Happy Book Birthday, Hello, Broadway! by Emily Hurd and Michael Mitnick!

It's time to shoutout another book birthday! This month, I seem to have one right after the other and am swimming in the celebratory joy. Today's read hits Broadway and should take young readers on a journey to this magical place. There are buttons throughout the read, but I won't have the chance to enjoy those, since I only have a digital copy (*le sigh*). But the show must go on!

I'm excited to see how the authors and illustrators handle this topic and hope it is as excited as it appears to be. So, let's draw back that curtain...I mean cover...and take a peek!

HELLO, BROADWAY!

A Young Person's Guide to the World of 

Musical Theater

by Emily Hurd and Michael Mitnick

Illustrated by Natalia Rojas Castro

DK Children

Picture Book   /   Music

28 pages

ages 4 to 8

COMING SEPTEMBER 23rd!!!

This September, visit New York City and take in your first Broadway show in Hello, Broadway! This illustrated soundbook is your guide to the world-famous theater district!

Experience all the sights and sounds of Broadway as you join Eleanor and Harry in their adventure through the Big Apple for their first Broadway show.

With beautifully illustrated scenes and buttons that play songs from iconic, award-winning Broadway musicals like Once On This Island and Ragtime, Hello, Broadway! is the perfect introduction to the wonderful world of musical theater for young kids up to age 7.

Ideal for caregivers who want to share their love of Broadway with their children, this book will appeal to kids ready to attend their first Broadway musical and young theater lovers alike.

Discover what it’s like to see a show, enjoy the performance, and delight in the magic of musical theater in Hello, Broadway!

GOODREADS    /    DK BOOKS

MY TIDBITS

Excitement awaits on every page as the wonder of Broadway hits with life and sounds.

Eleanor and Harry receive tickets for a Broadway musical from their grandparents and are more than a little excited. Expectations run high as they travel to the vibrant street and find their way to the theater. Once seated, the children watch the amazing musical unfold before their eyes. They would love to join in and dance and sing. Even after they leave, the joy remains.

This book is a celebration of Broadway and lets readers experience the wonder of musicals by accompanying Eleanor and Harry to a show. Every page is very bright and bold with tons of details and activity. This not only means that there is something new to discover with every visit, but the energetic motion comes across wonderfully. Readers receive a solid introduction into what a visit to a musical looks like and the various aspects involved. To reinforce this, there is a glossary at the end, where various musical theater terms are explained.

While Eleanor and Harry visit a musical, these pages are not focused on any certain performance, but rather, convey the general atmosphere and goodness surrounding musical theater. Since I received a DRC copy, I was not able to try the buttons found on each two-page spread, but these each play a snippet of a well-known musical song. The list of these is also found in the back of the book. 

At only twenty-eight pages, this isn't an overly long story but fits even nicely to more reluctant listeners as well. The text flows smoothly to keep up the pacing with the rest of the energy on each page. It's written so that readers can accompany the characters and 'feel' the atmosphere...and it does a good job at accomplishing this. The entire thing almost speeds along like a happy dream, just like a first visit to Broadway might be. And the family goodness at the end, rounds everything off very nicely.

And here they are...

Emily Hurd is an author and entrepreneur who lives in New York City. Having grown up with a love of musicals and acting, she is now an avid theatergoer and enjoys introducing her two young children to live performances around New York.

Michael Mitnick is a playwright, screenwriter, and songwriter. His theater credits include the New York Times Critics’ Pick Scotland, PA at Roundabout Theatre Company and Fly by Night at Playwrights Horizons (Drama Desk Nomination, Best Musical). For film, he wrote The Giver and The Current War. Originally from Pittsburgh, he now calls New York home—just a ten-minute subway ride from Broadway.

Natalia Rojas Castro is an illustrator based in Bogotá, Colombia. She has worked in various visual fields, such as books, magazines and illustration for advertising. Natalia has also enjoyed working on several social projects involving the rural population in Colombia.