I was a piano major at Berklee so I was excited to get a copy of this. I was a bit disappointed. I think the idea was cute but it's repetitive like the "I know an old lady who..." books and song. Also I found some of the language to be a bit confusing for a kid. What kid will understand "to pillar and prop my piano." The reader will have to stop and explain that. "Hoist" too. I think for a kids book it should be more simple language. I did like the images and how the little girl thinks she's playing some amazing symphony when any of us who had piano recitals at that age know you were probably playing very few notes and the song was about 30 seconds long at the most. LOL. Overall, a cute book.

My Piano by Jen Fier Jasinski (author), Anita Bagdi (illustrator) was a beautiful story of a young girl who is preparing for her recital. The illustrations matched the lyrical repetitive text and were lovely and vibrant. This style allows the reader to really understand the different elements of the piano. The story teaches more than just the jitters of pre-show but it gives the readers a little bit of understanding about the piano itself, and ends with performance and artistship. I received an advanced review copy from Netgalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

A sweet little book about a little girl’s first piano recital. The book is written in rhyme which repeats and builds as each part of the piano and it’s working is explained. I liked this part of the book - a great learning tool. The illustrations accompanying the book are beautiful too. I love the spreads of the recital once it’s in full flow. The back of the book has some more detailed information about the different parts of the piano too and some handy tips for pianists doing recitals. Lots to learn! This would make a perfect gift for a budding pianist and would be brilliant in music lessons.

My five year old is taking piano and this just hit all the perfect marks with her. She wanted to reread and reread.

This story is very close to my heart. It is a beautiful combination of fiction and non fiction with technical vocabulary for the young readers to learn while they enjoy the story.

There is fantastic information about pianos, the ntricacies of playing and how a piano is made. The fiction part of the story talks about feelings and how it is fine to feel nervous or worried about things.

A really beautifully written book.

My Piano by Jen Fier Jasinski tells a two-part tale. First is a description of the parts of a piano, including the keys, hammers, strings, dampers, pedals, soundboard, and more. I never played piano, so this ended up being an educational introduction that gave me just enough information as to not be overwhelmed. The second part of this book is superior though, as it goes beyond piano and even music and into the feelings of a girl ready to perform at her first recital. "I chew at my lips and smooth down my hair, look up at the lights and squint at their glare." That description of the anxiety, but then overcoming it with a deep breath and entering a flow state is my favorite part of the book. This anxiety becomes pride and happiness at the accomplishment as the audience erupts in applause. Not enough books these days go into social emotional skills or how to manage big emotions like those at a first recital. Expertly, My Piano does while maintaining the rhythm and rhyme throughout the book. It was a joy to read. My Piano should be part of every music student's collection, if not every child who performs in any venue.

Recommended age: 8-10 years

Writing style: My Piano follows a cumulative pattern, most commonly recognized as in This is the House that Jack Built. However, unlike that nursery rhyme, this book actually rhymes! By using longer phrases for the repetition, My Piano flows better and doesn't become annoying. The initial description of the parts of the piano is paused for a description of the feelings of a girl ready to perform at a recital, further reducing the monotony that can happen with cumulative tales.

Lexile range (unofficial): 610L - 800L
Decoding difficulty: 3/5
Vocabulary difficulty: 5/5
Sentences difficulty: 5/5
Patterns difficulty: 2/5

Illustration style: Illustrator, Anita Badgi, uses vibrant digital illustrations full of sparkles for what I consider the magic of music. When the girl finally begins playing the piano, the music swirls around the stage, across the page, and out to the audience. It is beautiful. The book is full of detail and I especially liked that the girl is missing a tooth. Importantly, the illustrations of the piano are accurate, allowing the book to be used as a nonfiction resource for music instructors and students.

Reality-based: Yes. My Piano describes the parts of a piano and what it is like to perform in front of a large audience. I especially liked how the girl's emotions and reactions were described in the poem.

Disclaimer: Thank you, NetGalley, LibraryThing Early Reviewers, and Gnome Road Publishing, for this title. All opinions are my own.

I received an electronic ARC from Gnome Road Publishing through NetGalley.
Rhythmic book in the style of The House That Jack Built. This young girl takes readers through the parts of a piano and builds on each as the story moves forward. This culminates in her playing a recital on her piano. Readers who are paying attention will have learned it is her first recital at the very beginning of the book. I appreciate the piano part definitions and the encouragement for a terrific recital included at the end.
The artwork is lovely and glitters on the pages. Readers feel this young girl find calm as she shares her piano with all of us.

I read a digital ARC and it is beautiful. I love the illustrations and the the text. The information for kids about pianos is great. I will buy this book and have recommended my library purchase it too.

The reader learns about the inner workings of a piano as well as watches a child’s successful piano recital in the sweet picture book My Piano by Jen Fier Jasinski, illustrated by Rita Bagdi (Gnome Road Publishing, September 2023). With a natural rhyme, the book begins with a progressive “This is the house that Jack built” pattern, showing the legs, pedals, frame, soundboard, strings, dampers, and of course keys of the keyboard. Then, with a pause, the young girl, who has led this tour, begins her performance with a similar rhyming scheme, but without the progressive build-up on each page.

