I love The Bear and the Piano, written and illustrated by David Litchfield!
The book is about, well, a bear, who finds a piano in the middle of the forest. He’s only a little cub when he first spots it and can barely see all the keys. When the cub finally touches his first piano key it makes a loud sound that the bear doesn’t really like. The more he hears it, the more he returns to try another key on this strange thing, and he grows up to love the piano.
I love how the bear just finds a piano in the forest. How cool is that?! Mom says it reminds her a teeny bit of Sing for Hope Pianos, an art project that places pianos in parks and public places. I like that he grows up looking at it and finding his way back to it. And I really like how the piano becomes such a big part of his life. Bear loves playing the piano and his forest friends love to listen to him play it. Bear finds the music takes him to faraway places… and one day, it actually does take him far away to the bright lights and big city to play sold out concerts.
And yet, as much as bear loves playing the piano, he misses his friends. So, bear goes back home to the forest. When he arrives he’s saddened but not for long… turn the pages for a sweet surprise that will fill your heart with warmth and happiness.
The story is really terrific and the illustrations just blew me away. There’s a reason this book won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for Best Illustrated Book in 2016!
Buy the book on Amazon or buy the book on Bookshop
What was your favorite page in this book? Let me know on Facebook!
PIANO ACTIVITIES FOR PRESCHOOLERS
Looking for free piano activities for preschoolers? How about these:
a free piano coloring page.
A giant chalk piano project for your next playground trip
Or this P is for piano craft:
I hope The Bear and the Piano is as much fun for you as it is for me!
