Kids can get their dose of Verdi, too

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s live stream of Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem can be seen here starting at 7:15 p.m. tonight.

Sounds very grown-up to me.

“Verdi for Kids — His Life and Music” by Helen Bauer.

So for the kiddies out there (and kids of all ages), you can get up close and personal to all things Verdi as the music world celebrates the anniversary of his 200th birthday, via “Verdi for Kids — His Life and Music,” (Chicago Review Press), a gorgeous soft-cover book released in April.

Recommended for ages 9 and up, the book, by Helen Bauer (with a foreword by renowned soprano Deborah Voigt), beautifully illustrates Verdi’s life and works, Italian culture, arts, politics, music and food, glimpses of Verdi’s contemporaries and the milieu within which Verdi crafted his musical legacy.

With the Columbus Day Parade set for Monday at 12:30 p.m (stepping off at Columbus and Balbo), and October being National Italian American Heritage Month, this book is one way to celebrate the very positive side of Italian culture.