A collaboration between Canadian author, artist and historian André LeBlanc and French illustrator Stephane-Yves Barroux, The Red Piano (Wilkins Farago, 2009) introduces children to the time of China’s cultural revolution.
The Red Piano
Beginning in April, 1975, The Red Piano shares the story of a gifted young Chinese pianist sent for re-education at Zhangjake Camp 46-19 on China’s border with Inner Mongolia to work alongside peasants in the rice fields. Separated from her family and everything familiar and forced to labour long hours in the fields, the young girl then spend further hours studying and memorising Chairman Mao’s 'Little Red Book'.
Before being sent to the camp, the young girl was already performing as a pianist, but now playing the piano is forbidden and artists and musicians are considered criminals.
Somehow, the girl’s mother has managed to send a piano which is kept at the home of a local villager. The girl sneaks out at night to practice. She uses music from her memory and precious sheet music smuggled into the camp and copied into notebooks that she hides inside her 'Little Red Book'.
One night the girl is discovered during her practice time, she and the old villager are punished and the piano is destroyed. She must work harder and spend longer hours labouring, with no music to offer her hope and relief.
This is a story of hardship and repression, but ultimately it is also a story of hope as the young girl leaves the camp after Chairman Mao’s death, her precious handwritten music notebooks clutched in her hands.
Introducing Children to the Story of the Chinese Cultural Revolution
The experiences of Chinese families during the time of the Cultural Revolution are far removed from the experiences of most Western children and adults. The Red Piano offers a glimpse into the hardships faced by the Chinese people during this time.
While the story itself is quite confronting, the hope of the young girl and her passion for music shine through and the harsh storyline is complimented and softened by the beautiful illustrations in black, white, red and shades of grey by illustrator Stephane-Yves Barroux.
There is further hope to be gained from the story of the woman who inspired André LeBlanc to write The Red Piano, pianist Zhu Xiao-Mei. While some details, such as the young girl’s age, have been altered, The Red Piano is largely based upon Zhu Xiao-Mei’s own experiences in labour camps during the Cultural Revolution. Separated from her family and forced to labour for long hours, she nevertheless remained passionate about her music and went on to gain international renown as a concert pianist.
To assist readers to understand the historical setting and cultural significance of this period of history, publishers Wilkins Farago have The Red Piano teaching notes available at the their website as well as an interview with the author describing how he was inspired to write The Red Piano.
Using Picture Books to Teach Children about History
Picture books such as The Red Piano are a wonderful way to introduce inquiring younger readers to different events in world history. Ideally, this book would be used as part of a classroom discussion or read with a parent who was able to discuss the issues raised throughout the story about Chairman Mao and this period of Chinese history. The Red Piano could also easily be incorporated into study topics on Chinese history for older students.
- The Red Piano (ISBN: 978-0-9806070-1-7)
Join the Conversation