Raising the Roof

Name: Raising the Roof
Brand: Allen & Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand
SKU: 9781835873298
Price: 27.99 NZD
Availability: InStock

A Dazzling History of Classical Music and its Colourful Characters

By Jack Pepper

0.0 (0 reviews)

Brief Description

Composer and broadcaster Jack Pepper introduces the world of classical music - and its colourful characters - as you've never seen it before... LET'S ROCK! Take a tour of musical history, and learn your timbre from your tempo, your tuba from your cello and your symphony... Read More

Format: Paperback / softback

$27⁹⁹

AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Raising the Roof

$27⁹⁹

BOARD GAMES 23 Oct 2026

The Team's Long Weekend Reading

With the long weekend upon us, the team is hopefully getting some time in the...

AMELIA'S CORNER 23 Oct 2026

What Actually Makes a Jigsaw Puzzle Difficult?

Does more pieces always mean a harder puzzle? Not necessarily! After Dylan surprised me by...

A Court of Splintered Harmony: How to Get Your Copy on Release Day

A Court of Splintered Harmony is almost here, and we have some exciting news for...

ACOTAR 22 Oct 2026

The ACOTAR Countdown Is On, But We Need to Talk…

Last week, things started taking a dark turn. The excitement surrounding the release was suddenly...

GRAPHIC NOVEL 22 Oct 2026

Pick up a Graphic Novel for Halloween

Wanting something different for spooky season? Try a horror themed graphic novel! Lizzy has rounded...

A cool introduction to classical music

A cool introduction to classical music

Description

Composer and broadcaster Jack Pepper introduces the world of classical music - and its colourful characters - as you've never seen it before... LET'S ROCK!

Take a tour of musical history, and learn your timbre from your tempo, your tuba from your cello and your symphony from your concerto. Rub shoulders with 20 great composers - including child prodigy Mozart, pioneering musician Florence Price and film score composer Hans Zimmer - and find out what it really takes to write a timeless classical hit!

Listen as you read, using the playlist inside, with over 40 classical pieces covering 1,000 years of music. The story doesn't stop here, as classical continues to influence music today and future sounds.

Informal, funny and written with infectious enthusiasm, Raising the Roof by Jack Pepper is sure to inspire the budding composer in every reader and open up this dazzling world of music to new fans.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781835873298

Publisher: Bonnier Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 11 September 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Bonnier Books Ltd

Contributors:

Illustrated by Michele Bruttomesso

Audience: General / adult, Children

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 10.0mm

Width: 215.0mm

Height: 281.0mm

Weight: 382g

Pages: 80

Collections

Children's Books Children’s, Teenage and Educational Education & Reference Jack Pepper

About the Author

Jack Pepper (Author)
Jack Pepper is one of the UK's youngest commissioned composers and youngest-ever national radio presenters. In his teens, he wrote for the Royal Opera House, Classic FM, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the Band of HM Royal Marines, alongside pop, jazz and theatre work that saw his music nominated for a Canadian JUNO Award and performed everywhere from the Royal Albert Hall to the Roundhouse. He has presented for He has presented for Magic Radio's Magic Classical (formerly Scala Radio) and Magic at the Musicals, and hosts both the musical theatre and classical shows for British Airways.

Michele Bruttomesso (Illustrator)
Born and raised in Vicenza, Italy, Michele Bruttomesso is an illustrator that consistently brings a touch of joy to every project he works on. A great punk rock music fan, he came to prominence while still in art school by drawing album reviews for local bands. He has illustrated for magazines, children's books, board games, posters and animation. He's the author of Drengexplosion (2019), an experimental webcomic that mixes cartoon and animation.

Jack Pepper (Author)
Jack Pepper is one of the UK's youngest commissioned composers and youngest-ever national radio presenters. In his teens, he wrote for the Royal Opera House, Classic FM, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the Band of HM Royal Marines, alongside pop, jazz and theatre work that saw his music nominated for a Canadian JUNO Award and performed everywhere from the Royal Albert Holl to the Roundhouse. He has presented for Scala Radio and Magic at the Musicals, and hosts both the musical theatre and classical shows for British Airways.

Michele Bruttomesso (Illustrator)
Born and raised in Vicenza, Italy, Michele Bruttomesso is an illustrator that consistently brings a touch of joy to every project he works on. A great punk rock music fan, he came to prominence while still in art school by drawing album reviews for local bands. He has illustrated for magazines, children's books, board games, posters and animation. He's the author of Drengexplosion (2019), an experimental webcomic that mixes cartoon and animation.

Also by Jack Pepper

View all

Raising the Roof

Composer and broadcaster Jack Pepper introduces the world of classical music - and its colourful characters - as you've never seen it before... LET'S ROCK! Informal, raucous and sometimes scandalous, the heroes of classical music are often far from the composed images they're portrayed as. Take a walk in the shoes of 20 original rock stars from the last millennium...

By Jack Pepper

Hardback

$39⁹⁹

Available
Ships in 4-6 weeks

More from Children's Books

View all

New Release

Fight or Flight: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (21)

When the going gets tough, what’s a wimpy kid to do? In Fight or Flight, Greg Heffley faces his biggest challenge yet as he becomes a target for the school bully. Luckily for Greg, his best friend, Rowley Jefferson, takes karate, so at least Greg’s got someone in his corner. But an unexpected twist makes Greg realize he’s facing an uphill...

