# Before Music: Where Instruments Come from - Hardcover

by **Annette Bay Pimentel** (Author), **Madison Safer** (Illustrator)

**From award-winning author Annette Bay Pimentel comes an oversize nonfiction picture book exploring how music and musical instruments are made--across time and around the world**

_Music doesn't come out of nothing._  
_It always starts somewhere . . ._  
_with something . . ._  
_with someone._

Discover how music is made in this survey of musical instruments from around the world. Organized by material--from wood to gourds to found objects and more--_Before Music_ marries a lyrical core text with tons of informational material for curious readers.

In the narrative text, readers will encounter makers as they source their materials and craft instruments by hand, drawing the line from the natural world to the finished product and its sound. The sidebars offer much more to discover, including extensive instrument lists, short bios of musical innovators, and more.

### Author Biography

**Annette Bay Pimentel** is the author of several nonfiction picture books, including _All the Way to the Top_, which received a Schneider Family Book Award honor; and _Girl Running_, which was a Junior Library Guild pick and received a starred review; and our own forthcoming _Pura's Cuentos_. She lives in Moscow, Idaho. **Madison Safer** (she/her) is a queer illustrator whose work is inspired by Russian folk art, Jewish paper cuttings, quilt patterns, and the quiet woods of New England. She received her bachelor of fine arts in illustration studies from Montserrat College of Art. _Before Music_ is her debut picture book.

**Number of Pages:** 88

**Dimensions:** 0.5 x 14.5 x 9.9 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** June 21, 2022

## Details

- **Price:** 24.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 24.99 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Before Music: Where Instruments Come from - Hardcover

---

> Source: [Smart supply deals](https://smartsupplydeals.com/products/before-music-where-instruments-come-from-hardcover)
> Updated: 2026-07-23
