wonder for all the cool things we can do before ever being born.

Brendan graciously gave me a copy of the book to review. You can buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Books-A-Million. It would make a great birthday or Christmas gift for a curious mind or for a child with a new sibling on the way!

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I love science and teaching. I am passionate about using those interests to speak for those who can't.

The views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Human Defense Initiative.

Petra Wallenmeyer

Petra Wallenmeyer

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