Claire Zhang – illustratör

Sally Snake has always loved music, especially thepiano. There’s just one problem: snakes don’t have fingers. While others doubtshe can ever play, Sally refuses to let her unusual body define what she’scapable of achieving.When a local music talent show offers Sally the chance toperform, she knows she must find a creative way to turn her dream into reality.Along the way, Sally faces setbacks, discouragement, and the challenge of doingsomething no one expects a snake to do. With perseverance, imagination, and adeep belief in herself, she discovers that there is more than one way to makemusic and more than one way to succeed.Sally’s Musical Tale is a warm andencouraging picture book about determination, problem-solving, and embracingcreativity when the path forward isn’t obvious. Through Sally’s journey, youngreaders are reminded that challenges can inspire new approaches and thatconfidence grows through trying, adapting, and trying again.Ideal for read-alouds and classroom discussions, this storysupports social-emotional learning themes such as resilience, self-confidence,and growth mindset. It also pairs naturally with music units, creative artsexploration, and conversations about inclusion, making it a versatile andlasting addition to home, library, and school collections.