Piece by Piece: How Stephen Sondheim Made Musical Puzzles Come Alive by Frankel, Erin
Piece by Piece: How Stephen Sondheim Made Musical Puzzles Come Alive by Frankel, Erin

Piece by Piece: How Stephen Sondheim Made Musical Puzzles Come Alive

Stephen Sondheim learns to assemble musicals like the pieces of a puzzle on his way to becoming...
$39.97 USD
$71.99 USD
$39.97 USD
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Author: Erin Frankel
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Subtotal: $39.97
Piece by Piece: How Stephen Sondheim Made Musical Puzzles Come Alive by Frankel, Erin

Piece by Piece: How Stephen Sondheim Made Musical Puzzles Come Alive

$71.99 $39.97
Piece by Piece: How Stephen Sondheim Made Musical Puzzles Come Alive by Frankel, Erin

Piece by Piece: How Stephen Sondheim Made Musical Puzzles Come Alive

$71.99 $39.97
Author: Erin Frankel
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Description
Stephen Sondheim learns to assemble musicals like the pieces of a puzzle on his way to becoming an American theater icon.

An inspiring nonfiction picture book on the creative process that will spark an interest in music for kids ages 7-10.

Before he became a greatest lyricist and composer, Stephen Sondheim was a boy filled with curiosity--a boy who loved figuring out how things worked. After his parents' divorce scattered the pieces of his life, he found comfort in music.

Guided by his mentor, Oscar Hammerstein II, Stephen learned that the best way to get better was to practice: choosing notes, choosing words, and putting it all together, piece by piece. Writing musicals wasn't easy, and not everyone loved Stephen's new and unusual shows. But Stephen loved figuring it out, and loved the way the people in every show became like a family.

Author Erin Frankel's prose and illustrator Stacy Innerst's art combine in beautiful harmony. Together, they bring to life Stephen Sondheim as he solves musical puzzles, writing hit shows like West Side Story, Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, and many more!

Author: Erin Frankel
Publisher: Calkins Creek Books
Published: 04/21/2026
Pages: 48
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.05lbs
Size: 10.70h x 8.80w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9781662680953
Audience: Ages 9-12


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 02/09/2026
Horn Book Magazine 03/01/2026 pg. 80
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 04/01/2026
Booklist 03/01/2026
School Library Journal 04/01/2026 pg. 92
Kirkus Reviews 01/01/2026

About the Author
Erin Frankel is a children's book author who loves telling stories of empathy and wonder. Her picture books include Mary Oliver, Holding on to Wonder, A Plate of Hope: The Inspiring Story of Chef José Andrés and World Central Kitchen, the Weird! series, Remembering Barkley and the forthcoming Piece by Piece: How Stephen Sondheim Made Musical Puzzles Come Alive. She enjoys visiting schools to talk to students about stories and kindness. She lives with her family in Pittsburgh, where she writes, teaches, and hopes.

Painter and educator Stacy Innerst is the illustrator of The Book Rescuer, winner of the Sydney Taylor Award; Ruth Bader Ginsburg: The Case of RBG vs. Inequality, which received the New York Times/NYPL Best Illustrated Children's Books Award; and The Music in George's Head, which received the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Illustration. His most recent books include The Painter and the President, and Joan Mitchell Paints a Symphony.
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