The Dance of the Violin

In The Man with a Violin, Stinson and Petricic wove a fictional story around the real-life event of violinist Joshua Bell performing in a Washington, D.C., subway station. Now, they turn to Bell’s youth, detailing how he fell in love with music and once, at a music competition, requested a “do-over” when his performance got off to a shaky start. Petricic once again uses bright swoops and streaks of color to visualize the sensory joy that music can elicit as Stinson’s direct writing underscores the rewards of dedication to one’s art—and not being afraid to start fresh when things go south. Ages 5–8. (Mar.)