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Piper Chen Sings
An empowering story about a girl who turns her performance jitters into confidence when faced with singing a solo at her school concert. Inspired by the childhood experience of award-winning actress Phillipa Soo who originated the role of Eliza in Hamilton .
Piper Chen loves nothing more than to sing. She sings to the sun, and she sings to the moon. She sings to her stuffed animals and with the birds outside her window. So, when her music teacher asks if Piper would like to sing a solo in her school’s Spring Sing, all she can say is “yes!” But as practice continues, doubt and worry creep in and Piper’s confidence wavers. She feels like butterflies are having a dance party in her belly. At home, Piper finds Nai Nai, her grandmother, at the piano. They’ve always shared a love of music, and Piper knows if anyone can help her through the unsettling feeling in her stomach and to shine her brightest at the Spring Concert, it’s Nai Nai.
First time picture book writers and sisters-in-law, Phillipa Soo and Maris Pasquale Doran along with acclaimed illustrator Qin Leng have created a cheerful intergenerational and stunning story that inspires confidence in the face of nervousness
Piper Chen loves nothing more than to sing. She sings to the sun, and she sings to the moon. She sings to her stuffed animals and with the birds outside her window. So, when her music teacher asks if Piper would like to sing a solo in her school’s Spring Sing, all she can say is “yes!” But as practice continues, doubt and worry creep in and Piper’s confidence wavers. She feels like butterflies are having a dance party in her belly. At home, Piper finds Nai Nai, her grandmother, at the piano. They’ve always shared a love of music, and Piper knows if anyone can help her through the unsettling feeling in her stomach and to shine her brightest at the Spring Concert, it’s Nai Nai.
First time picture book writers and sisters-in-law, Phillipa Soo and Maris Pasquale Doran along with acclaimed illustrator Qin Leng have created a cheerful intergenerational and stunning story that inspires confidence in the face of nervousness
40 pages, Hardcover
First published April 2, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 8, 2024
Ughhhh this was so cute!
This is definitely a title that so many younger readers and older readers will relate to. It’s even more important coming from Phillipa Soo who is known for her performances on the stage. It goes to show that we all get nervous even those who are well versed with performing in front of audiences regularly. I highly recommend adding this one to your collection.
This is definitely a title that so many younger readers and older readers will relate to. It’s even more important coming from Phillipa Soo who is known for her performances on the stage. It goes to show that we all get nervous even those who are well versed with performing in front of audiences regularly. I highly recommend adding this one to your collection.
April 2, 2024
Beautiful book, both lyrically and physically. Phillipa Soo and Maris Pasquale Doran have crafted something wonderful, and the illustrations/layout only enhance the story being told.
April 3, 2024
Beautifully written and illustrated. I absolutely love the intergenerational love and support that emanates from these pages! I cannot wait to read it to my granddaughter-and have the wonderful conversations with her that this story will stimulate!
April 25, 2024
I love the idea of acknowledging your butterflies and saying hello to them. That’s a way of saying, “I recognize you but I won’t let you have power over me.”
April 3, 2024
Stage fright is something that plagues many performers, and this tender, relatable picture book [3.5 for me!] offers a unique way to combat it. Piper Chen, the protagonist, is quite a songbird. She hums, sings, and even whistles everywhere she goes. It's clear that she's a natural performer. When the class music teacher offers her a solo in a school performance, Piper eagerly accepts but then has second thoughts. When she eventually confesses her worries to her grandmother, Nai Nai, a pianist, shares her own experiences with those butterflies in her stomach. She dealt with them not by chasing them away but by regarding them as signs that something exciting awaited her. Thus, the butterflies become something to welcome, not fear. Piper keeps all this in mind as she takes the stage and embraces those butterflies. The affection between Piper and Nai Nai is palpable in the text and illustrations, and Piper's triumphant moment is depicted on two double-page spreads, one with colorful butterflies flitting around her and the other one with her back to readers, facing the audience as a few butterflies float through the air. Created with ink, watercolor, and oil pastel, the artwork includes several softly colored spot drawings as well as larger ones. Share this one with youngsters who may feel just like Piper, a bit anxious about sharing their talent in public. Hats off to Mr. Harris, her music teacher, for supporting her and understanding her anxiety. He offers her the chance to sing with the rest of the class instead of soloing.
April 14, 2024
This is an empowering and heartwarming children's book about Piper, a Chinese American girl who turns performance jitters into confidence when asked to sing a solo at her school concert. She loves to sing and sings everywhere until her teacher asks her to sing a solo. And at first she says yes, but then gets butterflies in her stomach and doesn't understand how to deal with them. She realizes that she has a choice in the matter - she can hold many feelings at once, so she can be excited and scared at the same time.
This story is beautiful and inspiring and can be helpful for kids who get "big feelings" or stage fright. The book is really about how we have big feelings and emotions that are normal, it's how we deal with them that matters.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbymedia.com/blogs/transcri...
This story is beautiful and inspiring and can be helpful for kids who get "big feelings" or stage fright. The book is really about how we have big feelings and emotions that are normal, it's how we deal with them that matters.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbymedia.com/blogs/transcri...
