The Piano Recital

Our little Momo is dressed in her most beautiful dress, ready for her first piano recital. However, she is extremely nervous, peering through the backstage curtain, watching and waiting for her turn to face the audience. Suddenly, she feels a light touch on the hem of her dress. What is this? A mouse dressed in a dress as beautiful as Momo's! Momo is led into the world of another recital in a hall where the artists and the audience are mice, dressed in colourful clothes.

In this beautiful picture book, Miyakoshi depicts the unbreakable bond between children and the natural world and introduces us to a gifted child whose talent is equal to her kind heart. She shows us that stories are journeys to worlds beyond our imagination that can help us fight stress and anxiety from a very early age. I can definitely relate to this. Each time my students are about to sit for an exam or even before a regular written test, I tell them a story (which obviously varies from level to level) or a personal experience related to a particular issue. It works wonders for their peace of mind. They feel more relaxed and less stressed out.

The beautiful illustrations are full of quirkiness and tranquility and the text is whimsical and clever. Absolutely suitable for younger children. This is one more picture book for my students' collection and I cannot wait to read more by Akiko Miyakoshi.

Many thanks to Kids Can Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review,

My reviews and photos of the lovely illustrations can be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/