Piper Chen Sings

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Piper confides in her grandmother, who calls Piper’s nervousness a butterfly, or húdié, and teaches Piper to greet the feeling with “Hello, húdié. Nĭ hăo.” Talk with students about what they do when they get nervous. Ask them to share their own stories about times they’ve been anxious or nervous and how they dealt with that feeling.

For Piper, her nervous butterfly quiets when she sings on stage, leaving her with her love of singing "fluttering up and out into the world." In many cultures, butterflies are powerful symbols of transformation, new beginnings, and hope. Around the world, butterflies represent the wonder of nature, change, life, and freedom. Talk with students about what or who makes them flutter with excitement or love and then have them transform those delicate feelings into a work of art.

Start with having students look at the colorful ink, watercolor, and oil pastel butterflies on the endpapers of the book. Talk with students about how the illustrations use line and color to convey movement and joy. Next, have them revisit the last page of the book and talk about how Piper’s fluttering love is depicted. Ask students to then create their own colorful butterflies that symbolize how they feel about something they love. After they cut out their butterflies, students can share with the class what their butterflies represent before adding their artwork to a large heart-shaped display of fluttering butterflies.

Questions for Discussion or Reflective Writing

1. Piper “hears the world's rich sounds as beats and rhythms and adds her voice to its orchestra.” How do you hear the world? What music and sounds are pleasing to you?
2. What activity brings you joy like singing does for Piper? Why is it meaningful to you?
3. Have you ever been nervous or scared before presenting something in front of others? Does it feel like butterflies in your stomach, or would you describe the feeling in a different way?
4. How does Năi Nai support and encourage Piper? How can talking about feelings help you feel better? Who do you talk to about your feelings? How do they help you?
5. How do Năi Nai’s memories help Piper change her feelings about the butterflies? What do the butterflies represent for her now?

Related Resources

Piper Chen Sings Read Aloud with the Authors from Brightly Storytime
In The Art Room: 2nd Grade Printed And Chalked Butterflies
Butterfly Art from Pinkalicious and Peterrific PBS