Cultivating a child's love for music is a gift for families to share with all their little ones. If there is a piano in the home, children may naturally gravitate to the bench and tinker around themselves. Playing alongside your children is an incredible way to enjoy making music together. But even if you do not have the desire or space to own a one, there are many opportunities to introduce the beauty of this instrument to your young kids. Reading children's books about characters who play the pianos is good place to start. This collection of both fiction and non-fiction titles hits all the right notes.
An enchanting story about the unifying power of music will touch the hearts and souls of all readers. One day a bear comes upon a magical gift in the of the forest. Curious about this strange object, the creature begins banging on the keys and producing terrible sounds. He tries to dray himself away from the instrument, but feels a magnetic pull that he just can't shake. Returning time and again to practice, the bear eventually learns to play. All his woodland friends gather round to enjoy the bear's recitals. Soon the furry creature is invited to join new friends in the city who also appreciate fine music. Feeling torn between leaving home and exploring a new world, bear strives to keep all his friends happy.
Kids' Picture Books Featuring Pianists
Picture books about pianists, whether they are amateur or professional, share valuable lessons about the importance of practice. The musicians in these stories struggle learning to play the notes, make mistakes during recitals, overcome performance anxiety, and ultimately find pleasure and success in mastering a composition. These are stories of achievement and failure that will give your own little pianists a boost the next time they sit down on the bench. And when you are finished, be sure to check out the best stories about the violin next!
Song of Middle C
No matter how many hours a child has practiced at home, playing a piece of music at a recital is a whole different situation. Performance anxiety is a very real emotion that can cause even the most steady hands to shake like crazy. One little girl, with the support of her parents and teachers, prepares to take the stage. Wearing her lucky underwear with musical notes, she thinks she is ready to perform. Unfortunately, a few mean words from her brother coupled with a nasty case of stage fright causes her to forget how to play. Readers will anxiously await to see if she can pull through and deliver a recital piece that will end with a standing ovation.
Kids will get an informative glimpse at the inside of a baby grand piano. In this gorgeously illustrated picture book, a little girl is preparing for her piano recital. Readers are taken on a cumulative tour of the piano parts and how they function, from the pedal to the hammer to the keys.
Roberta Flack, a Grammy award-winner, shares her true story about where her musical journey began. Growing up in a poor family, she did not have access to the finer things in life. But her father did not allow money to stand in the way of his daughter's dreams. He finds an old piano in a junkyard and restores it to life so that Roberta can learn to play. Every day, Roberta's fingers tinkered with the keys of the vibrant geen piano. Not even her family knew that this little girl would one day become a legendary performer.
The inspiring true story of Teresa Carreño, a gifted pianist who played for Abraham Lincoln, is one to share with every child who is facing big obstacles in life. A musical prodigy in Venezuela, Teresa was a song-writer and gifted performer well known throughout her country. When war forces her family to flee to the United States, she is overwhelmed in a new country where no one speaks Spanish. Teresa once again turns to music as a source of strength and word spreads about her brilliant piano playing. She even receives an invitation to play at the White House.
A whimsical book about a cardboard piano that Debbie made for her best friend, Tina. Her gesture was sincere but unfortunately the cardboard instrument doesn't seem to offer the same musical entertainment as a real piano. It takes a little imagination to bring this particular instrument to life in a story about friendship and music.
Exceptional artwork brings the story of this famous jazz musician to life. The lyrical text sets the right tone for telling the story of a man who rose to musical prominence during a time of extreme racism. Biographical snippets about this man's life are told in a jazzy verse. For kids ready to learn more, there are several pages of in the back that take a deeper dive into Duke Ellington's remarkable musical career.
An evocative story about the influence of a mentor on a child who has a musical gift. A little Chinese girl and her father settle into their new home in Canada. They happen upon an older gentleman in the park while taking a stroll. When this stranger listens to the girl sing, he immediately sense her uncanny musical ability and takes her on as a student. Under the watchful eye of a Beethoven bust, a talented child blossoms into a musical prodigy. A slow-paced, hauntingly beautiful story paying respect to classical music.
There is much more to learning than simply pressing the right keys. Henry the Steinway is a real live piano who arrives to help Ana understand what she needs to do. Her recital is imminent and she doesn't know how to play her piece. The fatherly piano mentor instructs her to first hear the music in her mind, and then in her heart. Only then will she be able to master the song on the keys. A quirky story about perseverance and fortitude that will help children everywhere listen to music on a deeper level.
Readers are taken on a journey back in time to Italy where the first piano was invented. Bartolomeo Cristofori had already spent years tinkering around with various keyboards that played notes either softly or loudly. He agonized over how to build one instrument on that could play more than one volume. Cristofori's inspiration came after he was summoned to Florence by a Prince who wanted this city to become a musical capital. He had an "a ha!" moment when witnessing the variety of noises made by hammers in this city. The sound from the goldsmiths' tiny hammers was a soft tinker. And the noise from the blacksmiths' hammers was a loud boom. Hence, the incorporation of hammers into the structure was born.
An imaginative story about a little girl who has a big case of jitters on the day of her first recital. It's almost Momo's turn to take the stage and she is overcome with anxiety. As she's whispering words of encouragement to herself, Momo hears a tiny mouse echoing these same words. The little rodent leads her through a miniature door where Momo discovers a simultaneous performance for an audience of mice. Feeling intrigued, she agrees to play the piano for this unusual group. When she is finished with her piece, she stands up to find human beings clapping in response. A whimsical look at the power of imagination as a way of coping. Intricate illustrations offer children new details to discover with every reading.
This story is packed with invaluable life lessons that extend far beyond the keyboard. Wally has a very distinctive reputation as the best wombat pianist in the entire world. When a new wombat, Wylie, demonstrates superior piano-playing prowess, Wally has a bit of an identity crisis. Deciding to up his game, Wally incorporates all kinds of tricks into his performances. But Wylie responds with even more impressive skills. Realizing that this is a competition he cannot win, Wally learns to embrace Wylie and their shared passion for music.
A unique, award-winning chapter book for middle grade readers who are ready to sink into a musical mystery with a good dose of historical fiction. This is the story of an unlikely friendship between Michael, a piano prodigy, and Mirabelle, a singing goldfinch. With the Chovin Festival coming up, Michael is supposed to be practicing for his performance. For for reasons unknown, he refuses to play the Chopin piece for his teacher. Unable to get through to her pupil, the teacher is not sure how he will ever be able to participate in the festival. Then one day Mirabelle, who is perched out back, begins to sing the Chopin song. In a magical moment, Michael's fingers start to flutter across the keys and together they perform their very first duet. From that day on, the two become indelibly linked and find themselves drawn into a mystery of a missing instrument worth millions.
Like lots of kids who suffer from a bout of anxiety from time to time, Cora has to come up with some solid coping skills. This little girl has a big recital coming up and she is plagued with negative thoughts- creatively dubbed Whatifs. These little buggers love Cora, so she must find a way to channel more positive thinking ahead of her recital. Little piano players or any other child who has performance anxiety will relate to Cora's dilemma and learn from the actions she takes to overcome her doubts.
Every single child has a special gift to share with the world. Sometimes this talent buried deep and needs some special attention before a child is ready to share it with the world. Such is the case with Leo, a shy and introverted little boy who discovers he has a keen musical ability. His piano playing skills finally give him the confidence to come out of his shell and experience the joy of performing. A touching story about how music can boost a child's self-esteem and spread happiness all around.
The Lollipop Book Club is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Amazing Stories to Expand a Child's Cultural Appreciation