Usborne’s My First Keyboard Book is a lot of fun to play with … and not just for the kiddos.
I enjoy it, too, and so do a lot of adults that come in contact with it.
Part of the reason for this, I think, is the wonderful feel of smooth keys and the beautiful tone of the notes, which isn’t overly electronic. It sounds like you’re playing a piano or a high-quality keyboard.
The book itself teaches you recognizable songs {like Twinkle, Twinkle and Row, Row, Row your Boat} with color coordinated keys. There are dots of color on each key that correspond with patterns of dots that produce the song if you play them in that order.
It’s easier to show you than to tell you, so here’s my video review:
It is an internet linked book, so you can see a video of someone playing one of the songs, read some more reviews, and see pictures of the inside of the book on the Usborne site.
Other things I like about this book are that all of the keys work – even the black flat/sharp keys, and I especially like that there’s an on/off switch on the back. It’s nice to know I can shut it off when we’re not using it and it’s stored on the bookshelf.
It’s easy to play, too. My girls are 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 years old, and while the 2yo isn’t really interested in following the colored patterns, she does enjoy making her own music. The 4yo is able to play the songs by following the patterns, although her rhythm needs some work.
My point is, this book is great for younger kids as well as older ones. Little Ones might need much more practice before getting the hang of it, but older kids will pick it up right away and, like I mentioned above when I pointed out that adults seems to love it, it’s somewhat addicting.
Plus, there are actually a bunch of interactive books that get kids involved with and learning about music, many of which are illustrated in this graphic:
Happy Reading!
Roaming Rosie 