Many amateur and professional musicians tell stories of first performing songs when they were children, whether taking piano lessons, attending choir practice, playing “Michael, Row the Boat Ashore” on a kid-sized guitar, or singing along with pop hits on the radio. It’s no wonder, then, that so many books for very young readers are about playing music live—with all the noise, anxiety, and wonder that experience entails. Here are three such titles, all recommended by Kirkus Indie:
The Day the Instruments Split! (2021), a picture book written by Trinity Bursey and illustrated by John D. Shull, features an array of anthropomorphic musical instruments who enjoy playing together in harmony—until one day, a strange, top-hatted villain upends their notion of music performance. He insists that each instrument should play apart from the others: “How can maracas shake when drums are drumming?…How can pianos play when guitars are strumming?” Soon, everyone’s out for themselves: “sounds collided / and music crashed, / Until everything / was one giant bash!” The chaotic cacophony even affects the natural world—stopping rain from falling, and clocks from ticking. At a free concert that night, however, a conductor convinces the instruments of the merits of performing in harmony. It’s a lively spin on the notion of collaboration, set in the context of playing a song together. Our reviewer calls it “an engaging music-themed tale for preschoolers who need a simple lesson about unity.”
Debbie Nutley’s 2023 picture-book series entry, Ruby’s Heart Song, tackles the concept of stage fright in a way that young musicians are sure to find relatable. Ruby, a penguin, tells her pal, Pengwee, that she’s “nexcited” (nervous and excited) about singing at an upcoming talent show whose audience will include “every penguin on the glacier.” Being excited isn’t too unpleasant when she’s by herself, as it inspires her to dance, but when she’s anxious in front of others, she says, her heart beats “too loud.” Pengwee notes that their heart similarly “jumps when [they’re] jittery.” Ruby solves her problem while performing onstage by first looking up at the sky, and then looking at supportive Pengwee in the audience, who knows exactly what she’s going through. Kirkus’ reviewer calls the book, which features illustrations by Alexandra Rusu, “a cutesy but conversation-starting narrative that takes anxiety seriously and offers practical solutions.”
The Kirkus-starred Petunia the Perfectionist by Marissa Bader, illustrated by Ellie Beykzadeh, was chosen as one of Kirkus’ Best Indie Books of 2024. The young title character always wants to do things perfectly: “The idea of coloring outside the lines made Petunia panic.” Her mom tells her that “nobody’s PERFECT all the time. Mistakes are a good thing—they help us learn!” Petunia is skeptical, and when her finger inadvertently slips on a string during her guitar lesson, it makes a new noise that initially embarrasses her. Then her teacher approves of “the brand new sound! How wonderfully inventive!” Petunia realizes that unexpected musical “mistakes” can foster creativity. “Playing a wrong note strikes the right chord for a determined little girl in this winning children’s story,” writes our reviewer.
David Rapp is the senior Indie editor.
