Picture books. Love them or hate them they are a genre that has expanded my knowledge over the years. I have learned about volcanoes, bats, famous artistic nuns, poems and more. And Piece by Piece: How Stephen Sondheim Made Musical Puzzles Come Alive by Erin Frankel and illustrator Stacy Innerst added to it with a poetic look at Stephen Sondheim and his works.
While not a “pure biography” of the composer, the highlights of his work and life are addressed. Things are whimsical and a puzzle themselves.The puzzle format was how he would solve a problem, attack creating, deal with things. We see how Sondheim felt, thought and the process of solving the problem he had in front of him. It is a nice additional title to add if doing a biographical report on the person but it is not going to give you “just the facts” (but there is a lovely timeline at the end that will help with that). With that said, we do follow the highlights of people and places in a more loose fashion.
Even Innerst’s illustrations are whimsical, poetic, even a tad romantic. Bold colors and lines flesh out the artistic nature of the theme, person, the events and times. Things work well, blending into each other and supporting each other as well. This makes the text and illustrations compliment each other and be their own characters. Read via an online, it is due mid-late April 2026, this is a book that works well for a classroom setting, school library or for the fan of the person, but does not necessarily lend itself to all readers.