Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreno Played the Piano for President Lincoln by Margarita Engle


Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreno Played the Piano for President Lincoln tells the story of a little girl´s bravery, her musical talent for playing the piano, and her contribution toward equality in the arts.  It is based on the true story of a musically talented young girl that had to flee with her family to American due to a revolution in her native home Venezuela.  Once they arrived, she realized there was another conflict going on, the Civil War.  After moving Teresa felt very lonely due to not having friends and not being able to speak English.  However, everyone loved her piano playing.  She quickly earned the nickname, ¨Piano Girl¨.  Eventually she began playing with orchestras in theatres and became famous.  She even got to play for Abraham Lincoln and his family at the White House.

The book reads like a poem and the beautiful illustrations help you understand Teresa´s life, her music, and the historical time period.  

Engle, M., & López Rafael. (2019). Dancing hands: how Teresa Carreño played the piano for President Lincoln. Atheneum Books for Young Readers.




 

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