Piece by Piece: How Stephen Sondheim Made Musical Puzzles Come Alive

★ “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!