HENRY THE STEINWAY: A Star is Born by Sally Coveleskie and Peter Goodrich (Aug 2003; $15.95; hardcover)

The second in a series, this beautifully illustrated, delightful tale about Ana, a young girl, and her beloved concert grand piano, the grandfatherly Henry, is targeted to the five-to-eight-year-old reader. When Ana and some friends visit a piano factory to see how Steinways are manufactured, their trip triggers Henry’s recollections about his own journey from workshop to Carnegie Hall’s concert stage. Both informative and entertaining, the book’s publication coincides with the 150th anniversary of Steinway and Sons.

HENRY THE STEINWAY AND THE PIANO RECITAL by Sally Coveleskie and Peter Goodrich, Illustrated by Laura Friedman (2002,  $15.95, hardcover)

The annual spring piano recital is only a week away.  How will Ana learn her music in time?  Her  special friend, Henry the Steinway--a grandfatherly piano who speaks to her and helps her learn that she must first hear the music, teaches her that she must first hear the music, then find it in her heart.  That allows her tears of frustration to turn to joy in her playing.  Her first recital is wonderful.  Ages 5-8, but the story will resonate with musicians of all ages.