Picture Book Exploration: The Musical Life of Arthur Sullivan

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This picture book, like so many, came into our life at a used book sale and surprised us. I had never heard of Gilbert, nor Sullivan, but I knew the writing of Jonah Winter was always excellent and the illustrations enchanted me. Yes, I do totally judge a book by its cover. And most times it works out very well, as in this case. The Fabulous Feud of Gilbert and Sullivan by Jonah Winter and illustrated by Richard Egielski was a wonderful find! Let’s explore it together.

The Fabulous Feud of Gilbert and Sullivan by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Richard Egielski

What could possibly happen if you take two friends, a disagreement and a lot of creativity? A new genre of opera. William Gilbert was an opera writer, his stories were always located in new exotic places but his story line… they were always the same. And Arthur Sullivan? He was the one to put WIlliam Gilbert’s stories to music. And one day he got tired of the same old story, no matter its location. He simply refused to create a new opera for a tired story line. And from that refusal, William Gilbert’s greatest story ever told came to life. A tale of friendship and pushing each other to do our best.

Who was Arthur Sullivan?

Arthur Sullivan was one of the premiere composers of the Victorian era. He not only composed operas with Gilbert but he also composed much of the music necessary to celebrate Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897, including the Jubilee March and a ballet, Victoria and Merrie England (and the story). Even though he was never made the official Court composer he was frequently called upon for state occasions.
His partnership with William Gilbert debuted in 1875 at the request of Richard D’Oyly Carte, impresario at London’s Royalty Theater. From this partnership came 14 operas, the most famous of which was The Mikado, on the creation of which is based The Fabulous Feud of Gilbert and Sullivan.

The Opera

The opera is not a musical form to which most of us are accustomed. It is very unique in the sense that the opera is both a musical style and a form of theater. It is not a musical, in which the music is usually modern. Opera music is classical in nature. It is accompanied by singing and the singers acting out a story. An orchestra plays the music. Have you ever been to the opera? It is quite the experience! Do not hesitate if there is ever one playing near you. In the meantime here is a good recording of a presentation of The Mikado at the Carl Rosa Opera in England, and since there are no subtitles, here is the synopsis and access to the full libretto.

History

The time of Queen Victoria of England, known as the Victorian Era, was a time of great changes in England as well as throughout the world. She was the longest reigning British sovereign, 1837-1901, until Queen Elizabeth II, who reigned from 1952 until 2022. Queen Victoria’s birthday is on May 24th (see the May 2025 Booklist for details). Here is a good glimpse at the Victorian Era, if you look under the video you can discover more about Victorian England.

Theater

It is almost summer, so why not launch yourself into theater? Build yourself a model theater to play with peg dolls. This video is a wonderful tutorial to make a toy theater. Please share your theaters on Instagram and tag @adailypicturebook. Wooden peg dolls are so versatile and so very fun to paint and play with. Here are some ideas on how to create your own peg doll actors and actresses. We really like these peg dolls, they offer a lot of possibilities. This can be a long term project to perfect throughout the summer.

Recipe

Arthur Sullivan’s opera was named The Mikado. In France, where I grew up, we had snack sticks called Mikado, it was a small bread stick dipped in chocolate. They are yummy and so easy to make!

• 1/2 cups of melting chocolate
• 1 box ofthin bread sticks (plain!)

Melt the chocolate in a bain Marie, then dip the bread sticks in the melted chocolate 2/3 of the way. Roll in sprinkles, if desired. Let cool and enjoy!

I hope that you enjoyed this picture book, as much as I have! What a wonderful introduction it is to the opera and to Victorian times! It also opens the doors to my creativity with the idea of making my own theater set.
I wish you a lovely, lovely day!
Love,
Mattie

PS:
Did you know that you could be exploring a new picture book every day of the year? A Daily Picture Book’s monthly booklists have been created for this very purpose! Most of the picture books featured are non-fiction historical and geographical picture books accompanied by enrichment activities and a recipe. Sprinkled throughout are also important cultural picture books such as Tall Tales, Fairy Tales, Folktales, from around the world. Come join us for a delight-filled addition to your daily routine!