Akiko MiyakoshiRezensionen

A book where light and dark are used to convey emotions, I Dream of a Journey is a tale of longing. We all want to travel. We see the adventures of others and wonder if this will ever be out lot.

For our night manager of a hotel, his scenes are in blacks and charcoal. He lives vicariously through the postcards past tenants send him; his life becomes a wash of color. I know those feelings. I love travelling and when I don't get to do it......a part of me is not in bloom.

There isn't much of a plot. But I would love to ask kiddos what journeys, what travels, what places, they dream about!

Being afraid during a recital. I've been there. This book is about that.

But it's also odd--using mice and pianos and the like. It was odd.

That being said, I enjoy seeing books from other countries published in the US. That is essential!

This is a really neat picture book—I especially like the use of color in the drawings. The story is cute, about a girl who follows her father though the woods to bring her grandma a pie that her dad forgot, though the cute part comes after that (and is more fun to discover for yourself, so no spoilers here).

A soft tale about Kikko who sets off in the snowy woods to bring her grandmother a pie. But on her way, she gets to be the guest at a magical tea party.

The ebook version I read had text that was overlapping each word, so I didn't feel I could accurately rate the story.

Starts off llike Little Red but ends up with a tea party with all the friendly forest animals, who replace Kikko's pie for her grandma, which she had dropped.

this book spotlights acknowledging each member of the community living a very individual life: all through the eyes of the rabbit on its way home. despite all of these differences, the book concludes by observing that "everyone goes home to bed"- suggesting similarity and unity among the difference.

A girl in a red skirt carries a pie through the woods to her grandmother's house, but that's where the similarity to Red Riding Hood ends. The girl's father was supposed to take the pie, but forgot it, so she takes it and runs after him. When she sees a figure in a coat, she's nearly caught up - but she trips and falls and smushes the pie. And the figure in the coat turns out to be a well-dressed bear. "Are you here for the tea party?" he asks kindly. The animals welcome Kikko in, and when she tells of the crushed pie for her grandmother, they each contribute a slice of their own to make a whole new mix-and-match pie; then, they follow her through the woods in a happy parade to grandmother's house, where her father and grandmother are delighted with the new pie.

Charcoal, pencil, and color ink illustrations spotlight the important characters and items in the story (the girl's yellow hair and red skirt, the slices of pie, the animals' clothing.

The art in this one is so good, like all of the works by this author. Really simple story as it's for kids, but it feels like what Murakami (magical realism) might write if he was a children's author.

This is a kid's book, but it's really good as an adult. Check it out at the library or something if you don't have younger kids.

There is something about walking through the woods that goes along with stories. Like tea and crumpets, cookies and milk or peanut butter and jam. This gentle story has a few unexpected twists and turns that keep the pages turning. The book can be enjoyed for its delightful surprises and re-read for its kid appeal. Who wouldn’t want to attend a tea party in the woods?
Kikko, a likeable main character, wants to deliver a pie to her grandmother’s house. Simple idea, but when her father leaves in advance, all she has to go on are some footprints in the snow and a figure in the distance. The story has a dreamlike quality with an appreciation of bravery and independence. The black and white illustrations with splashes of colour are delightful and different. Reminiscent of Little Red Riding Hood, it is full of fun, friendship, encouragement, and whimsy. A sure hit with little people and their significant adults! I’m happy to add this one to my library.

adventure with animals!!
I love this author/illustrator's books!!

lovely!

Soothing, calming, comforting story of maybe a journey.

‘’The woods were very still. And so quiet. Kikko’s footsteps were the only sound.’’

In a marvelous winter wonderland, Kikko is watching her father leaving for her grandma's house. But, wait! He has forgotten the pie! Grandma loves pies! So, Kikko decides to follow her dad, the delicious pie at hand. Curiosity and misunderstanding (and quite a few footsteps on the snow...) lead her to a beautiful estate where a tea party is taking place. However, this party is definitely unexpected and unique…

My first experience with Miyakoshi's beautiful work was The Piano Recital. In The Party In The Woods, she creates the story of a brave girl and the bond between the human and the animal kingdom that brings to mind our most favourite fairy tales, like Red Riding Hood, Alice In Wonderland, and the musical suite Le Carnaval des Animaux by Camille Saint-Saëns. A marvelous read to accompany the last days of winter.

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/

Momo waits nervously to go on stage for her first piano recital. She is then greeted by a mouseling who is equally nervous about performing in a recital. The tiny mouseling invites Momo to watch her performance. She leads Momo into a tiny theater behind the walls. When the performance ends, Momo stands up to take a bow, she realizes that she has just finished her own recital.

Momo is nervous about her first piano recital, until a mouseling invites her to come to their recital.

See also: Chirri and Chirra by Kaya Doi, Music for Mister Moon by Erin and Philip Stead

Feeling quite nervous on the day of her first piano recital, young Momo is waiting in the wings for her turn when she spies an equally nervous little mouseling, who is also about to perform. Of course, the mouseling is due to perform in a miniature theater behind the walls of the human one in which Momo will be playing. Soon Momo has found her way to that theater, guided by her new murine friend, and in watching the many little mouse performers, and helping her new friend overcome her stage fright, she forgets her own. In fact, so absorbed is she in the experience (this daydream?) that she only comes to as she finished her piano piece on stage...

Originally published in Japan in 2012, and translated into English this year (2019), The Piano Recital is the fourth picture-book I have read from the immensely talented author/illustrator, Akiko Miyakoshi. Having greatly enjoyed such titles as The Tea Party in the Woods and The Way Home in the Night, I have eagerly anticipated the arrival of this book, and once I did have the chance to read it, was not disappointed! As always with Miyakoshi, the artwork - done in pencil, charcoal and acrylic gouache - was simply lovely, capturing the emotion and enchantment of the story perfectly. The story, too, was enchanting, with that surrealist sense of fantasy that seems to characterize its creator's work. I liked that Momo's experiences at the mouse theater could be interpreted either as a day-dream, or as an actual fantastic occurrence. Either way, it helped her to deal with her own fear, so in that sense, it was real. Recommended to fellow Miyakoshi fans, and to anyone looking for beautiful picture-books about young musicians, overcoming stage fright, or experiencing magical things.

Momo has her very first piano recital, but she is dreading her turn to go onstage. That is, until she meets a little mouse-ling, who invites her to her own recital. Momo finds the words to give the mouse-ling courage and confidence to get on stage, offering to join her. Helping the mouse-ling makes Momo forget about her own fears and takes her turn on the piano as the mouse-ling dances. To Momo’s delight, she realizes that she just performed in front of her intended audience, without fear. This lovely little story can be used as a great tool for a child with performance anxiety. The illustrations are very sombre, with only little pops of colour to bring the reader’s focus on specific characters. Although the illustrations are very beautiful, they give off too much of a gloomy vibe for activities such as story time. This picture book would be better suited as a bedtime story.
Cassandra Ricafort

This picture book is about a wild imagination and dealing with the nerves that come with a public piano performance. I am pretty sure my youngest child's mind worked the same way Momo's (the main character) does.