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Silence Sounds Simple

A Day in the Life of John Cage

Author Gary Golio
Illustrated by Andrea D'Aquino
Hardcover
$19.99 US
Astra Publishing House | Calkins Creek
11"W x 11"H
On sale Jul 07, 2026 | 32 Pages | 9781662680809
Grades 2-5
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Spend a day with composer John Cage—hear what he hears, see what he sees, and get caught up in the music he weaves from his experiences.

A nonfiction picture book perfect for kids ages 7–10 who love music and exploring the world of sounds around them.

John Cage is a man who makes music with screws and bolts or with rubber bands. He’ll play a toy piano onstage in his suit. Why? To make people listen. To make them think.

As John goes through an ordinary day, he finds that it’s full of wonder and full of music. John hears the seeds of music in everything from slippers scuffing on an old wooden floor and water whooshing from a faucet to beeping horns and screeching brakes outside. He even hears music in the silence of the forest as he harvests mushrooms.

Author Gary Golio’s poetic text and illustrator Andrea D’Aquino’s bright, simple illustrations remind kids “open your ears / open your mind… YOU ARE / the music / the noise / the silence.”
© Susanna Reich
A visual artist, musician, and psychotherapist, Gary Golio is the author of the New York Times-bestselling picture book Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow, which received the 2011 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award. His other books, most of which profile important artists, include When Bob Met Woody: The Story of the Young Bob Dylan; Strange Fruit: Billie Holiday and the Power of a Protest Song; Sonny Rollins Plays the Bridge; Everywhere Beauty Is Harlem; and Silence Sounds Simple. Visit garygolio.com. View titles by Gary Golio
Andrea D’Aquino is the author and illustrator of several picture books, including A Life Made by Hand: The Story of Ruth Asawa; She Heard the Birds: The Story of Florence Merriam Bailey; and an illustrated edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. She has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, and the Type Director’s Club, among many other illustration organizations. Her recent books include Abzuglutely! by Sarah Aronson and and Silence Sounds Simple by Gary Golio. Visit andreadaquino.com. View titles by Andrea D'Aquino

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Spend a day with composer John Cage—hear what he hears, see what he sees, and get caught up in the music he weaves from his experiences.

A nonfiction picture book perfect for kids ages 7–10 who love music and exploring the world of sounds around them.

John Cage is a man who makes music with screws and bolts or with rubber bands. He’ll play a toy piano onstage in his suit. Why? To make people listen. To make them think.

As John goes through an ordinary day, he finds that it’s full of wonder and full of music. John hears the seeds of music in everything from slippers scuffing on an old wooden floor and water whooshing from a faucet to beeping horns and screeching brakes outside. He even hears music in the silence of the forest as he harvests mushrooms.

Author Gary Golio’s poetic text and illustrator Andrea D’Aquino’s bright, simple illustrations remind kids “open your ears / open your mind… YOU ARE / the music / the noise / the silence.”

Author

© Susanna Reich
A visual artist, musician, and psychotherapist, Gary Golio is the author of the New York Times-bestselling picture book Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow, which received the 2011 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award. His other books, most of which profile important artists, include When Bob Met Woody: The Story of the Young Bob Dylan; Strange Fruit: Billie Holiday and the Power of a Protest Song; Sonny Rollins Plays the Bridge; Everywhere Beauty Is Harlem; and Silence Sounds Simple. Visit garygolio.com. View titles by Gary Golio
Andrea D’Aquino is the author and illustrator of several picture books, including A Life Made by Hand: The Story of Ruth Asawa; She Heard the Birds: The Story of Florence Merriam Bailey; and an illustrated edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. She has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, and the Type Director’s Club, among many other illustration organizations. Her recent books include Abzuglutely! by Sarah Aronson and and Silence Sounds Simple by Gary Golio. Visit andreadaquino.com. View titles by Andrea D'Aquino

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