The Story Orchestra The Planets by Holst

This tale is about a brother and sister who adventure deep into our solar system. Our story begins one night as Helen and Tim get ready for bed in their new space rocket bunk beds... but sleep will have to wait as they magically blast up, up, up into the glittering night sky, leaving planet Earth far below them.

Helen and Tim journey here, there and everywhere through our majestic solar system. They soar past the cold rocky surface of Mars as it rises into towering peaks and plunges into deep canyons and glide through a bumpy asteroid belt made of icy rocks. They blast deeper into our solar system, exploring the dazzling stars and astounding planets along the way. But now it really is time to head home! As the rocket speeds towards Earth, Tim and Helen watch the sun rise over their planet.

As you and your little one journey through the magical scenes, you will press the buttons to hear 10 excerpts from the score. Readers should press firmly on the pages to activate the sounds, encouraging interactive learning and introducing children to this beautiful piece of music.

At the back of the book, find a short biography of the composer, Gustav Holst, with details about his composition of The Planets. Next to this, you can replay the musical excerpts and, for each of them, read a discussion of the instruments, rhythms and musical techniques that make them so powerful. A glossary defines musical terms.

The Story Orchestra series brings classical music to life for children through gorgeously illustrated retellings of classic ballet, opera and program music stories paired with 10-second sound clips of orchestras playing from their musical scores.

The perfect primer to introduce children to classical music.

Also available from the Story Orchestra series: Four Seasons in One Day, The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Carnival of the Animals, The Magic Flute, In the Hall of the Mountain King and I Can Play (vol 1).

Manufacturer's note: please pull the white tab out of the back of the book before use. Sound buttons require a firm push in exact location to work, which may be hard for young children. All sound clips are 10 seconds long.

WARNING — KEEP BATTERIES OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN

• Swallowing may lead to serious injury in as little as 2 hours or death, due to chemical burns and potential perforation of the oesophagus.
• Never allow children to replace button batteries of any device.
• If you suspect your child has swallowed or inserted a button battery immediately call the 24-hour Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 (Australia) or 0800 764 766 (New Zealand) for fast, expert advice.
• Regularly examine devices and make sure the battery compartment is correctly secured, e.g. that the screw or other mechanical fastener is tightened. Do not use if the compartment is not secure.
• Dispose of used button batteries immediately and safely out of reach of children. A “flat” battery can still be dangerous even when it can no longer operate the device.

• Tell others about the risk associated with button batteries and how to keep their children safe.