Write-up of 'The Red Piano' from Amnesty International Australia's September magazine.

This little book is a must for any child’s bookshelf.

The Red Piano is the second book we have published in association with Amnesty International Australia. The first, Davide Cali and Serge Bloch’s amazing The Enemy, dealt with war, why soldiers fight and explored the possibility of dissent.

In the case of The Red Piano, the book tells a extraordinary story of an individual’s pursuit of free expression in the face of a monstrous and pervasive oppression. Both books are right up Amnesty’s alleyway and we’ve been delighted to work with them to raise awareness about the issues behind both books.

Probably the most tangible way we’ve been able to do this is through the teachers’ notes we produce for each of our books. A job of work on their own, our notes for The Red Piano and The Enemy relate the themes of the books to Amnesty’s work, and provide plenty of juicy material for classroom discussion and curriculum-related work.

The books have to stand on their own as works of children’s literature, of course. But if they can also stimulate enquiry in young minds, then we’re doubly happy.