A delightful introduction to opera, Bravo! Brava! A Night at the Opera teaches elementary school children what opera is by showing how it is made. "Who writes the words?", "Who makes an opera happen? "Who is backstage?"--these questions and more are answered with easy-to-understand explanations and are illustrated with whimsical watercolors by the author. From composer, choreographer, and costume designers to the conductor, lighting and special effects crew, and, of course, the singers, the excitement builds as Anne Siberell explains each person's role in producing an opera.

Bravo! Brava! A Night at the Opera reveals details of the most famous operas' plots and characters along the way and includes synopses of 27 popular operas, a glossary, suggestions for further reading, and an index.

64 pgs.

Kirkus Review:
An engaging introduction to the opera for young people opens with a few words from mezzo Frederica von Stade about her own first night at the opera. Siberell answers questions about how opera began, how it gets performed, and how it all comes together by writing about everyone from one of its earliest composers (Monteverdi) to a current opera favorite (Cecilia Bartoli). She describes who is on the stage (and under it, beside it, and behind it), and fills the margins and sidebars with historical tidbits and cool facts-the raspberry-peach dessert Peach Melba was named for soprano Nellie Melba, for instance. She includes a timeline, a map of story locations, diagrams of the kinds of stages, the many curtains, and all the instruments of the orchestra. Her writing is lively and quick ("What You Can Expect in Opera Stories. Suspense! Comedy! Madness! Love! Tragedy! Horror! War!") and conveys much of the excitement of opera in ways young people can understand. The glossary is a bit abrupt, and the opera plot summaries suffer from acute brevity, occasionally to the point of incoherence. Still, any parent who wants to explain to a child what all the fuss is about will find this useful. Plentifully illustrated with simple, colorful art. (glossary, bibliography, index, not seen) (Nonfiction. 9-12)

About the Author:
Anne Siberell is the author/illustrator of several children's books, including Lamb, Said the Lion, I Am Here, which won the Rounce and Coffin Club Award for Book Design and Illustration.