A to Z Challenge Day24: X
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Xylophone.  What is it?  A xylophone is a percussion instrument, with wooden bars of graduating length, that sound  the notes of the musical scale when a mallet hits them.  A xylophone is also that toy your parents seem to always trip over at Christmas, swearing under their breath.

The moment he loses interest that thing is out of here!

….

When this happens it is best not to remind your parents that your kid brother would not have gotten a xylophone if they would not have said no to drums.

Every kid, at some time in his/her life gets a xylophone.  Why is that?  Kids like to bang on things–anything.  From mom’s favorite pans in the kitchen, any box they can find, or whatever it is you are trying to play with, little kids love to hit things.

If the idea behind buying the xylophone is to get your child interested in music, they may one day move on to this xylophone:

What does all this have to do with children’s books?  Nothing.  It is just a different way to introduce three books that have the xylophone in the story.  From 2010, only four books could be found.

1.

Xavier Ox's Xylophone Experiment 
978-1-5756-5349-5

Ox loves music. But sometimes his drumming is rather EXPLOSIVE! So Alpha Betty and Xavier’s classmates start an exciting experiment to build an extra-strong xylophonejust for Xavier Ox.

Barbara deRubertis
R. W. Alley, Illustrator
Kane Press 
July 15, 2011
32 pages, Ages 5+
.... 
2.

 

Disney Winnie the Pooh Play-Along Christmas Songs and Xylophone
978-1-4508-2223-7

Pooh Play-Along Xylophone is an interactive songbook with an attached toy xylophone and 10-button audio module. Children develop musical skills and hand-eye coordination by playing and singing along to popular Christmas songs that feature Winnie the Pooh and his friends from the Hundred-Acre Wood.

Children press one of the 10 sound buttons to activate a song melody. The lights above the xylophone keys light up one by one as the melody plays. Following along with the lights, children use the detachable xylophone mallet to play the song. They also can match the colorful musical notes in the book to the xylophone keys and play the song on their own.  Includes 10 Christmas.

Mark Rader 
Spark Moore, Illustrator 
Diana Wakeman, Illustrator 
Darrell Baker, Illustrator
Publications International, Ltd. 
2011
24 pages,  Ages 3+
... 
3.

Dora the Explorer Xylophone 
Play-Along Songbook
978-1-4127-4554-3

Dora the Explorer Xylophone an interactive songbook with a toy xylophone attached for children ages 18 months and older. Children can develop their musical skills and hand-eye coordination by playing songs that feature Dora the Explorer, Map, Boots, and other favorite characters from the Nickelodeon TV show. Each page of the book has lyrics set to a familiar song and a simplified version of the melody’s sheet music. Children can use the detachable xylophone mallet to play along with the melody. Includes 10 songs.

Dave Aikins
Victoria Miller, Illustrator
Bob Roper A & J Studios, music
Publications International, Ltd. 
2010
22 pages,  Ages 2+
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4.

Musical ABC's
978-1-5983-5221-4

From “accordion” to “zhuihu,” the children in this book can play fascinating instruments! The medley of rhyming text and detailed photographs make learning the letters of the alphabet and their sounds easy and entertaining. Includes a glossary and four pages of fun facts about the instruments mentioned in the text.

Yanitzia Canetti
BrickHouse Education 
September 1, 2010
40 pages,  Ages 3+
...

The book I like, admittedly just from seeing the cover, is:

 
Be Quiet Mike!
978-0-7636-4477-2

Even before he was born, Mike started drumming. Kick! Thump! Pow! Wherever he goes, his rhythms sing: swis, thak, go his books; bang, clank, goes the trash can; tap, tap, go his pencils; and “BE QUIET, MIKE!” yells everyone around him. But one day Mike sees a drum set in a store window– and puts his hands-on talents to work in a most impressive way.

Leslie Patricelli
Candlewick
August 23, 2011
40 pages, Ages 3+
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Mike is not a xylophone kind of monkey.

 Nah, Mike is more of a drum boy. 
 .....

  This is an Accordion. 
It has nothing to do with today's letter X,  
the xylophone, children's books, or even 
Mike and his drums. No, the accordion is 
what I had to learn to play as a kid.  
I wanted any but that heavy, not cool, instrument. 
My oldest sister wanted to learn to play this (10 years earlier). 
They passed it down to me. Do not ask me to play.   
I really hated those lessons. 
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That's it for today's A to Z Challenge, letter X. 
Y not stop  by for tomorrow's letter: Y, for YEAH! 
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A to Z Challenge Day24: X
A to Z Challenge Minus 2.……