The Little White Piano – New children’s book by Björn Ulvaeus

The Little White Piano is a children’s book, written by Björn Ulvaeus and illustrated by Maja Lindberg. This charming and enthralling book tells the story of the piano which many of ABBA’s greatest hits were composed on.

The story begins as a beautiful vase is brought to an old cottage in the Swedish archipelago. The vase starts to talk to the other furniture in the cottage and soon starts to wonder why the piano, half-hidden in a corner, is so quiet.  This prompts the old folding table to tell the tragic tale of the pretty little piano. A white mouse, never far from its beloved piano, reflects the instrument’s joy and sadness as the story progresses. And what fairytale doesn’t have a happy ending?

The book is written for children aged 7 years and older, and Maja Lindberg comments:

- The illustrations have a fairytale shimmer about them and reflect a sense of magic. I also wanted to recreate the atmosphere which was sure to have been in Björn’s and Benny’s writer’s den at Viggsö; a kind of tranquil mood which must have been necessary to create something really great. And that piano really has experienced some magical moments out there in the archipelago, she adds. 

Björn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Fältskog bought the piano in the late 70’s for the couple’s summer home on Viggsö. Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad also had a house on the island, and Benny played the piano when he and Björn Ulvaeus composed new songs for ABBA. The Winner Takes It All is one of the songs composed on the little white piano, which is now part of the exhibition at ABBA The Museum.

- I wrote this book because I love to write, but how does one capture the interest of a 7 year-old? It really is quite a challenge and only time will tell if I have hit the right tone, says Björn Ulvaeus.

The book has been produced by Fri Tanke and is available in five languages: Swedish, English, German, Finnish and Russian. The book will be sold exclusively at ABBA The Museum in Stockholm and at www.abbathemuseum.com/webshop

About Maja Lindberg

Artist Maja Lindberg, born in 1972, is a graphic designer and artist who live in Lomma in southern Sweden where she also runs her company Majali. started her career as a ceramic artist and became an illustrator after a quick stopover in web design. Her interest in illustration deepened during a three-year relocation in China.

Today Maja is an established artist attracting customers from all over the world, and in particular the US, Canada, Australia and Great Britain. Read more about Maja Lindberg at www.majali.com

About Fri Tanke

Fri Tanke is a publishing house dedicated to promoting literature, which deepens our understanding of, and fascination for the world around us. Our focus is challenging and groundbreaking literature which crosses the borders between science, politics, philosophy and existential issues.

About ABBA The Museum

ABBA The Museum first opened its doors to the public on May 7th, 2013 and is located on Djurgården, between Liljevalchs and Gröna Lund. ABBA is one of the world’s most successful music groups with over 378 million albums sold. ABBA The Museum gives a comprehensive presentation of the group, from the formation of ABBA in the 1960’s, to the breakthrough with Waterloo in 1974, the big world tours, and up to the band’s break in 1982.

Since the opening, the museum has had over 275,000 visitors. Tickets can be purchased at abbathemuseum.com and at ABBA The Museum’s ticketpartner SJ, www.sj.se

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