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The Green Piano

How Little Me Found Music

Illustrated by Hayden Goodman
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Hardcover
$18.99 US
10.37"W x 10.37"H x 0.41"D   | 18 oz | 24 per carton
On sale Jan 10, 2023 | 40 Pages | 9780593479872
Age 4-8 years | Preschool - 3
Reading Level: Lexile NP | Fountas & Pinnell P
This autobiographical picture book by the multiple Grammy Award-winning singer Roberta Flack recounts her childhood in a home surrounded by music and love: it all started with a beat-up piano that her father found in a junkyard, repaired, and painted green.

Growing up in a Blue Ridge mountain town, little Roberta didn't have fancy clothes or expensive toys...but she did have music. And she dreamed of having her own piano.

When her daddy spies an old, beat-up upright piano in a junkyard, he knows he can make his daughter's dream come true. He brings it home, cleans and tunes it, and paints it a grassy green. And soon the little girl has an instrument to practice on, and a new dream to reach for--one that will make her become a legend in the music industry.

Here is a lyrical picture book--perfect for aspiring piano players and singers--that shares an intimate look at Roberta Flack's family and her special connection to music.
★ “A moving testimonial to the effects of instilling a love of live music in childhood.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "Flack and Bolden employ spare, matter-of-fact verse to share the story of this initial piano and the hope it represented." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "A warm, soulful picture book autobiography about a living legend that will inspire burgeoning artists to pursue their dreams no matter their circumstances." —School Library Journal, starred review
Legendary singer Roberta Flack is known for her number one singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song," "Feel Like Makin' Love," and "Where Is the Love" and "The Closer I Get to You," two of her many duets with Donny Hathaway. She is the recipient of thirteen Grammy nominations, four of which she won, as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. View titles by Roberta Flack
“I hope my readers leave my books with a greater love for reading and knowledge-seeking, and also as stronger thinkers, with a more vigorous curiosity.”—Tonya Bolden

Tonya Bolden is the editor of 33 Things Every Girl Should Know, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


As a child I absolutely adored books. I loved the journeys they allowed, what they taught me about the world, how they gave my imagination a workout. The physicality of the book, I loved that too. Still do. As a child I wrote poems and stories just because. As a teen I wrote reams of poetry. In my student life, when it came to papers, writing was never the agony for me that it was for many of my classmates.

“Writing is rewarding on several counts. There’s the learning: As all the books I write require research, I am constantly learning. There’s the clarifying: Through writing I come to terms with and gain insights on my own experience and sensibilities, along with the historical events that have shaped me. On the unselfish level, it is through writing that I am able to teach.

“When as a child I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, most often my response was ‘teacher.’ When I went to graduate school (Columbia University), it was with the idea that I would become a college professor. While there I took a few courses at Teachers College because for a minute I thought perhaps I’d become an elementary or secondary school teacher. In the end, I decided to pursue writing instead. Now, when I look at what the majority of my books are about, I realize that I ended up being a teacher.”

For more information on Tonya Bolden, visit her Web site at www.tonyabolden.com


PRAISE

ROCK OF AGES
A Tribute to the Black Church

“Powerfully written and illustrated, this insightful portrait of an institution that might otherwise be overlooked is one you won’t want to miss.”—Starred, School Library Journal

“A book to read aloud in the classroom, at home, and in Sunday school.”—Starred, Booklist


33 THINGS EVERY GIRL SHOULD KNOW
Stories, Songs, Poems, and Smart Talk by 33 Extraordinary Women

“Adolescent girls (and many adult women) will find healthy doses of wisdom, humor, cheerleading and inspiration in these 33 works.”—Publishers Weekly


33 THINGS EVERY GIRL SHOULD KNOW ABOUT WOMEN’S HISTORY
From Suffragettes to Skirt Lengths to the E.R.A.

“The tone throughout is positive and informative, empowering teens with neglected facts about and contributions of women to the history of the United States.”—School Library Journal View titles by Tonya Bolden
Hayden Goodman is a painter and children’s book illustrator born and raised in the wilderness of Western Massachusetts. Her clients include the New Yorker, the New York Times, MIT, and Garden & Gun. The Green Piano is her debut picture book. View titles by Hayden Goodman

About

This autobiographical picture book by the multiple Grammy Award-winning singer Roberta Flack recounts her childhood in a home surrounded by music and love: it all started with a beat-up piano that her father found in a junkyard, repaired, and painted green.

