Captain Sofia - (Classic Fantastic) by An Leysen (Hardcover)

About the Book

A sound book with compelling music fragments by Beethoven

Book Synopsis

Included in CBCs March 2025 Hot Off the Press reading list!

A -brilliant book for introducing classical -music in an exciting way, perfectly poised to get readers hooked on symphonics."- School Library Journal

Embark on a magical adventure with Sofia in this captivating pirate sound book, where childlike imagination, Beethoven's classical music, and interactive sounds come together in a delightful tribute. For fearless adventurers ages 4 years and up.

Sometimes, when Sofia lies in bed at night and closes her eyes, something magical happens: everything she imagines becomes real! Tonight, her room changes into a sea with waves as high as the walls. Tonight, Sofia is a pirate!

This delightful tale is the first book in the 'Classic Fantastic' series. This enchanting story is also part of the Clavis Music series, designed to ignite a love for reading through the exploration of classical music. With 11 music fragments by Beethoven woven into the narrative, children can experience the adventure and excitement of Sofia's pirate escapades.

Written by bestselling author An Leysen, this book features a heroic and imaginative female lead and highlights key phrases with bold and italicized text to enhance the storytelling experience. It includes a credit list of Beethoven's music at the end and a power on/off feature to conserve batteries.

The perfect companion for classical music enthusiasts and adventure seekers alike, this interactive sound book brings Sofia's daring journey to life through the magic of music, imagination, and 11 authentic Beethoven compositions.

Review Quotes

Included in CBCs March 2025 Hot Off the Press reading list!

"An educational picture book that combines the power of imagination, along with the excerpts of Beethoven's most famous pieces. Sofia closes her eyes every night and is magically transported to a different adventure. Tonight's adventure is Captain Sofia, the bravest and most terrifying of all pirates in the seven seas. Each page offers a glimpse into another step of her pirate adventure, along with one of Beethoven's musical excerpts to build the emotion and power of the story. She faces another pirate, a sea monster, and even a mermaid on her quest for treasure.

There are additional pages included after the story to highlight the life of Ludwig van Beethoven and the final page allows the reader to see all of the selected music in one piece, along with the name. A wonderful choice to instill the love and wonder of music, along with the power of imagination. " - Birchard Public Library of Sandusky County

"This is a lovely story about a dreaming who has big imagination. She does incredible and empowering actions that remind young children of simple solutions to solve problems and also realize when we do bad things. " - Yuma County Library District

"What a wonderfully fantastic adventure! Not only to we meet a fierce pirate but also discover some beautiful music that is hauntingly magnificent. Children should be exposed to more of the classics but this is a great start that will hopefully wet their appetite to listen to all famous composers. And children should be allowed to let their imaginations soar!" - Plattekill Public Library

"PreS-Gr 4-These books serve as a magical method of music introduction. Each book follows Sofia's dreams, with interactive buttons connecting each subconscious -setting with the music of a famous classical
composer. In Captain Sofia she sets off on swashbuckling antics, set to works by Beethoven. Wizard Sofia features the tunes of -Tchaikovsky. Leysen's drawings -feature delicate, hyper-detailed faces against -interesting backgrounds that play with form and texture. There's -water that looks like realistic splashes, dragons with intricate patterns, paint splatters and scattered stars. End materials have a quick composer bio, fun facts, and a playlist of the songs so they can -identify what they've heard. -VERDICT A -brilliant book for introducing classical -music in an exciting way, perfectly poised to get readers hooked on symphonics."- School Library Journal

About the Author

An Leysen works as an art teacher in Turnhout, Belgium, where she teaches design and fashion. She is married to the visual artist Jef Faes and they have a daughter, Louise, who has art running through her veins too. In her spare time, An likes to - what else? - read and draw.