The Bear and the Piano
By Jan Carr,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Enchanting book about the love of music and the tug of home.
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What's the Story?
In THE BEAR AND THE PIANO, a young bear finds a piano that's inexplicably sitting in a clearing in the forest. He touches it, makes a sound, and keeps coming back "for days and weeks and months and years, until eventually the sounds that came from the strange thing were beautiful." His bear friends gather in the clearing to listen, but then he's discovered by a girl and her father, who take him to the big, bright city where he plays "sold-out concerts in giant theaters." The bear loves music but also misses home. When he travels back to the forest, he's afraid the other bears are angry at him for leaving. But then he discovers that they've kept his piano safe in the shade and pinned his playbills and reviews on the tree behind it, so he sits down to give another concert: "This time, for the most important audience of all."
Is It Any Good?
This lovely picture book celebrates the transcendent power of art and the importance of maintaining connection with friends and family. The illustrations are beautifully evocative, with dreamlike light filtering through the trees in the forest contrasting with busy, darker-hued pages of success in the bustling city. Author-illustrator David Litchfield is based in the United Kingdom, but the city appears to be New York City, with mention of "Broadway" and street signs depicting the intersection of Broadway and West 58th Street.
The message is artfully subtle, never clunky or heavy-handed, and the takeaway for kids may be unconscious, calming any anxieties about following their deepest desires and dreams, and reassuring them that they'll be loved and supported even as they go forth.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about music. What kind of music do you like? Why do you think all the bears and people in the city like music and gather to listen?
Families can also talk about learning to play an instrument. Does it take time and practice? How does the story convey that?
Can you think of ways that your own family and friends are proud of you? Do you like to save souvenirs of the things you've accomplished or done?
Book Details
- Author: David Litchfield
- Illustrator: David Litchfield
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Arts and Dance, Friendship, Music and Sing-Along, Wild Animals
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Clarion
- Publication date: April 5, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 7
- Number of pages: 40
- Available on: Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: February 2, 2018
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