09/01/2024
Gr 2–4—The story of a well-loved violin that was seized by Nazis from a Jewish family in World War II. Locked in a dark, moist cellar, will it ever be able to play Yiddish music again? The book is composed like a prose poem, with special attention to rhythm and flow, and is best read aloud. It is based on "Violins of Hope," a project where Jewish craftspeople restore instruments all but destroyed during WWII, as both a memorial and a celebration of the human spirit. The book tells the story of one such violin over nearly a hundred years. The color palette includes saturated ivories and teal greens, lending a vintage feeling to the modern illustrations. The pictures have a sketched quality, and they darken and brighten with the tone of the story. Most characters depicted are identified as Jewish, and there are a few Yiddish words as well; there are also a few hard-faced German soldiers. VERDICT Recommended; this is a heartfelt story of loss, hope, and overcoming, based on true events.—Shelby Hogle
2024-08-03
A beloved violin is lost and found.
The lives of Papa, Mama, Itzak, and Feiga are filled with love and celebration of their Jewish traditions. Papa is an accomplished musician whose beautiful violin has a place of honor in their home. When he plays “quick and lively” songs, the children dance with joy. When Papa’s music turns “slow and sorrowful,” it invites quiet contemplation. Itzak attempts to play the instrument, with ear-bashing results, but Papa assures him that that he’ll improve with practice. Then everything changes. One Shabbos night, soldiers show up and take the violin. It ends up in a cellar, languishing with other looted items “in silence” for many years until it’s rescued by a luthier who lovingly restores it to its former glory. The luthier passes the violin on to a young boy named Isaac, whose father recalls his grandfather’s violin skill. Isaac’s first attempt exactly matches Itzak’s initial screeches, the luthier echoes Itzak’s father’s encouraging phrases and sentiments, and Isaac’s tunes are, by turns, “quick and lively” and “slow and sorrowful.” As a master violinist, in concert halls around world, he plays music of hope. The book doesn’t explicitly mention Nazis or the Holocaust until the author’s note, and the family’s fate is left unspoken. But the striking, detailed, multi-perspective illustrations contain hints for sharp-eyed readers as the author brings this sorrowful yet optimistic tale full circle. The main characters are tan-skinned; background characters are diverse.
Tender, moving, and hopeful. (photographs, website)(Picture book. 6-11)
