I grew up near Portland in the United States, and every year my parents would take me to the Oregon Children’s Symphony. My favourite and most remembered programs were the performances of Peter and the Wolf. I loved the little bird flute, trilling along happily. I remember feeling a scared thrill as I listened to the French horns calling out that the wolf had arrived! I would think about that symphony story late at night as I fell asleep in my bed, shivering as I thought of the timpani hunters and the snare drum rifle shot.
As a musician and avid reader, I often think of how stories lend themselves well to music. As we read a book, each chapter, just like a verse or a chorus, provides us with a deeper understanding of the characters’ thoughts and feelings. A library is its own symphony of sorts—each book bringing together countless stories. Some make us laugh, some challenge us or comfort us, and some help us see the world through someone else’s eyes. Each story has a part to play, just like each instrument has a part to play in an orchestra.
This week, we celebrated the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book Week. The theme, 'Symphony of Stories', invites us to think about stories as music, with each one having its own rhythm, characters, emotions, and message. Together they create something beautiful.
As Christians, we also have a part to play in God’s great book, or symphony of stories. We are special additions to his plan for the world.
As we celebrate Book Week, may we encourage our children to become enthusiastic listeners, readers and storytellers. May they discover that every book can add a new note to the symphony of their lives, and that our own stories are part of something much larger in God’s plan.
Mrs Caitlin Petersen
Primary Teacher Librarian
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