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Zhang, Gracey

When Rubin Plays

56 pp. | Scholastic | July, 2023 | Trade ISBN 9781338648263 $18.99
(2) K-3 In Zhang's (The Big Bath House, rev. 11/21) latest picture book, a young child finds freedom in creating music his own way. Enamored of his village's youth orchestra, Rubin asks to join. As soon as he sets bow to violin strings, though, the unseemly screeching sets the rest of the children to laughter. Embarrassed, Rubin goes to the forest to find "somewhere away, where he could practice alone." The sounds draw an unlikely audience: a herd of curious cats who chime in with their own miiaaoooooos. Rubin's feline accompanists give him new confidence in the unusual noises that his violin can produce. During the day, Rubin practices with his peers and quietly plays along. In the evenings, however, he returns to the forest, where "his heart beat forte forte forte" and he plays with abandon among his choir of cats. Finally, on the day of the big orchestra concert, Rubin must decide whether to fully express himself. Throughout the book, Zhang's bold brushstrokes remain distinct, filling each illustration with a sense of movement emanating from the natural world and the music at the story's core. As outlined in the author's note, the story is set in the town of Santa Ana de Velasco in Bolivia, giving the book a strong sense of place. A beautifully executed tale about the power of music to lift the soul and the importance of finding joy in one's own unique voice.
Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

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