Zin! Zin! Zin! a Violin
by Lloyd Moss
This is a book to be loved for many reasons. Your child will love the easy rhyme of the verses as they
learn about some popular instruments in a concert hall. They’ll also delight in keeping tabs on the
adventure of two playful cats, a little gray mouse, and a pup that enters the scene to spice up the action.
As a parent, you’ll appreciate that this story is a wonderful introduction to the orchestra with its clever,
descriptive stanzas, as well as a lesson in counting.
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Before reading the story, talk about the picture on the front cover of the book. Tell your child that
the man is playing a musical instrument called a violin. Describe how he’s using a bow (a rod
with strings pulled tightly across) to glide back and forth over the bigger, coiled strings that are
stretched across the instrument to produce a sound. He is dressed in nice clothes because he is
performing for an audience that enjoys hearing him play music.
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After finishing the story, ask your child which instrument was their favorite and why.
Here are a few fun activities to do with your child after you’ve read the story:
1) Listen to the various instruments of the orchestra. This site provides short clips of each instrument’s
sound, a short tune played on the instrument, and the instrument playing as part of the orchestra.
2) Create homemade guitars/harps with your child. Gather some rubber bands of different sizes and put
them around food storage containers. Experiment with the different sounds produced.
3) Have some fun matching up musical instruments with your child! You can print off two sets of cards
from this site. You might want to glue them to heavier paper. This also allows your child to get some
cutting and pasting practice in.
4) Here is a fun counting activity involving the instruments from the story. Use clothespins to designate
which number correctly labels the instruments in each picture.
5) Start a family tradition of attending local concerts whenever possible. Do some research to see if there
are any upcoming concerts in your area. Make it a big event for your family by going out to dinner before
or after the concert or bringing special drinks and snacks to the concert if it is being held outdoors. If you
enjoyed the concert and the option is available, purchase a CD of the performers to listen to at home.
Created by Sarah Gilbert