This picture book for the whole family tells the story of Ludwig van Beethoven who is generally regarded as one of music's greatest composers. His story is especially inspiring since he had completely lost his hearing by age 31. He composed nine symphonies, as well as hundreds of sonatas, concertos, and songs. The illustrations provide a visual reference for the late 18th and early 19th centuries. A chronology makes this especially useful for elementary and middle school music reference collections. The 50-minute CD that is included with this book has excerpts from some of his most beloved works including Moonlight Sonata and his magnificent Ninth Symphony.