Playing from the Heart

by Peter H. Reynolds, Peter H. Reynolds (Illustrator)

Overview

Peter H. Reynolds, creator of The Dot, has composed a pitch-perfect tribute to the power of music and the bonds of family.

When a young boy begins to play on his family’s piano, reveling in the fun of plunking the keys, his father signs him up for lessons so that he can learn to play properly. With his father’s encouragement, Raj learns notes, then scales, then songs, and finally classical pieces that his father can recognize and be proud of. But the more Raj practices and the more skilled he becomes, the less he enjoys playing, until he grows up and stops playing altogether. But when his father becomes ill and asks Raj to play for him, will Raj remember how to play from the heart?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763678920
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	04/12/2016
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Peter H. Reynolds is a New York Times best-selling illustrator who has created many acclaimed books for children. In addition to his Creatrilogy — The Dot, Ish, and Sky Color — he is the author-illustrator of Rose’s Garden, The North Star, So Few of Me, and The Smallest Gift of Christmas, as well as the illustrator of Megan McDonald’s Judy Moody and Stink series. Born in Canada, Peter H. Reynolds now lives in Dedham, Massachusetts.

Editorial Reviews

Reynolds' signature mixed-media illustrations make deft use of white space and muted color to enhance the emotion of the text...A reminder (perhaps more to adults than children) not to stifle creativity but to let it flow from within.
—Kirkus Reviews

Suitable for a wide age range of music lovers, this is a lyrical and lovingly illustrated story that tugs on the heartstrings.
—School Library Journal

The illustrations—rendered in pen, ink, watercolor, gouache, and tea—are playful and delicate, reflecting the heartfulness of the story.
—Literacy Daily

From the Publisher

The old piano had sat un-played in Raj’s living room for as long as he remembered. One day, he plunked himself down on the stool and struck a couple of notes on the keyboard. From that point on, Raj was hooked on the instrument’s beautiful sounds. As he got older, he discovered that he could mix notes like he mixed watercolors and new sounds were created. His father was pleased to hear the beautiful melodies and enlisted a piano teacher to help Raj with his music. Raj was a good student and, as he practiced, the years of study brought music that was crisp and precise.; but for Raj, the more he practiced and played, the more tired of the music he became and he stopped playing. Years would pass as Raj grew up and went away to work in the city, while his father remained in the old house, now filled with silence. Raj went home when he learned his father was ill. From his sickbed, his father asked Raj to play a song and Raj found familiarity and comfort in the old tune and the touch of the keyboard. His father closed his eyes and savored the notes coming from his son’s heart. This is a beautiful story, made to share and made to read aloud. The illustrations are simple, sometimes bursts of color, sometimes pen and ink. The concept of the story is similar to The Dance by Richard Paul Evans and Silverstein’s The Giving Tree, suitable for children and adults. Reviewer: Joyce Rice; Ages 5 to 9.

Children's Literature - Joyce Rice

04/01/2016
Gr 3 Up—Young Raj toddles by his father past an unused piano in the living room, though as the years pass, he makes it to the bench, delightfully plucking individual keys until he grows tall enough to reach the sustain pedal. In a beautiful reflection on the illustrations as well as a nod to Reynolds's own personal story, "Raj notice[s] that he [can] mix the notes the way he mixe[s] his watercolors." Colorful notes on a flowing streak of yellow portray a nameless song that Raj produces, inspiring Dad to nurture that talent with piano lessons. Not all enthusiasts turn into prodigies, however, and formal training doesn't always fuel interest. Tiring of the precision and practice, Raj quits the piano and doesn't return until years later to be with his sick father, who makes a request for a song. When Raj is no longer constrained by notations or expectations, the nameless melody comes back, emphasizing the emotional connections music can make, not only within but with others. VERDICT Suitable for a wide age range of music lovers, this is a lyrical and lovingly illustrated story that tugs on the heartstrings.—Joanna K. Fabicon, Los Angeles Public Library

School Library Journal

2016-02-02
Raj grows up with his father and a quiet piano. One day, when he is still young, he sits down and begins plunking away at the keys. As Raj gets older, he continues to play and experiment with the instrument. To the delight of his father, Raj is able to create beautiful music on his own. Raj's father hires a teacher to help the boy hone his natural talent. Though Raj becomes greatly skilled over the years, he also becomes weary of the work, and eventually, he stops playing altogether. Raj grows up and moves away, and the piano lies silent. When Raj learns that his father is not well, he returns home, and his dad asks him to play a song; not one he learned from a teacher, but the one that comes from his heart. Much like Reynolds' Ish (2004), this title encourages the free expression of creativity rather than a preoccupation with external form. Reynolds' signature mixed-media illustrations make deft use of white space and muted color to enhance the emotion of the text. Raj is depicted with a mop of black hair and light skin. The sentimentality of the grown child returning home to play for his aging father may be lost on children but will surely pull on the heartstrings of adults. A reminder (perhaps more to adults than children) not to stifle creativity but to let it flow from within. (Picture book. 5-9)

Kirkus Reviews