Miran Park's Everything Is Music, translated from the Korean by Paige Aniyah Morris, is a lyrical picture book that is both meditative and playful as it invites young readers to tune in to the world around them. Park's loose-lined illustrations convey motion and atmosphere with an immediacy that feels almost improvised. On the opening spread, a child pedals away from home as "sounds stretch awake," an evocative description that sets the tone for a story rooted in curiosity and sensory awareness.
The child rides through landscapes, a puppy tucked into the bike basket, collecting the city's sonic textures. "The sounds whizz by": the whirr of bicycle wheels, distant laughter, birds overhead, the rumble of an approaching storm, even the "pitter-patter percussion" of rain and footsteps on the street become part of the child's attentive exploration. Park's pacing encourages readers to linger, to pause, and to notice as continually shifting perspectives prompt readers to look again and discover musical motifs hidden in plain sight. A cello, a guitar, and a harp materialize where one might expect ordinary urban or natural forms. Birds perched on telephone wires resemble notes on a staff; streetlights reflected in a puddle transform into half notes; and the slats of a town gate align like the bars of a xylophone.
These visual discoveries reward careful observation and offer a gentle lesson in finding beauty within everyday environments. Twice, Park even pauses to talk to readers directly: "Can you hear the storm coming"? and, at the book's close, "Can we play another tune tomorrow?" Park's palette is deliberate, the expanses of white punctuated only by the striking red of the child's dress and the yellow of the disguised musical imagery. The restraint heightens the impact of each musical surprise. One of the book's most memorable moments requires readers to flip the book on its side to interpret the vertically oriented spread: the child rides between tall trees, the negative space between them colored in yellow and outlining a trumpet, a quiet flourish that crowns the excursion. A closing key reveals the musical instruments seen throughout the book.
Everything Is Music, a book meant for slowing down, encourages young listeners to attune themselves to sound, shape, and wonder. Park's combination of expressive linework and visual metaphor form a harmonious exploration of perception and play. --Julie Danielson
Shelf Talker: A reflective and imaginative invitation to listen more closely, Everything Is Music offers a picture book experience that resonates long after the final page.