I really enjoyed the two styles of writing. Sometimes, a picture book written in the style of the “House that Jack Built” becomes tiring. It was a relief to watch the girl sitting down to perform. The illustrations are fantastic. The nonfiction pages that illustrate the parts of the piano provide a highlight of the named part of the piano, and when the girl sits to play, the music is represented by glittery swirls, and the poem does feel like it swells and flows like the swirls and text does. The (probably digitally) painted illustrations have soft edges and a bright feel throughout the book.

The end matter provides a few sentences about each of the parts of the piano, as well as tips for preparing for your own piano recital. My Piano would be a great addition to a music classroom. It also would be a wonderful gift for any young pianist preparing for his or her own recital.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance review copy of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the perfect book for kids who are interested in, or already playing the piano to learn how the instrument that they love actually works.

As a little girl prepares for her first recital, she takes us on a wholesome journey. Explaining how different parts of the piano work, she shows us how it comes together to help create the entire thing.

This book is really well done. The rhyming text flows well, and the illustrations are just lovely. Recommended to piano lovers, young and old! I give it 3.5 stars.

This is a charming book with beautiful illustrations. It takes a different tack than many children's books about music and the arts, centering on describing how a piano works rather than talking about the music itself or composers. The piano is a big, mysterious instrument and I think children would find it fascinating to learn how it works. Unfortunately, these days few people are able to see the insides of a grand piano, since most home and school piano sales are electronic pianos. I don't know what this means to the success of this book, but I would encourage parents to find a way to expose their children to real pianos to avoid this being merely an abstract concept.

Thanks for the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

🎹❤️ My Piano is a gorgeously illustrated journey with a young musician, highlighting the complex parts of a piano and how they work together to create beautiful music. The little girl gives us a tour of her piano, the different parts and what they do, then she blows us (and her audience) away with a beautiful piano recital. This is a lovely educational book, but also a reminder that it's the human touch that makes things special!

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this advanced review copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review on the book!

Here is a guidebook to handle piano from the eye of a young musician and her first recital to a crowd. Lyrical journey from a young girl view seems likeable and it is learning as well for all the children who read this. Collating the lyrics with mesmerizing artwork makes it a balance equation. But I wish there were more to it then just what has been given. That could have made it inspiring also, something I found lacking.

This is a wonderful picture book with beautiful illustrations which explores the workings of a piano as a young girl prepares for a recital. The vocabulary is introduced in a lyrical and repetitive way which will be engaging to children. Also explores the nerves felt before a performance. Will definitely use in school.

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
A quick read of a picture book on one girl's journey through recital night. It may be repetitive, but the back of the book describes the different parts of a piano - very helpful.

I loved this sweet story. It’s perfect for music lovers of all ages. This story explains the piano and how it works. It talks about preparing for her recital and the excitement and nerves she has. The author gives detailed descriptions of the piano in a fun new way. Lovely illustrations add to this story
Perfect gift for piano recital or any music loving child, or adult.
I will be adding to our collection. I recommend it for use in classrooms as well

My Piano is an enchanting piano recital story that teaches children about the inner and outer workings of the piano while also teaching them how to prepare for a recital performance. I loved the illustrations as they were very elegantly done in colors that matched the grand piano and stage performance setting.

Having played the piano since I was a young child, I was very drawn to this picture book. I remember being quite nervous as I began to learn how to play the piano and then even more nervous when recital day came along. This book would have been the perfect book for me to have read at that tender young age. I think this is a marvelous way to introduce this beautiful instrument to young children and draw them into the magic of performing.

Set in rhythm much like The House That Jack Built, this is a sweet poem about a little girl at her piano recital. I love the gentle lull it creates and the way it’s used to explain the parts of a piano. A full diagram is included at the end for further exploration for those readers who want to know more in detail. Perfect for music lovers such as myself who want to pass on knowledge to their little ones. Thank you to Gnome Publishing for a free advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

My Piano is a beautifully-illustrated children's book about a young girl's first piano recital. The author expresses the girl's emotions and provides a detailed description of a piano. The book combines a delightful fiction story with educating students about how a piano works. This book will build enthusiasm for playing a musical instrument and prepare children for their first recital. The only criticism is that are there a few run-on sentences. Even though the words flow from the viewpoint of the young girl, readers need to see the proper punctuation. I would highly recommend this book, especially for elementary music teachers to read to their students.

This book is wonderfully written, the rhythmic text makes it a great read-aloud. Also enjoyed the look into the technical features of how pianos work while remaining poetic. I was particularly drawn to how it portrays dealing with stage fright before the recital and will consider including it in our subscription box for its appeal to readers interested in the social and emotional learning aspects. Also beautifully illustrated!