Hannah is five years old; her brother Jack is three. And “this book looks boring” is how this chapter begins.

Taylor Barton is an award-winning producer, singer/songwriter, playwright, documentarian and author. Inspired by a scuba diving trip in the Gulf, she created the story of Pedro ‘n’ Pip. Pip, a spunky 10-year old girl, meets Pedro while scuba diving after learning about an oil spill. Their courage and drive for the environment creates several important themes to teach the children of today. This book is the first of its kind to blend the strict text of a book and tangible music into one platform. It’s not just a simple audiobook; it’s a 13-song score as well.

Since Hannah and Jack are used to getting books every time I come over, they’ve gotten comfortable enough to look into my bag to see what’s in store for them for the evening. Upon pulling Pedro ‘n’ Pip out of my bag and noticing the lengthy text, all interest was lost and I knew this probably wasn’t going to end well. I decided on reading just the first chapter aloud, in hopes to garner attention that way. What I was not expecting was absolute silence. Jack especially was curious the moment the story began and didn’t move his eyes from the page.

Since the story is longer than our typical bedtime routine, we opted to read just the first chapter. We are introduced to Pip, her parents and her dog Seaweed and learn of the oil spill in the Gulf. Pip is invested in saving the sea creatures and requests scuba diving lessons so she can do her part in counteracting the damage. Pip’s personality grabs the attention of both Hannah and Jack and by the end of the first chapter, they anxiously discuss what the next chapter could be.

Although we did not get a chance to listen to the audio version of the story with the incorporation of the score, it made the anticipation of the next chapter all the more fun. Both kids also perked up at the mention of any Spanish words and paused the story to know the translation. It goes to show that good storytelling is the most important aspect of gaining the reader’s attention.

To be continued…