Q&A with Colleen Kong-Savage

 

Photo by David Handschuh

 

 

Colleen Kong-Savage is the author and illustrator of the children's picture book Piano Wants to Play. Her other books include The Turtle Ship.

 

Q: What inspired you to create Piano Wants to Play?

 

A: So much work goes into learning to play an instrument, and the first sounds are barely music. It is easy to be discouraged.

 

But what if we were able to imagine our instrument as a partner in our endeavor to become musicians. I imagined Piano as a character because I wanted young would-be musicians to WANT to spend time with their instruments as if they were friends. 

 

Q: Did you work on the text first or the illustrations first--or both simultaneously?

 

A: It began with text, then images. But the text and story changed drastically after my first sketches. Even the point of view changed.

 

Q: How would you describe the relationship between Piano and Amy?

 

A: They are good friends, but of course Amy has the advantage of being human, and thus has the upper hand. Piano is a lot more dependent on Amy for its happiness than Amy is of Piano.

 

Q: The Kirkus Review of the book calls it a “tender invitation to rediscover old friendships and create new melodies.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I like the description because it also refers to life—how our friendships evolve as we move forward.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I just finished illustrating Mia Wenjen’s picture book Fortune Cookies for Everyone, coming out fall 2025. I thought I’d move on to my own picture book manuscript, but my job as a teaching artist is distracting me.

 

I’m fantasizing about doing one giant collaborative mixed media paper collage piece with my classes (4 to 12 year olds). I’ve never created large-scale paper collage before, or done it collaboratively. This will be an interesting experiment.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Piano’s sole means of expression is music, and it is reliant on another being to have a voice. When Piano is silent, it only half-exists.

 

This wave of book bans is frightening. As humans we express ourselves so many ways—words, art, music, facial expressions, body language. What happens when we deny ourselves the privilege of expression? How bleak is a world where we are forbidden to speak our truths and connect with others.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb