What does nothing sound like?

An offbeat history of John Cage’s 4’33”, a musical composition of blank bars, illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Chris Raschka.

One night in 1952, the pianist David Tudor took the stage in a barn-like concert hall called the Maverick. A packed audience waited for him to start playing. Little did they know that the performance had already begun.

A rain patters.
A tree rustles.
An audience stirs.

David Tudor was performing John Cage’s 4’33”, whose purpose is to amplify the ambient sounds of whatever venue it inhabits. That shocking first performance earned 4’33” plenty of haters; and yet the piece endures, “performed” by the smallest garage bands and the grandest symphonies alike, year after year. Its fans hear what John Cage hoped we would hear: “Nothing” is never silent, and you don’t need a creative genius, a concert hall, or even a piano to hear something worthwhile. All you have to do is stop and listen.

★ "A beautifully written and illustrated story of a man who wanted people to explore nothingness, which is a necessity in today’s busy world. A great read-aloud and a must-purchase for all ­library collections."—School Library Journal, Starred Review

★ "An exceptional exploration of absolutely ‘nothing’ that feels particularly radical in an ever-bustling and connected world."—Booklist, Starred Review

★ "The book deftly pivots in time between Cage’s childhood, the Woodstock performance, and his impact on music broadly."—The Horn Book, Starred Review

“[A] remarkable picture book."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“[A] spare, vibrant serenade to Cage’s masterpiece and its lasting existential echoes, challenging our most basic assumptions about what makes anything itself.” — The Marginalian

“Goofy yet profound"—Kirkus Reviews

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