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Piece by Piece

How Stephen Sondheim Made Musical Puzzles Come Alive

Author Erin Frankel
Illustrated by Stacy Innerst
Hardcover
$19.99 US
Astra Publishing House | Calkins Creek
8-1/2"W x 10-1/2"H | 20 oz | 12 per carton
On sale Apr 21, 2026 | 48 Pages | 9781662680953
Age 7-10 years
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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!
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. View titles by Erin Frankel
© Michael Santiago
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 Calkins Creek books include The Painter and the President, Joan Mitchell Paints a Symphony, What Louis Brandeis Knows, Piece by Piece, and My Word, Theodore!. He lives in Pittsburgh, PA. Visit stacyinnerst.com View titles by Stacy Innerst
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★ "Innerst’s moody acrylic, colored pencil, and ink illustrations create dynamic, expressionistic scenes that dance across the page like musical notes. Expository spreads show Sondheim making music or working in the theater, but it’s the conceptual illustrations that will intrigue creative readers: Sondheim riding a roller coaster with relevant terms ('melodious score,' 'lyrics that soar!') placed along the rails or surrounded by oversize puzzle pieces posing questions such as 'What is the sound for loneliness?' and 'Should the first and last notes rise?' Indeed, puzzles prove an inspired central metaphor for the creative process as Sondheim perfects his work. Frankel’s lilting rhyme gives the verse a pleasing cadence for reading aloud without following a consistent rhyming scheme, mirroring the ebb and flow of Sondheim’s own process. A brilliant glimpse at a musical genius, imbued with a profound truth: Creativity is truly about the journey."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

About

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!

Creators

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. View titles by Erin Frankel
© Michael Santiago
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 Calkins Creek books include The Painter and the President, Joan Mitchell Paints a Symphony, What Louis Brandeis Knows, Piece by Piece, and My Word, Theodore!. He lives in Pittsburgh, PA. Visit stacyinnerst.com View titles by Stacy Innerst

Photos

additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo

Praise

★ "Innerst’s moody acrylic, colored pencil, and ink illustrations create dynamic, expressionistic scenes that dance across the page like musical notes. Expository spreads show Sondheim making music or working in the theater, but it’s the conceptual illustrations that will intrigue creative readers: Sondheim riding a roller coaster with relevant terms ('melodious score,' 'lyrics that soar!') placed along the rails or surrounded by oversize puzzle pieces posing questions such as 'What is the sound for loneliness?' and 'Should the first and last notes rise?' Indeed, puzzles prove an inspired central metaphor for the creative process as Sondheim perfects his work. Frankel’s lilting rhyme gives the verse a pleasing cadence for reading aloud without following a consistent rhyming scheme, mirroring the ebb and flow of Sondheim’s own process. A brilliant glimpse at a musical genius, imbued with a profound truth: Creativity is truly about the journey."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

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