Piano Wants to Play

Vibrant, meticulously constructed mixed-media collage illustrations manifest a piano’s “joyful noise” as it collaborates with a determined child musician in Kong-Savage’s solo debut. When young Amy Lu, portrayed with black hair and goldenrod skin, first pokes Piano’s keys, it answers “plink plink plink, random as raindrops”; as child and instrument practice together, however, they begin making music that’s “warm, wiggly, and wonderful.” But Amy becomes busy as she matures, and her younger brother’s piano-playing career is brief and “joyless.” Without a player, Piano becomes “just furniture, a skeleton, silent as a secret”—until two men load it into a truck for a new adventure with an old friend. Textural collage-style artwork skews perspective via rolling curves that explode with nature imagery. Sincere text utilizes alliteration and understated humor while highlighting the bond of musician and instrument, making Piano a POV character. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones, some fanciful. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)