The World Sings Back

A witch who hates music casts a spell to silence the world. But the world sings back.​

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A witch cannot stand music. She loves crashing sounds, roaring anger, the singing of war, but hates violins, love songs and gentle melodies. With one wicked spell, she wipes out every note on earth: no more concerts, no more theatres, no more music anywhere.​

Almost. Inside a wardrobe, a tiny moth is whistling, so softly the witch barely notices. Then a cricket joins in. Then another. Soon, fifty of them are singing together: a whole choir. Frogs and toads rise from the ditch. Rain falls, soft and steady. Flowers breathe in the meadow. Wherever the witch turns, the world keeps breathing, keeps singing.​

A little spider finally says it plainly: music is life, and life cannot be silenced. It is everywhere.​

A joyful, rhythmic tale that turns the smallest voices into an unstoppable choir, celebrating nature, freedom, and the gentle strength of every living thing.​

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Key highlights: 

◊ A story to be read aloud, and heard: rolling rhymes and playful rhythm make every page perfect for reading out loud, inviting children to join in with their own voice.​

​◊ Vibrant collage, bursting with colour: Gek Tessaro’s bold, hand-made art gives shape and energy to every scene, turning the story into a feast for the eyes as much as for the ears.

​◊ Ready for the classroom and the library: the rhyming, theatrical structure is perfect for read-alouds, workshops on sound and nature, and expressive reading activities.

Author & Illustrator

GEK TESSARO

​Gek Tessaro is a multi-award-winning Italian author and illustrator, renowned for his ability to blend poetic storytelling with profound philosophical and social reflection. ​

His work is characterized by distinctive, rhythmic rhymes that serve as the heartbeat of his narratives, making his voice unmistakable in the landscape of children’s literature. Through his unconventional art and sharp irony, Tessaro champions children’s logic to dismantle the absurdities of the adult world.​