Loved this children's book! Bo is in 2nd grade, but due to achondroplasia (a condition that affects a person's growth) his feet can't reach the piano pedals. Bo is envious of his brother's piano lessons; thankfully mom selected the perfect piano teacher!

My young nephew is 5 and his sister is 3 years older. He would enjoy this book as he loves to play the piano already and his feet are nowhere near the pedals! I plan to purchase this book for him ... publication date is Aug 1, 2024. This is a beginning chapter book (3 chapters) and 32 pages, nicely illustrated by Alejandra Barajas.

This book is well written by author Andrew Bambridge.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Capstone Publishing for approving my request to read the advance read copy of Bo Keeps the Beat in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet and fun little read! I'm a piano teacher and used it in some of my lessons. All of the kiddos enjoyed learning about Bo and his love for the piano!

This was a super cute read! It shows even if you are a little different than other people you can still accomplish the same things.

#ThePianoPedalProblem #NetGalley
This was such a joyful story! I have honestly never read a book that raises awareness about medical conditions as effectively as this one. The author very accurately described achondroplasia which felt perfect for younger kids to understand. Similarly, I deeply appreciated the different relevant terms and definitions in the back of the book. There were also writing prompts and fun activities for the reader to try in the back of the book, which really helps the reader get more immersed into the book's topics in unique and exciting ways (ex. the music drawing game).
The accommodations that the piano teacher demonstrated in the third chapter were so perfect, and provides a cute resolution to Bo's problem, and I believe that it can also help teach young readers empathy, in conjunction with the other educational bits from the book.
Lastly, the art was nicely detailed and the coloring was perfect for this kind of book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This book teaches childen important lessons - such as patience. I thought this book was very cute. I found it to be enjoyable and easy to follow. I recommend this book!


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This was a super cute read! I love the inclusivity of it. My son looks like the kid in this book and I thought that was really nice. It shows even if you are a little different than other people you can still accomplish the same things.

I have known the importance of music in our young lives ever since I was a very young child.
It is the dream of8 year old Bo to learn and to play the piano. Between the importance of music Bo is shown how to overcome a birth condition where his bones are short not allowing him to reach the pedals of the piano or his fingers to reach the keys. Bo is a little person and with his determination and the help of a wonderful teacher, he is allowed to realize his dream.
I loved this book so much. Thank you NETGalley for allowing me to read this book. I will be purchasing a copy for a little friend of mine who, like Bo, is facing some challenges.

The kid in this story is so cute. You find out that he can't achieve his dream -- playing piano -- because of a special condition. This is not a negative thing in the book, but rather just an obstacle to figure out and overcome. It was fun to cheer for this kid and celebrate his accomplishments. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

The title of this book interested me! I am NOT a piano player (I wish I was) but I do know from my musical background that the piano pedals are important, so I wanted to know what kind of problem Bo had with the piano pedals. Then I read the description and read he had a condition called achondroplasia which would make it impossible for his feet to reach the pedals! I wanted to know how he would adapt to this situation. So I read the book and I LOVED it! Such a great introduction to the piano, accommodations/adaptations for the disabled as well as a of course disabilities, and the important message to never give up! I love the guides in the back that have more information, including definitions of key words from the book that may have been previously unfamiliar. I definitely want to read more of the series! I got an advanced readers copy but my review is unbiased!

"The Piano Pedal Problem" by Andrew Bambridge is Book 1 of Bo Keeps the Beat series. It is a short chapter book for early readers. The story is about Bo, a young boy who has achondroplasia, which means he has shorter bones than most people. He is a little person who is smart, creative, and loves music. He is envious of his brother, Jason's piano lessons. He wants to take piano lessons, too. He can't reach the pedals, though.

One day, the piano teacher arrives with a black box with three gold pedals. This is an accommodation for a short person to be able to use the piano pedals. He gets to take piano lessons, too!

The pictures by illustrator Alejandra Barajas are really well done.

At the end of the book is a glossary, info. about achondroplasia, questions to think about, an art/music activity, and the About the Author and Illustrator page. Andrew Bambridge is an award winning musician, actor, and educator who also has achondroplasia.

Thank you to Netgalley, Capstone, Picture Window Books, and the author Andrew Bambridge for providing this e-book ARC so that I could give you my honest review.

This had great illustrations and the story was really good too. And great rep for achondroplasia. Overall, very hopeful and inspiring.