By Jeff Kinney

Paperback

$16⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$21⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships Tuesday
New Release

Gruffalo Granny

The brand new Gruffalo picture book from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. The Gruffalo said to his daughter one day, "Your Gruffalo Granny is coming to stay." Return to the deep dark wood with the first new Gruffalo story in over 20 years, and meet Gruffalo Granny as she visits the Gruffalo family. This fresh and exciting new Gruffalo adventure...

By Julia Donaldson

Hardback

$24⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$30⁰⁰~~

(3)

In Stock
Ships Tuesday
New Release

The Sixth Faction

Beatrice Prior stands on the brink of a decision every person in her world must make: five factions, five futures, five lives. She has a plan: she's going to make the bravest choice, and leave Abnegation behind to join Dauntless, even though it means leaving her family behind. But when tragedy strikes at her Choosing Ceremony, everything changes—her world, her...

By Veronica Roth

Paperback

$29⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$34⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships Tuesday
New Release

Detective Beans Colouring Club

Help Detective Beans solve the case of the missing colours! Join the Colouring Club now! Join the Detective Beans Colouring Club! Inside you'll find 40 removable colouring pages featuring scenes from all over Cat Town. Filled with all the characters you know and love from the Detective Beans graphic novels like Biscuits, Beans' mum, Mr Brickle, Bear, Detective Baby Bird...

By Li Chen

Paperback

$17⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$21⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships Tuesday
New Release

Wahine

From a majestic mermaid to a clay woman, the creator of glaciers to the mother of gardening, discover powerful wahine and how their stories shaped the world around us. Wahine introduces readers to twelve purakau of brave, bold, and inspiring women of Aotearoa. A beautifully illustrated collection that will delight the whole whanau, from award-winning illustrator Isobel Joy Te Aho-White....

By Isobel Joy Te Aho-White

Hardback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$39⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships Tuesday
New Release

Lottie Brooks’s Twelve Disasters of Christmas

From hilarious MEGA bestselling author, Katie Kirby, comes a new story collection from the world of Lottie Brooks! But this time... it's not about Lottie! From hilarious MEGA bestselling author, Katie Kirby, comes a new story collection from the world of Lottie Brooks! And it's CHRISTMAS! In The Completely Chaotic Christmas of Lottie Brooks we spent the holiday season with...

By Katie Kirby

Paperback

$17⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$21⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships Tuesday
On Sale
21% off
New Release

Matihe! Achoo!

What happens when a grumpy tupua has to sneeze? Matihe! Achoo! is a bilingual story about the tupua Mataoho and his connection to the volcanoes of Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland. It comes with an action song to engage young readers! He pūrākau e pā ana ki a Mataoho me ngā puia o Takamaki Makaurau. He tupua pukukino a Mataoho e noho...

By Qiane Matata-Sipu

Paperback

$15⁰⁰
Elsewhere:
~~$21⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships Tuesday
The Sweet As Looky Book

Can you find all the chocolate fish? Is it possible for kiwi to fly? Can you spot the difference? See Aotearoa New Zealand through the eyes of award-winning artist Donovan Bixley in The Sweet As Looky Book. Use your finest skills to seek out pirates in the Bay of Islands and birds in Rakiura Stewart Island. Get in a car...

By Donovan Bixley

Hardback

$22⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$27⁹⁹~~

Available
Ships in 4-6 weeks
New Release

Pocket Observology

Pocket Observology is a practical field guide designed for those who love to explore and understand the natural world around them. Slip this guide out of your pocket to identify, measure, compare, or find clues to the things you encounter every day in nature. This pocket guide is a useful tool and a fun reminder of how to engage with...

By Giselle Clarkson

Paperback

$23⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$27⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships Tuesday
New Release

The Day of the Dinosaur Disaster

Angry anacondas, blizzarding blobs, carnivorous cactuses ... what kind of twisted curse will Glam-Evil think up this time?!Only it's not just Glam-Evil's curse the gang needs to worry about; they've got a few other problems, too. Swooping Pteranodons, a hungry T-Rex, a missing mother, and ... is that ... an ASTEROID?!Join MILES AND JONES as they face their biggest challenge...

By Sam Smith

Paperback

$14⁰⁰
Elsewhere:
~~$14⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships Tuesday
On Sale
15% off
New Release

The Neverfear

A world of richly-imagined wonder Cressida Cowell It’s the Midsummer Feast on the Islet of Glimt and on this magical moonlit evening, the word on everyone’s lips is bandits. Reports of masked men burning villages are spreading throughout the Archipelago, but worse is still to come: Christopher and Anya are ambushed and one of the people they love most is...

By Katherine Rundell

Paperback

$17⁰⁰
Elsewhere:
~~$22⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships Tuesday
New Release

Mari the Unwonderful Witch

A charming, cosy and thought-provoking tale about a wonderfully unconventional little witch, by bestselling author of BUTTER, Asako Yuzuki. Perfect for fans of WICKED, KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE, and THE HATMAKERS series by Tamzin Merchant - and anyone who likes an enchanting adventure with just a hint of mischief. Mari the Unwonderful Witch introduces us to Mari, an eleven-year-old witch who...

By Asako Yuzuki

Paperback

$19⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$24⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships Tuesday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.