Starred review from February 5, 2024
Sisters-in-law Soo and Doran team up in an energetic debut that centers mindfulness and intergenerational wisdom. Twirling, bouncing, and hopping through her day, Piper Chen is “always singing out a tune.” When her music teacher offers her a concert solo, enthusiastic Piper “lets her excitement answer, ‘Yes!’ ” Soon after, however, butterflies start “having a dance party in my belly” and she no longer feels like singing. Fortunately, Piper’s empathetic Naˇi Nai has a strategy to help, reframing the butterflies as visitors noting “when something exciting was ahead.” Feeling the butterflies on performance day, Piper refocuses on the “love... fluttering through her, her family and friends, and her loving Naˇi Nai.” Leng’s vivacious artwork captures the drama and intensity of childhood experiences, from Piper’s wide-mouthed, splayed-fingered singing in music class to a dejected face-plant on her bed. Piper’s Chinese American heritage threads through text and illustration, and a glossary and pronunciation guide translates Standard Mandarin Chinese words used in the text. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4–8.
Starred review from February 1, 2024
Hamilton star Soo's debut picture book centers on a young girl confronting stage fright. Piper Chen twirls through her days with her mouth wide open. When Mr. Harris, her music teacher, asks Piper if she'd like to sing a solo in the Spring Sing, she immediately answers, "Yes!" But later, she finds herself frozen during practice. Later, Piper's grandmother Nǎi Nai notices that Piper isn't singing, and Piper explains about the solo and the butterflies in her stomach. Nǎi Nai understands and explains that she experienced "h�di�" (Chinese for butterflies) at her first piano recital. They also visited whenever something exciting was ahead, like when she left China for America, when she graduated from music school, and when she became a U.S. citizen. "Now, when they greet me, I greet them back. 'Hello, h�di�. Nǐ hǎo.'" The night of the show, Piper feels the butterflies flapping their wings. She hums to herself, "Hello, h�di�" and sings. Soo and Doran sensitively capture the anxiety of performing and draw parallels with other life changes while giving readers a concrete tool for addressing those butterflies. Leng's delicate, expressive ink, watercolor, and oil pastel illustrations capture Piper's enthusiasm and uncertainty as well as Nǎi Nai's loving warmth, working seamlessly with the text in vignettes and full spreads. Piper Chen and Nǎi Nai are Chinese American; Mr. Harris is brown-skinned. This book sings. (Picture book. 4-8)
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April 1, 2024
K-Gr 2-Piper Chen is a Chinese American girl who sings all day, everyday (which may be a nod to Soo, Hamilton star, Broadway actress, and singer). But when she is offered a solo in her school chorus concert, her voice is suddenly stopped by a swarm of butterflies. After speaking to her grandmother and learning to reframe these butterflies, Piper's story ends on a high note. While Soo and Pasquale Doran do not tread much new ground in the "feeling butterflies" territory, the language is both poetic and accessible, providing a useful framework for working through jitters. The illustrations are expressive and whimsical, showing a wonderfully creative use of perspective and movement. Children will be enraptured by the visuals, whether or not they identify with the story. VERDICT SEL at Broadway levels, this is recommended for collections needing a boost in stories about processing difficult emotions.-Maria Bohan
Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
May 1, 2024
Piper Chen loves to sing, from offering a morning song to the sun, to joining the chorus of frogs in the pond, to singing goodnight to the moon. Whether she's "practicing her whistle" or "listening to Nai Nai's homemade jiaozi pop," Piper finds music all around her. When she's offered the chance to sing a solo in her school's spring concert, Piper is initially excited and then gripped by stage fright, feeling as if "butterflies were having a dance party in my belly!" This isn't like singing to a stuffed animal audience. With compassionate guidance from Nai Nai, Piper learns to transform the fluttering butterflies into sources of strength and excitement. Leng's lively ink, watercolor, and oil pastel illustrations render scenes of Piper's interactions with Nai Nai and her classmates with tender detail, enhancing the story's emotional depth. While the outcome isn't in doubt, Piper's sincerity and the themes of courage and self-expression make this book an uplifting choice, inspiring readers to embrace their passions and face their fears with courage. Weileen Wang
(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
January 1, 2024
Piper Chen loves to sing, from offering a morning song to the sun, to joining the chorus of frogs in the pond, to singing goodnight to the moon. Whether she's "practicing her whistle" or "listening to Nai Nai's homemade jiaozi pop," Piper finds music all around her. When she's offered the chance to sing a solo in her school's spring concert, Piper is initially excited and then gripped by stage fright, feeling as if "butterflies were having a dance party in my belly!" This isn't like singing to a stuffed animal audience. With compassionate guidance from Nai Nai, Piper learns to transform the fluttering butterflies into sources of strength and excitement. Leng's lively ink, watercolor, and oil pastel illustrations render scenes of Piper's interactions with Nai Nai and her classmates with tender detail, enhancing the story's emotional depth. While the outcome isn't in doubt, Piper's sincerity and the themes of courage and self-expression make this book an uplifting choice, inspiring readers to embrace their passions and face their fears with courage.
(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)