A PIANIST'S DEBUT; Preparing for the Concert Stage

Narrated as if in its subject's voice, a photo-biography of an aspiring pianist: Korean-American Leah Yoon, 11, who, with her grandmother, has moved from Los Angeles to New York, where she studies at Juilliard on a full scholarship and attends the Professional Children's School. Beirne (Under the Lights: A Child Model at Work, 1988) does a good job of combining a realistic picture of Leah's arduous schedule with some telling specifics of her growth technically and in musical understanding and sophistication. The attractive photos, in color and b&w, also support the text well. An upbeat portrait, concluding with a successful student recital, of a budding virtuoso.