The Bear and the Piano

By Author / Illustrator

David Litchfield

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

Publisher

Frances Lincoln Publishers Ltd

ISBN

9781847807182

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

03-02-2016

Synopsis

The first book in the best-selling, award-winning 'Bear and the Piano' trilogy.

Winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, Illustrated Book Category for 2016

Over 120,000 copies have been sold of The Bear and the Piano in the UK.

One day, a young bear stumbles upon something he has never seen before in the forest. As time passes, he teaches himself how to play the strange instrument, and eventually the beautiful sounds are heard by a father and son who are picnicking in the woods. The bear goes with them on an incredible journey to New York, where his piano playing makes him a huge star. He has fame, fortune and all the music in the world, but he misses the friends and family he has left behind. A moving tale of exploration and belonging from best-selling and critically acclaimed author David Litchfield.

The Sunday Times -'The influence of the great illustrators Jon Klasen and Shaun Tan are detectable in David Litchfield's opulent The Bear and the Piano.'
The Guardian -'This book is full of breath-taking scenes, from the stunning forest to the rich New York skyline.'
Huffington Post -'A heart-warming and beautifully illustrated tale of music, friendship and adventure.'
The Daily Mail -'A sumptuous treat... [Litchfield] weaves magic with light and space...The ending will have your heart soaring like a soprano's top C.'
The Bookseller -'One of the most impressive debuts of the autumn, this is a really stunning picture book with both critical and commercial appeal [...] Distinctive, atmospheric and uplifting, it's my picture book of the year.'

**Don't miss David Litchfield's other books:
The Bear and the Piano [1]
The Bear, the Piano, The Dog and the Fiddle [2]
The Bear, the Piano and Little Bear's Concert [3]
Grandad's Secret Giant
Lights on Cotton Rock

View Extract

Reviews

This beautifully illustrated debut story - now available in paperback - is charmingly magical; it has also just won a Waterstones Book Prize award. In it, the reader is transported into an enchanting world from the moment Bear finds a "strange thing" in the woods and it makes an "awful sound". The strange thing is a piano and I love the fact that where it came from or why its sat in a clearing is never explained or questioned - its classic picturebook magic encourages readers' imaginations to go wild. After much practice, Bear becomes an accomplished pianist and gives popular recitals to the other bears and inhabitants of the woods. This is until a little girl and her dad hear him and, suitably impressed, arrange for him to perform in New York to packed grand theatres. After becoming a runaway success, he feels homesick and soon his longing for home gets too much, so he returns to the woods but his old piano and his bear community are not there. Worried that they are annoyed with him for leaving, he is despondent. However, he soon finds his old friends have not forgotten about him but in fact have followed all of his successes and even kept his piano safe for his return. The way Litchfield has created a sense of environment, and the light and atmosphere that imbue his illustrations, are breathtaking, specifically those images of inside the theatre and the cityscape. The dual messages of how success comes only with hard work and perseverance is subtly implied and the importance of home as well as having adventures further afield is evocatively captured. I think this is a lovely addition to the picturebook box and will prove to be a popular read. Picture book / Ages 4+ / Reviewed by Natalie Plimmer