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By Nidhi Chanani
New York: Viking, 2024. Picture Book.

Karima quietly listens to the rhythm of everyday sounds, saving her noisemaking for music class where she releases the songs in her heart. -- Editor

By Jyoti Rajan Gopal
Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2024. Picture Book.

With a countdown from one to ten and back woven in, this celebration of music and community brings to life a shared moment in a diverse neighborhood where everyone comes together to make one sweet song. -- Publisher

By Todd Boss
New York: Beach Lane Books, 2024. Picture Book.

When Ronan, a nonverbal boy, goes to the symphony, the beautiful music moves him to speak. -- Editor

By Nick Maland
Atlanta: Peachtree Publishing Company Inc., 2024. Picture Book.

When Little Bear and Old Bear find an old saxophone, Old Bear decides to restore the instrument and finds joy and purpose as he rediscovers his groove. -- Editor

Written by Shane Goth 
Illustrated by Sara Gagnon-Dumont 
Berkeley, CA: Owlkids Books, 2025. Picture Book. 

When Hannah played piano, music danced in the air. Her notes leaped and lunged, stood straight and spun, keeping perfect pitch and a steady tempo. Even when her younger sister, Jenny, dashed between them. Hannah dreams of becoming a famous musician and works tirelessly toward her goal. For her upcoming school recital, she set high stakes for herself: Swan Lake, a difficult piece. Despite encouragement from her parents to "do her best," and Jenny's insistence that wrong notes are fun, Hannah is undeterred. Only perfection will do. Hannah practices and practices and practices. But one note won't fall into line. It's a wrong note. And no matter what Hannah tries, she can't make it do what she wants. Her music is not perfect. On the day of the concert, she plays brilliantly, until ... the wrong note pounces! Devastated, Hannah won't be consoled. But Jenny starts to tickle the personified wrong note, and they dance and play. Hannah soon finds herself tapping a foot. She's inspired to toss aside her sheet music and try something new. Her notes flip and trip, but she likes the sound and has fun playing. Is the wrong note so wrong after all? The notes aren't perfect but they're Hannah's own. A gentle reminder that a willingness to embrace imperfection can lead to joyful new discoveries. -- Publisher

By Zachariah OHora 
Toronto: Tundra Books, 2024. Picture Book.

Unbelievable but true, this is the story of two whales, two Pauls and two boys. The whales are Haida and Chimo, captive orcas who lived in an aquarium called Sealand of the Pacific in the 1970s. The Pauls are Paul Horn, a professional flute musician, and Dr. Paul Spong, a scientist studying the orcas in order to learn more about these mystifying creatures. And the boys are Marlen and Robin, Paul Horn's sons, who are fascinated with the orcas despite their father's fear of the giant whales. What follows is the spellbinding story of how the Pauls, through the power of music, learn to communicate with the orcas -- and set into motion an entire anti-captivity movement dedicated to protecting these intelligent and majestic animals. -- Publisher

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