Schroeder (from the Peanuts strip) once picked up his piano and carried it away with him. That’s when I first realized he doesn’t use a full sized piano. Of course I knew it was visually a small object, but with Beethoven emanating from it regularly I never considered it anything but the real thing. I suppose everyone else always knew what I overlooked: Schroeder plays a toy piano. In fact, Charles Schulz was inspired after he bought one for his two year old daughter. But these aren’t chintzy, rinky-dink novelties. There are sophisticated toy pianos manufactured by Schoenhut. These baby baby grands and tiny spinets produce three octaves from hammers hitting metal rods. John Cage composed a “Suite for Toy Piano” in 1948. Pianist Margaret Leng Tan has gained some reknown for her performances on the diminutive instrument, receiving accolades from none other than Schulz.