Piece by Piece
How Stephen Sondheim Made Musical Puzzles Come Alive
Published on 21. April 2026
48 pages
978-1-6626-8096-0 (ISBN)
Description
★ "This is an inspiring biography that not only teaches kids who Stephen Sondheim is but also emphasizes the importance of their own curiosity."-School Library Journal, starred review
★ The Horn Book
★ Kirkus Reviews
★ Publishers Weekly
Stephen Sondheim learns to assemble musicals like the pieces of a puzzle on his way to becoming an American theater icon in this inspiring nonfiction picture book on the creative process for kids ages 7-10.
Before he became a noted 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, Sondheim 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 Sondheim 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!
★ The Horn Book
★ Kirkus Reviews
★ Publishers Weekly
Stephen Sondheim learns to assemble musicals like the pieces of a puzzle on his way to becoming an American theater icon in this inspiring nonfiction picture book on the creative process for kids ages 7-10.
Before he became a noted 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, Sondheim 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 Sondheim 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!
More details
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Additional editions
Book
04/2026
Calkins Creek
€22.50
Shipment within 3-4 weeks
Persons
Erin Frankel is the author of Mary Oliver: Holding on to Wonder and A Plate of Hope: The Inspiring Story of Chef José Andrés and World Central Kitchen, as well as the Weird! series on bullying prevention. She holds a master's degree in English education and is passionate about parenting, teaching, and writing.
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.
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.
