The Piano Recital

By Akiko Miyakoshi

The Piano Recital By Akiko Miyakoshi Published by Kids Can Press, 2019 32 pages, Ages: 3 to 7

Momo is a little girl about to give her first piano recital in front of an audience. She is very nervous and wonders if she will be able to pull it off, when she notices a little mouse wearing a dress. To her surprise, she discovers there is a magical show of mice giving their own recital under the stage.

The mouse invites her to join the audience in watching their show, which

consists of circus acts, magic acts, singers and dancers. Everyone joins in the fun, and Momo is invited onstage to play the piano. At the end, she discovers that the performance she was giving for the mice is for her own recital, in front of a human audience.

The book deals with the anxiety a child feels when performing a task for the first time in front of an audience. Children will relate to Momo as she struggles with nervousness and selfdoubt before her recital. Momo's imagination helped relieve her stress about the recital, and she got caught up in the fun, creative part of the show. This helped her focus on the fun side of performing, instead of being held back by her fear.

Even though the mice looked silly in their costumes, they were still brave enough to demonstrate their talents in front of an audience, and give a good show. The book's message is that everyone feels stressed before performing, but focusing on the creative side of things and being brave is worth it in the end.

Reviewed by Caroline Lacombe