March 24, 2024
Piper Chen loves to sing and she sings all day. When Piper's music teacher asks if she wants to sing one of the solos, she accepts enthusiastically but as she practices, the nerves got the better of her. Filled with Nai Nai's homemade food and piano; and ultimately, her own story, this is a cheerful story in which Piper is taught a different meaning of "butterflies in your stomach". Inspired by the author's own journey dealing with stage fright as a young child, this picture book inspires confidence and courage. I found the message beautiful and the delicate art makes the emotions even more palpable.
I could see myself in Piper with my stage fright and readers will find this book relatable in some way. Highly recommend!
[ I received a complimentary copy from the publisher - Random House kids . All opinions are my own ]
I could see myself in Piper with my stage fright and readers will find this book relatable in some way. Highly recommend!
[ I received a complimentary copy from the publisher - Random House kids . All opinions are my own ]
April 17, 2024
A fantastic book about a young girl who loves to sing, but gets stage fright when she is asked to do a solo for her school's show. Together, she and her grandmother talk through her fears, and Piper learns that what's important to focus on is her love of music.
This is such a sweet book. I could see the writing working well for preschoolers, and I loved the metaphors the author used and how it was depicted in the illustrations. The message behind the story is great, and I think it's one that kids will simply enjoy reading.
This is such a sweet book. I could see the writing working well for preschoolers, and I loved the metaphors the author used and how it was depicted in the illustrations. The message behind the story is great, and I think it's one that kids will simply enjoy reading.
May 10, 2024
Piper loves to sing. But when her music teacher asks her to sing a solo in the spring performance, Piper is suddenly afraid. And sad. Her grandmother assures her that the butterflies are normal and helps Piper cope with her stage fright and anxiety. Her grandmother had her own struggles with anxiety and learned to recognize that feeling of a tummy filled with butterflies. She would welcome the butterflies and greet them - which helped her tame her anxieties. Piper uses her grandmother's advice - the butterflies don't disappear but they become a help rather than a hindrance.
May 14, 2024
From musical theater star Phillipa Soo comes a picture book about stage fright and finding a way to do the scary things. Piper Chen loves to sing, and she sings everywhere she goes. When her music teacher offers her a solo, her response is an enthusiastic "Yes!" but when she tries to sing, her stomach is filled with butterflies. She seeks advice from her Nai Nai who tells her that the butterflies are always there when something exciting is about to happen. This reframing is simple but effective for young readers. Soft watercolor illustrations complete this SEL book.
April 27, 2024
Broadway actress Phillipa Soo has collaborated on a book with social worker Maris Pasquale Doran about a young girl Piper Chen whose natural love of singing is challenged a bit when she is invited to sign a solo in the school show. Piper Chen learns about feeling "butterflies" and dealing with her anxieties from her Grandmother. Many readers will relate to Piper's circumstances and the book provides a strategy for overcoming one's anxieties.
May 4, 2024
Debating whether this is 4 stars or 5 stars, but honestly that's great when you get a book that good. Absolutely wonderful tale of a girl who has some butterflies in her stomach when she thinks about being herself and singing in front of a large audience. Yikes! But she gets some wonderful advice, and it all works out well.
The illustrations were also great. They gave consistency and reality to Piper. It was truly great.
The illustrations were also great. They gave consistency and reality to Piper. It was truly great.
April 21, 2024
4.5 Stars - I am so excited that the talented Phillipa Soo has a book with such a special story about embracing your nervousness when performing (or speaking) before an audience. I enjoyed the touches of Chinese culture in the book and looked up the pronunciation to some words I was unfamiliar with (highly recommend this to parents before they read the book to their children).
April 29, 2024
Piper Chen loves to sing, but she gets butterflies in her stomach at the thought of performing a solo at a school recital. Piper's grandmother gives her advice to help her embrace the feeling of butterflies in her stomach before something great happens. This book has beautiful illustrations and a great moral.
May 4, 2024
i love this book so much. philippa soo (hamilton; eliza) did a wonderful job showcasing a little asian girl's joy with singing and her grappling with stage fright. this is yet another book with a fantastic grandmother/granddaughter relationship 🥹 i love nai nai sooo much. this healed something in me and i'd implore anyone to please pick this up for your little ones (or yourselves).
May 15, 2024
"[Piper] hears the world's sounds as beats and rhythms and adds her voice to its orchestra." This was a sweet book! At the start, readers are told that Piper always sings out of tune, so I wondered if this was going be to a key part of the narrative, but it wasn't; instead, Piper learns to overcome stage fright with the help of her grandmother and learning more about húdié - or butterflies.
April 19, 2024
This is a fun story for the child in everyone who has a dream and doesn't want the butterflies in their stomachs to keep holding them back. The artwork and narrative simply and beautifully tell the story of a little who loves to sing. The author shares her heritage and story through Piper.
April 5, 2024
Super cute, and great for kids who are nervous about something.
May 1, 2024
Piper loves to sing. She sings everywhere. But Pier is scared to sing a solo. Beautiful illustrations.
May 7, 2024
I really like what her grandma says about butterflies mean something exciting is about to happen.
May 8, 2024
Stunning
May 12, 2024
A sweetly simple little story with charming illustrations.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews