"On a bright morning, Piper scoots to school,
slapping her foot against the pavement and
bopping her head to the beat.
When Ms. Lopez takes attendance,
Piper belts out,
"HERE!"
She practices her whistle
when she colors and cuts
and hums quietly while looking
for the perfect book."
Piper Chen is filled with a love for music and dance. There is rarely a time when she is not singing, from morning till night. She sings to the sun, the moon, the robins outside her window, and to the frogs in the pond. The frogs even sing back! She does grand performances for her stuffies and for her dog Spottie, who helps with harmonies. She listens to music when helping her Nai Nai cook, or while they eat what they have made.
She loves music class and even agrees to sing a solo for the school's Spring Sing. When her emotions get the better of her thinking about her singing solo, Mr. Harris provides comfort and suggests deciding by the next practice whether she will sing alone or with the class. The choice is hers.
With her worries, her joy for singing takes a step back. She shares her concern with her grandmother who responds with 'Hudie', the Chinese word for butterfly. Her grandmother explains that she had the same thing happen at her first piano recital; the butterflies only went away when she started to play. At other times in her life, the same thing happened. If there are times when they bother her still, Nai Nai welcomes them with a smile and a warm hello.
Will that help Piper when her turn comes?
A somewhat familiar, very sensitive story that allows readers to feel the anxiety that comes to performers and people everywhere at one time, or another. The poignant ink, watercolor, and oil pastel artwork is just right for helping readers see the joy in music, the restorative warmth of Nai Nai's support, and the bravery it takes to stand in front of an audience to share a part of yourself. It is uplifting.
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