Pages of Music — Tony Johnston

First published in 1988, this gentle picture book set in Sardinia features refreshed illustrations by the beloved and award-winning Tomie dePaola and tells of the giving and sharing of music on a very special Christmas morning.

Long ago, a painter and her son, Paolo, visited the poor but beautiful island of Sardinia and a shepherd shared with them his bread called foglia de musica, pages of music. When the mother offered to pay, the shepherd took his musical pipe and filled the air with music so sweet that Paolo danced and sang with joy.

Many years later, Paolo, now a gifted composer, returns to the island with his entire orchestra on Christmas morning to share with the shepherds his own “pages of music” -- a song of a night long ago, a blazing star, and a child born in a manger.