ALL WE NEED IS A LITTLE PRACTICE

Music lessons strengthen intergenerational connections in Simmonds’ children’s book.

Kayson, a young Black boy, is the middle of three brothers. Though the boys are all avid athletes, their parents want them to be well-rounded, which means adding music lessons to their lists of activities. For Kayson, that means learning to play the piano. Getting him to lessons can be difficult with the family’s busy schedule, so his Papa helps out, escorting Kayson to his Suzuki-style classes. Papa is surprised that Kayson isn’t learning to read notes, but he keeps an open mind as Kayson explains his teacher’s process. Papa has questions about the tablet Kayson uses, and Kayson gets to teach him about technology. Just before the big recital, Kayson tears his shirt trying to keep up with his siblings, and his older brother Kendall steps in to help out. With his extended family sitting in the audience, Kayson deals with his nerves, puts his lessons to work, and gives his solo debut. The book tells a simple story of one boy’s learning process as he not only absorbs the lessons taught by his piano teacher but also explains them to a curious Papa, who comes to see the value of the Suzuki method even though it differs from the more traditional method of music instruction he is familiar with. (“I guess there is more than one way to learn,” Papa says after the recital.) The book is not entirely subtle in its messaging (Papa says “practice makes perfect” more than once), but it still tells an enjoyable story. Dale’s colorful illustrations bring Kayson’s family to life in vibrant images of piano-playing and warm family scenes, including a particularly adept depiction of the chaos of getting everyone to games and practices on time.

A quietly effective look at how we learn and come together.