Music and Silence: The Passion & Protest of Pablo Casals from Eerdmans Young Readers Books

Music and Silence: The Passion and Protest of Pablo Casals (Incredible Lives for Young Readers) by Christy Mihaly & illustrated by Mariona Cabassa

ISBN: 9780802855510
Hardcover $19.99 USD
Eerdmans Young Readers Publications

My thoughts:  I just love for young children to have access to the stories of real people and what they do and where they live. Picture book biographies can set the stage for young children to read non-fiction books as they grow in life. I think picture books are important; and to incorporate these two, picture books and non-fiction, into one tool of reading is a superb method of education. Authors and illustrators of the biographic picture book genre are to be commended and appreciated!

In Music and Silence the author and illustrator have created a beautiful tribute to an extraordinary musician and person. Coming from a musical family, Pablo Casals had the opportunity to hear and learn music at an early age through the skilled hands and care of his own father. His parents had the opportunity to take him for intensive musical education in another city where he stayed until he mastered the cello.

As we read the text of Christy Mihaly as she narrates the story of Pablo, one is drawn by the flow of words and the descriptions as she tells of the worn torn land of Spain, France, and Catalonia. The music performed by Pablo Casals and his cello flowed through the land soothing the misplaced persons, the torn by war hearts, and the saddened souls. Their own country's wars and that of WWII torn the land to pieces and Pablo played on. 

Beautifully told and artifully illustrated this story is one to share and should be in every public and school library collection and bookshelves of caring parents.  I highly recommend.

About the book: An inspiring picture book biography of a UN Peace Medal recipient who used his songs—and his silence—to fight fascism, oppression, and violence. 

One day in Catalonia, Spain, eleven-year-old Pau Casals was captivated by the cello—setting him on a path toward international fame (as a cellist) and extraordinary courage (as an advocate for social justice). 

Playing the cello would take Pau all over the world, performing in palaces, concert halls, even the White House. People called him Pablo Casals now, and he was famous and beloved. But when the events of Spanish Civil War and World War II left his homeland ruled by a dictator, Pablo made a dramatic he would silence his music until Spain was free. Would the world ever hear his cello sing again? 

Illustrated in vibrant, joyous color by Catalonian artist Mariona Cabassa, Music and Silence introduces children to a man who was not just a master of the cello, but a remarkable model of sacrifice and artistic protest. After the story, readers can learn more about Pablo Casals through creator notes, historical notes, a timeline, a bibliography, and links to performances and interviews.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.