Pianomania

Sylvia Pantaleo is an associate professor of education, specializing in
children’s literature, at the University of Victoria. She is the
co-author of Learning with Literature in the Canadian Elementary
Classroom.

Priya longs to take piano lessons so that she can express the sounds of
birds, thunder, windup toys, drums, cannons, choirs of boys, waterfalls,
marching bands, and clattering pots and pans that she hears in her head.
Her parents are reluctant to pay for the lessons because she has a
history of losing interest in new activities (such as the painting and
ballet lessons they provided) and new things (such as the aquarium and
goldfish they gave her). So they give her a cardboard keyboard to
practise on, before buying a real

one.

Priya loves her new keyboard and being able to express all the sounds
she hears. Pleased with her diligence and commitment, Priya’s parents
order a real piano, and the lessons begin. But the sounds that she makes
while playing the piano do not reflect the sounds she hears in her head.
Disappointed, Priya enlists the help of her friends to re-create her
music, but that doesn’t work either. Still dissatisfied, and after a
rather disastrous music recital, once more she plays a few notes
together on the piano. At last, she thinks she hears the faint sound of
a waterfall and the echo of a cannon.

This is a fun book to read aloud: the rhythmic repetition of the text
is pleasurable to both readers and listeners. The creative Priya is an
admirable protagonist as she determinedly pursues her goal. Pawagi’s
soft colour washes are full of amusing details, energy, and motion.
Recommended.