Hannah and the Wrong Note

K-Gr 2–When Hannah plays the piano, all the notes seem to fall in line. But when she sets her sights on performing Swan Lake for a school concert, working tirelessly to master the piece, one elusive note proves to be a challenge. On performance night, Hannah plays beautifully but misses that critical note. At first, Hannah is devastated—one note ruins her performance. Soon, however, with help from her little sister, Hannah discovers that maybe the goal of playing music isn’t to be perfect after all and that those “wrong notes” can lead to something pretty special. Overcoming perfectionism, an important message for children, is the driving force in this somewhat heavy-handed story. The illustrations, predominantly in cool blues and grays, create a muted tone that complements Hannah’s serious demeanor. However, the monochromatic palette can make character expressions hard to decipher, lacking the clarity and emotional energy needed to engage young audiences. In addition, the story and character development are insufficient to carry the weight of its message with authenticity. Anthropomorphic musical notes add a playful touch, but they may dilute the story’s deeper message about embracing imperfections.