{"product_id":"the-music-of-life-bartolomeo-cristofori-the-invention-of-the-piano-9781481444842","title":"The Music of Life: Bartolomeo Cristofori \u0026 the Invention of the Piano","description":"\u003cb\u003eAward-winning biographer Elizabeth Rusch and two-time Caldecott Honor-recipient Marjorie Priceman team up to tell the inspiring story of the invention of the world's most popular instrument: the piano.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBartolomeo Cristofori coaxes just the right sounds from the musical instruments he makes. Some of his keyboards can play \u003ci\u003epiano\u003c\/i\u003e, light and soft; others make \u003ci\u003eforte\u003c\/i\u003e notes ring out, strong and loud, but Cristofori longs to create an instrument that can be played both soft and loud. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHis talent has caught the attention of Prince Ferdinando de Medici, who wants his court to become the musical center of Italy. The prince brings Cristofori to the noisy city of Florence, where the goldsmiths' tiny hammers whisper \u003ci\u003etink, tink\u003c\/i\u003e and the blacksmiths' big sledgehammers shout \u003ci\u003eBANG, BANG!\u003c\/i\u003e Could hammers be the key to the new instrument? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAt last Cristofori gets his creation just right. It is called the pianoforte, for what it can do. All around the world, people young and old can play the most intricate music of their lives, thanks to Bartolomeo Cristofori's marvelous creation: the piano.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eElizabeth Rusch is an award-winning children's book author and magazine writer. Her books include \u003ci\u003eThe Mighty Mars Rovers\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eFor the Love of Music: The Remarkable Story of Maria Anna Mozart\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eElectrical Wizard: How Nikola Tesla Lit Up the World\u003c\/i\u003e. She teaches nonfiction and children's literature at the Attic Institute in Portland, Oregon. Visit her online at ElizabethRusch.com. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMarjorie Priceman, illustrator of many acclaimed picture books, has won Caldecott Honors for her illustrations in \u003ci\u003eZin! Zin! Zin! A Violin! \u003c\/i\u003eby Lloyd Moss and \u003ci\u003eHot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the Frist Hot-Air Balloon Ride\u003c\/i\u003e, which she also wrote. She lives in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Atheneum Books for Young Readers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50515372015890,"sku":"9781481444842","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_24b67bdc-9865-4d6d-8500-b1d64e00cbfd.jpg?v=1731003966","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-music-of-life-bartolomeo-cristofori-the-invention-of-the-piano-9781481444842","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}