Piece by Piece

How Stephen Sondheim Made

Musical Puzzles Come Alive

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Calkins Creek

(Astra Books for Young Readers)

(pub. 4.21.2026)

48 pages

Ages 7 - 10

Author: Erin Frankel

   Illustrator: Stacy Innerst

Character: Stephen Sondheim

Overview:

"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."

Tantalizing taste:

" Writing songs for the theater was

Stephen Sondheim's favorite

puzzle to solve.

Choosing notes

Choosing words

Putting it all together

Piece by piece.

When the pieces fit together, the puzzle

came alive!

Music and lyrics flying off the page and

onto the stage

What could be more exciting!"

And something more: The author, Erin Frankel, shares in the Author's Note: "What kept him moving on? To my great joy, I discovered the answer to a question at the heart of his work: Why? Piece after piece, Sondheim immersed himself in his craft for the love of it - even when it was hard. In doing so, he gave the world a gift that will live forever. Stephen Sondheim made us feel something more."