Peter and the Wolf--TOS Review

I am pretty sure that my eyes lit up when I opened the Maestro Classics CD of Peter and the Wolf.  I love classical music, and I want to introduce it to my kids in a fun way.  I was hoping that this CD would do the trick.  I was certainly not disappointed!  I LOVE (love, love, love, love, love) this CD. 

The Maestro Classics website explains their products as an "award-winning new classical music CD series for children and families [that] combines classic stories with great symphony orchestra music. Combining literature, classical music, education and entertainment, these CDs for parents and children are perfect for ALL kids and interested parents." 

The parents AND the kids in our household loved this recording.  The CD is so much more than merely a recording of the musical piece.  It includes an introduction to the song, which explains all of the characters in Peter and the Wolf and their corresponding instrument (for example, the bird is represented by the flute, the grandfather as the bassoon, etc).  You can also listen to the full musical piece with incredibly well-done narration (the narrator manages to tell the story without intruding on the musicality of the piece), and later in the CD you can listen to the piece without narration.  The kids and I had a lot of fun retelling the story as we listened to the music.  I really enjoyed the track that talked about the life of the composer, Sergei Prokofiev, and we all enjoyed the Russian folk music that was also included.  The CD booklet itself is its own mini-textbook, which includes background on the composer, a game to match up the instruments with the character they represent, a crossword puzzle, and information on Russian folk music. 

You can buy this amazing CD for $16.98, and Maestro Classics is also offering a great deal of three recordings for $45.00.  I would highly recommend at least the purchase of this CD.  You can also try out some of their other recordings, which include The Tortoise and the Hare, The Story of Swan Lake, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, and more.  Check out the website to see all of the titles that are offered.  My Name is Handel and The Soldier's Tale (Stravinsky) are coming soon. 

I absolutely love this CD, and if you want to introduce your kids to classical music in a fun, engaging, educational way, then this product is for you!

If you would like to see what my other crewmates are saying about this product, you can check out their reviews here.

Disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I was provided a free copy of this product for my honest evaluation. I was given no other compensation for this review.