The Dance of the Violin

The Dance of the Violin is a delightful story about a young boy who loves music and finds a way to always play. And will use anything to make music: pots and pans and even rubber bands. This is when his family buys him a violin. One day he tells everyone he has to partake in a contest. It will be his first, but even so, he tells his teacher he must play this one piece of music, even though it is one of the most difficult piece of music. All because it speaks to him.

I liked that the boy in the story (spoiler) did not win his competition. The fact he made a mistake and (because he didn’t know otherwise) just asked to start over is an interesting idea. The idea of making mistakes and “getting a do-over” is tricky. I think it was handled well. The fact that it is based all on a true story makes it more interesting. The page at the back that ties the fact and fiction together is always a plus to any book.

Kathy Stinson’s text is fast pace and helps move the story along. It is crisp and to the point. The illustrations of Dusan Petricic, however, are truly artistic. They are soft with their colors but are always moving as well. They represent the fact that the boy sees a dance in his head while he plays. And not just the dance but eat part of the dancers from their dresses to their boots.

This is a book that I will be giving as a gift to many people!