Playing from the Heart
Sale price
$1395
Picture Book · Ages 6–9 · 2016 · Est. 3 min read-aloud

Playing from the Heart

Written & illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

A boy's love for music fades with lessons. Can he rediscover it for his ailing father?

4.0/5 Goodreads · 677 ratings
32 pages· 313 words· Est. 3 min read-aloud
$15.00Save 7%

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Bookroo's summary

Raj's childhood joy in playing the piano fades as lessons turn music into a chore. As he grows, he abandons the keys, losing the heart in his music. Years later, his father's illness prompts a heartfelt request: play once more. Can Raj reconnect with the music that once brought him joy and heal the bond with his father? Discover the journey of rediscovering passion and the enduring ties of family.

From the publisher

Peter H. Reynolds, creator of The Dot, has composed a pitch-perfect tribute to the power of music and the bonds of family. When a young boy begins to play on his family’s piano, reveling in the fun of plunking the keys, his father signs him up for lessons so that he can learn to play properly. With his father’s encouragement, Raj learns notes, then scales, then songs, and finally classical pieces that his father can recognize and be proud of. But the more Raj practices and the more skilled he becomes, the less he enjoys playing, until he grows up and stops playing altogether. But when his father becomes ill and asks Raj to play for him, will Raj remember how to play from the heart?

At a glance
Format
Hardcover
Pages
32
Words
313
Reading age
6–9
Audience
Picture
Lexile
~401L
Themes & topics
Books about deathBooks about musicBooks about parentsBooks about performing artsBooks about father-son relationships
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More from the creator

More from Peter H. Reynolds

Explore Peter's bookshelf
The Dot
Series
Sale price
$1500

The Dot

Ages 5–10 · 2003

So Few of Me

Ages 4–8 · 2006

Going Places

Ages 4–8 · 2014

Little Miss, Big Sis

Ages 4–8 · 2015
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The fine print

Book details

Reading levels
ATOS
2.8
F&P level
~L
AR points
0.5
AR interest level
LG
AR quiz
189442
Publication
Published
April 12, 2016
Publisher
Candlewick
Edition
Language
English
Type
Picture Book
Identifiers
ISBN
9780763678920

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