Growing up in a Blue Ridge mountain town, little Roberta didn't have fancy clothes or expensive toys...but she did have music. And she dreamed of having her own piano.

When her daddy spies an old, beat-up upright piano in a junkyard, he knows he can make his daughter's dream come true. He brings it home, cleans and tunes it, and paints it a grassy green. And soon the little girl has an instrument to practice on, and a new dream to reach for--one that will make her become a legend in the music industry.

Here is a lyrical picture book--perfect for aspiring piano players and singers--that shares an intimate look at Roberta Flack's family and her special connection to music.

Praise

★ “A moving testimonial to the effects of instilling a love of live music in childhood.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "Flack and Bolden employ spare, matter-of-fact verse to share the story of this initial piano and the hope it represented." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "A warm, soulful picture book autobiography about a living legend that will inspire burgeoning artists to pursue their dreams no matter their circumstances." —School Library Journal, starred review

Author

Legendary singer Roberta Flack is known for her number one singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song," "Feel Like Makin' Love," and "Where Is the Love" and "The Closer I Get to You," two of her many duets with Donny Hathaway. She is the recipient of thirteen Grammy nominations, four of which she won, as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. View titles by Roberta Flack
“I hope my readers leave my books with a greater love for reading and knowledge-seeking, and also as stronger thinkers, with a more vigorous curiosity.”—Tonya Bolden

Tonya Bolden is the editor of 33 Things Every Girl Should Know, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


As a child I absolutely adored books. I loved the journeys they allowed, what they taught me about the world, how they gave my imagination a workout. The physicality of the book, I loved that too. Still do. As a child I wrote poems and stories just because. As a teen I wrote reams of poetry. In my student life, when it came to papers, writing was never the agony for me that it was for many of my classmates.

“Writing is rewarding on several counts. There’s the learning: As all the books I write require research, I am constantly learning. There’s the clarifying: Through writing I come to terms with and gain insights on my own experience and sensibilities, along with the historical events that have shaped me. On the unselfish level, it is through writing that I am able to teach.

“When as a child I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, most often my response was ‘teacher.’ When I went to graduate school (Columbia University), it was with the idea that I would become a college professor. While there I took a few courses at Teachers College because for a minute I thought perhaps I’d become an elementary or secondary school teacher. In the end, I decided to pursue writing instead. Now, when I look at what the majority of my books are about, I realize that I ended up being a teacher.”

For more information on Tonya Bolden, visit her Web site at www.tonyabolden.com


PRAISE

ROCK OF AGES
A Tribute to the Black Church

“Powerfully written and illustrated, this insightful portrait of an institution that might otherwise be overlooked is one you won’t want to miss.”—Starred, School Library Journal

“A book to read aloud in the classroom, at home, and in Sunday school.”—Starred, Booklist


33 THINGS EVERY GIRL SHOULD KNOW
Stories, Songs, Poems, and Smart Talk by 33 Extraordinary Women

“Adolescent girls (and many adult women) will find healthy doses of wisdom, humor, cheerleading and inspiration in these 33 works.”—Publishers Weekly


33 THINGS EVERY GIRL SHOULD KNOW ABOUT WOMEN’S HISTORY
From Suffragettes to Skirt Lengths to the E.R.A.

“The tone throughout is positive and informative, empowering teens with neglected facts about and contributions of women to the history of the United States.”—School Library Journal View titles by Tonya Bolden
Hayden Goodman is a painter and children’s book illustrator born and raised in the wilderness of Western Massachusetts. Her clients include the New Yorker, the New York Times, MIT, and Garden & Gun. The Green Piano is her debut picture book. View titles by Hayden Goodman

Celebrate Black Excellence

February marks Black History Month: a time to commemorate the lives and work of Black trailblazers, from artists and scientists to freedom fighters and politicians. Learn their stories, listen to contemporary voices advocating for the work that’s still left to be done, and celebrate Black excellence and culture through food, fashion, music, art, and more.

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