Reading this on my Kindle Scribe was surprisingly easy, as the screen is large and you can tap to see the next measure of music when the "page" needs to be turned. I am not a trained pianist, but the changes to the music to achieve a simpler song to play seemed very "kid-friendly". My oldest is interested in learning piano and already plays trumpet. I think he would enjoy this book greatly. Each page has a finger placement picture at the top to help direct the child on where to place each finger. A character named G-Sharp the Giraffe assists with tips and tricks where needed. This is a cute book and I would recommend it for a kid who is still learning to master sight-reading and/or is interested in learning piano. Each musical note contains its letter name and shows where it is on a staff, so I liked that those details help tie it all together visually for a little learner.

Thank you to Zeitgeist (Z Kids) and Penguin Random House for the advanced reader copy of this ebook.

Great and easy to understand instructions for kids new to piano playing…. They won’’t be the next top pianist after this book, but will have fun learning some Christmas tunes.

In a Nutshell: A beginner’s set of holiday songs for the piano. Easy enough, but basic music knowledge is required. Recommended to those who can sight-read notes on the two clefs.


I had read this author’s earlier book, ‘My First Piano Lessons’ last year and found it very helpful as a beginner’s guide to playing on the piano. This book, the third in her Beginners series, takes the journey to the next level.

The book contains music sheets for twenty-five Christmas songs. Many of the songs are classic carols, but there are a few relatively unknown inclusions as well. The carols are fairly divided between religious carols (Come to the manger, The First Noel,…) and generic holiday songs (We Wish You a Merry Christmas, The Holly and the Ivy,…) The overall variety is quite good.

The initial hand positions and note letters have been clearly indicated at the top of each song sheet. This is quite helpful for little learners. However, do keep in mind that this isn't not a “first piano book” but a “first Christmas piano music” book. The aspiring pianist is expected to have familiarity with the clefs, musical notations and time signatures. (The books has songs in 4/4, 3/4, and 2/4 timing.)

The latter songs are slightly greater in difficulty than the initial entries, as is standard in beginner music books. Most of the songs don’t have accompanying chords. (As far as I remember, Jingle Bells was the only one with chords, which have been clearly marked.)

Some songs have been shortened and the note timings slightly modified (a few quavers altered to crotchet timing) to better suit beginners. This doesn’t affect the mood of the song or the playing. But it might be a bit tricky to sing along in such cases when your head knows a tune but the music runs a teeny bit different from it.

I didn’t expect to find ‘Ding Dong Merrily On High’ and ‘Angels We Have Heard On High’ in a beginners’ book. The distinct “Glo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ria” in both those carols with the mix of quavers and crotchets could be tricky to play. But it is also good to have a challenge so that those who hit the right notes can feel happy about themselves.

(On an unrelated side note, I tried teaching my choir kids ‘Ding Dong Merrily On High’ last December for an inter-parish choral performance during Advent. The very first time they heard me sing the ‘Gloria’ refrain, they opened their eyes and mouths wide in horror and immediately whined, “Missssss!!!! Pleeeassssssseeee!!! Can we sing something else?!??” 😂)

G-sharp the giraffe makes a reappearance, and just like in the previous book, he offers helpful tips on the trickier pages. He also presents some fun facts related to carols.

On the whole, this is quite a nice collection of Christmas piano music, covering a range of classic and newer carols in a simple manner. It will be a great option for little ones who know the basics of sight-reading and ready to plunge into song playing.

Do note that the book follows the American musical notation system such as whole note, half note, and so on. I am more used to the British notations, so I have used those in my review.

4 stars.

My thanks to Zeitgeist and Z Kids for providing the DRC of “My First Christmas Piano Music” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This title is published well ahead of Christmas so that kids can start playing these pieces now. Hopefully, they will be able to play them well by the holiday season.

Here are many seasonal favorites including over 20 carols. To name just a few, there are Silent Night, Jingle Bells, Joy to the World and, Hark the Herald Angels Sing. All are designed for young kids' level of skills.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Zeitgeist for this title. All opinions are my own.

This is a very cute book that makes it easy to learn and play simple melodies (no harmonies). I love that each note is marked with both the note name (c,d,e) and finger numbering.

As a Pianist and Piano teacher I really appreciate being able to get ARC's of these books to test them out before hand and see if they will work for my younger students. It's hard to find a good Christmas book for beginners but this one is a great choice! I'll be having my younger students use this book come Christmas time!

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-copy of My First Christmas Piano Music in exchange for a honest review.This is a well organized book of easy to follow piano tunes for the early pianist to follow and play with success!

G-Sharp the giraffe serves as the guide to the most popular Christmas carols, some of them shortened and adapted to make them easier for budding pianists. The songs increase in difficulty, with the earliest having only the treble clef part. ending with a simplified version of “Auld Lang Syne.”

Music teacher Emily Norris makes sure to include hand positions and note letters, although I don’t know that a child younger than 8 or 9 could use this book without a musical adult to help.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Sourcebooks Kids and Sourcebooks Jabberwocky in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely beginner’s level book for piano. As a woman born in England who later immigrated to Canada, it was so lovely to see a lot of the English Christmas carols that aren’t as common over here.

I have such fond memories of listening to my mother play Christmas carols on the piano, and I love the idea of one day creating those same memories with my own little ones. This book offers a wonderful opportunity to do just that. I especially appreciate the thoughtful progression of difficulty—it’s clear this was designed with learning and confidence-building in mind.

While I’m unable to comment on the sheet music itself, as it did not appear in my digital copy, I truly hope the charming G-Sharpe the Giraffe makes frequent appearances throughout the book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Zeitgeist | Z Kids, and Emily Norris for the privilege of receiving this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Easy to read, well curated holiday classics. Will make a great addition to anyone's repertoire. I love the kindle function!