Welcome to the Website of Marianne Berkes

In Marsh Music different species of frogs convene in a marsh at night. Fireflies light up the stage and Maestro bullfrog raises his baton. The music begins, softly at first, but builds to a crescendo as the music goes on. Just before dawn, the frogs depart, but the serenade is not over---

The story is a fantasy, but the cast of characters represents a cross-section of frogs who live in marshes, while their performance is described with musical vocabulary.The book is a lesson on nature, frogs and music theory, and is lots of fun to read.


Grades: K-4; 8x10; 32 pages; ISBN 0-7613-1850-X
Lerner Publications/Millbrook Press; $15.95
1-800-328-4929

Reviews

"Berkes turns the night songs of all kinds of frogs into a concert, with maestro bullfrog conducting. An entertaining way to teach children about both nature and music....Noreika's watercolor paintings of marsh life are stunningly detailed and luminous. They perfectly complement this book."
--Booklist

"Marsh Music" has the visual and verbal pizzazz to make it a read-it-again treat."
--School Library Journal