One Sweet Song by Jyoti Rajan Gopal illustrated by Sonia Sanchez

A joyful celebration of music and community. Kirkus

Bookseller blurb: 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.

Do you remember some of the special parts of those Covid-19 lockdowns? I know it was a complex time but there were tiny moments of community joy such as people who placed teddy bears in their windows, chalk drawn games on the footpath, and shared music. 

Here in my street on ANZAC day, at dawn, someone played their trumpet and others joined in with sounds of the bird dawn chorus as an accompaniment - it was a magical morning.

In Italy and other countries people played music on balconies joining their sounds together into shared pieces and that is the premise of this story. As a bonus this book is a counting book one to ten and back again so it will appeal to very young children and many of the musical instruments are sure to be unfamiliar to your library group so there is also scope with this book for further exploration of instruments from around the world. AND you must link this book with the CBCA 2026 Book Week slogan Symphony of Stories. Instruments in this story: ghatam, flute, triangle, drums, cello, and a morsing. 

This lyrical counting book uses rhyme and color to celebrate the power of music and connection.  Rich vocabulary in charming couplets make for a delightful read aloud and the premise of the story is sure to inspire conversations about community and how to add more beauty in our everyday lives.  Vibrant, joyous digital illustrations depict a diverse group of neighbors of various ages and family units sharing their talents and instruments, and readers will love finding their favorite characters on each page spread.  YS Book Reviews

You can see more books by Jyoti Rajan Gopal here and other books illustrated by Sonia Sanchez:

Evelyn del Rey is Moving Away