THE DAY BELL FOUND HER SOUND

Make your own kind of music.

Bell, a solitary, music-loving mouse, has no one to make music with. She sings to the “music” she hears at home—her teapot, rainfall, snow falling. Bell hears music everywhere. Her favorite song is the “bustling melody of life” beneath her window. Determined to join in, she grabs her “loudest noisemakers” and heads downstairs. Bell toots her trumpet, but no one hears; it doesn’t feel right anyway. Bell notices a nearby band and joins in on her keyboard. But when one of the band members points out that her instrument is in fact an accordion, she abandons it. At the park, Bell pounds on her drum, but she’s so loud that everyone looks up in surprise. As she wanders off, the music resumes. Bell closes her eyes and sings; when she opens them again, she’s surrounded by townsfolk playing along to her tune. Bell has “found a place in her town just by trusting her own voice.” This quiet, dreamily philosophical tale may waft over some kids’ heads. Still, many will appreciate its takeaway about finding your own voice and learning to accept yourself. The cozy digital illustrations are warmly colored, mostly in shades of orange; background characters are a mix of animals and humans who vary in skin tone.

A melodic tale with a clear message: Let your own voice ring out like a bell and let everyone hear.