One Sweet Song

In an ode to the power of music and community, this vibrantly illustrated picture book steps out on the balcony for a shared moment of spontaneous joy and celebration.

In a quiet neighborhood, a single note trills through the air. Another note joins, and then another. One by one, curious people are drawn to their windows, doorways, and balconies to support the medley. Professional musicians play instruments from around the world, while others bang pots and pans. All are welcome as the notes swirl and dip and crescendo, coming together to make one sweet song. And when the music fades and this diverse neighborhood is once again silent, the reverberations of unity remain. Written by a kindergarten teacher and inspired by the balcony singing in Italy during the pandemic—with a countdown from one to ten and back gently woven in—this rhythmic synergy of text and art is a buoyant, global-minded celebration of how music connects us, even in the darkest of times.

Jyoti Rajan Gopal is a kindergarten teacher and the author of American Desi, illustrated by Supriya Kelkar, and My Paati’s Saris, illustrated by Art Twink.
She was born in India but grew up all over the world, from Thailand to Indonesia to Myanmar to China. More than twenty-five years ago, she moved to New York City with her husband and raised her two daughters in Yonkers in a very old house with an amazing porch, where she still lives.

Sonia Sánchez is the illustrator of Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away by Meg Medina; Dog Says, Cat Says by Marilyn Singer; Here I Am by Patti Kim, for which she was nominated for a Will Eisner Comic Industry Award; and many other acclaimed picture books. She lives in Barcelona, Spain.