The Cardboard Piano [With DVD]

by Lynne Rae Perkins

Book Overview

When Debbie gives Tina a cardboard piano, she is sure that Tina will love it. After all, Debbie spent a long time making it, and it looks just like a real piano. Now Tina can learn to play, too. It will be so amazing. But just because you are friends with somebody, and just because you are the same in most ways, doesn't mean that you will always see eye to eye. Friendship can be tricky. Really, really tricky. Even for true best friends. Even for Debbie...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061542652
• ISBN13: 9780061542657
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 9.3" x 10.1"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

This is a lovely story of friendship and how children can enjoy each other's company and not always

Tina and Debbie were best friends and did all kinds of fun, exciting things together. They both had older sisters (who were friends), each had a dog and parents, but they were not in this story. This story is all about the special friendship they had. They liked to pretend to camp out by pulling a bedspread down from the clothesline into the shape of a tent. They loved to have overnights, eat snacks and watch television. They also loved to bicycle and swim together. They had a lot of things in common, but in some ways they were different. Debbie was learning to play the piano. Tina thought she would like to do that too, so Debbie worked hard and gave her a cardboard replica of a piano keyboard so she could practice too. Her piano teacher had told her of a man who made one once and she thought her best friend would enjoy it. After a lesson on the "real piano," Tina took home the replica. Debbie "imagined the two of them playing together." It would be soooo much fun, but soon she got a big surprise. Tina returned the cardboard keyboard and said she didn't think she wanted to play. Best friends always enjoyed the same things didn't they, or did they? This is a lovely story of friendship and how children can enjoy each other's company and not always want to do the same things. The art work is charming and the addition of the action DVD that replicates the text word for word, including the drawings, brings this book to life. The younger child may want to follow along in the book or will be content simply to watch the DVD. This charming story can also be used as a read aloud discussion book in a classroom or homeschool setting.

An awesome book

Reviewed by Madeline McElroy (age 7) for Reader Views (7/08) This is a fun story about two best friends named Debbie and Tina. They liked to be together and play dress up and have a good time. Debbie loved to play piano and Tina wanted to learn to play too. So, Debbie had a great idea to make Tina a piano so she could practice also. She made the piano out of cardboard! This really inspired me to want to make a piano of my own out of cardboard! It was fun a first for Tina, but she didn't like to play it alone, she thought it was boring. She would rather skate. Debbie was upset that Tina didn't want to learn to play piano with her. She couldn't understand why Tina didn't like the cardboard piano. Debbie tried to understand why Tina didn't like the piano so she tried to play it herself. It didn't make music in her head. She thought playing the real piano was better. So, instead of being sad she was happy to have fun together. "The Cardboard Piano" by Lynne Rae Perkins is an awesome book for girls who like music and making things.