Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Originally published in Finland, this cheerful domestic adventure introduces an overalls-wearing girl named Filippa who lives in a hip town populated by anthropomorphic animals. After a piano mysteriously appears in front of Filippa's house (in the opening scene, readers watch it sail out the back of a van), she is eager to play it. But her friend André, a donkey, grabs it to use as extra seating at his café (a mobile coffee cart, really), and her pal Snoozy the cat takes a nap inside of it. An annoyed Filippa storms off to play her harmonica, which attracts the attention of a certain pianist whose instrument has gone missing. Virta creates an appealing setting for future books, a friendly town where humans and animals alike sip coffee and play jazz music together. But it's Maijala's bold and splashy illustrations that captivate. Colored in bright shades of yellow, peach, sea green, and sky blue, her scenes brim with energy and quirky details: Filippa is building homemade birdhouses when readers first meet her, and the pianist's bench is a can of pickled cucumbers. Ages 3-8. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-When Filippa finds a piano in her front yard, she longs for a chance to play beautiful music on it. However, her friends have a few different ideas about how to use the newfound instrument. Andre the Donkey uses it as a seating area for his busy café, and Snoozy the Cat uses it as a hideaway for an hour-long nap. Filippa becomes frustrated when no one honors her request to use the piano to play music. In an effort to ease her frustrations, she finds a quiet spot, alone, and plays music on a harmonica. Meanwhile, things are also falling apart for a pianist who's missing his instrument. At Gig Time's band rehearsal, band members aren't able to play any music because a missing sock is causing the conductor to "miss" the beat. In an effort to ease his frustrations, the pianist takes a walk. In the end, two very different people find out they have a lot in common and can make beautiful music together. Although this quirky tale has some interesting moments, it misses quite a few beats. Bright and colorful illustrations are more of a distraction than an asset and gaps in the story line make the plot seem choppy. Subtle messages about the importance of managing frustrations do add some value to the story. However, they are not enough to add measurable depth. VERDICT A simple story with opportunities for a few teachable moments but not enough pizazz for an encore.-Andrea Jamison, Lincoln Elementary School, Calumet City, IL © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A little white girl is excited to find a piano in her front yard one morning, but her neighbors are equally interested in claiming it.Bright colors and bold graphics set the stage for a drama that begins with a piano rolling off the back of a truck in the middle of the night. Filippa, already an accomplished harmonica player, has always dreamed of playing the piano. Her friends have their own ideas, however. Andr the Donkey uses it as a cafe table, and Snoozy the Cat finds it an ideal place for a nap. Meanwhile, a multispecies band called "Gig Time" has lost a piano in the middle of the night, leaving the brown-skinned, mustachioed human pianist scratching his head as he sits on a pickle jar. When he and Filippa meet, it's the start of a lively musical friendship that gets everyone involved. Mixed-media illustrations convey controlled chaos in poster-art style with lots of geometric shapes. Colors stray outside the lines, polka dots contrast with straight lines, and young readers will have ample opportunity to find hidden treasures in the pages. Originally published in Finland, this is the first book in a new series that's sure to find new fans.A charming, imaginative story about friendship and building community. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
