The Piano

PreS-Gr 3—When Filippa finds a piano in her front yard, she longs for a chance to play beautiful music on it. However, her friends have a few different ideas about how to use the newfound instrument. Andre the Donkey uses it as a seating area for his busy café, and Snoozy the Cat uses it as a hideaway for an hour-long nap. Filippa becomes frustrated when no one honors her request to use the piano to play music. In an effort to ease her frustrations, she finds a quiet spot, alone, and plays music on a harmonica. Meanwhile, things are also falling apart for a pianist who's missing his instrument. At Gig Time's band rehearsal, band members aren't able to play any music because a missing sock is causing the conductor to "miss" the beat. In an effort to ease his frustrations, the pianist takes a walk. In the end, two very different people find out they have a lot in common and can make beautiful music together. Although this quirky tale has some interesting moments, it misses quite a few beats. Bright and colorful illustrations are more of a distraction than an asset and gaps in the story line make the plot seem choppy. Subtle messages about the importance of managing frustrations do add some value to the story. However, they are not enough to add measurable depth.