violin

14 Fantastic Kids' Books About the Violin

Teaching children to appreciate music from a young age is a gift they will carry with them for life. Parents are encouraged to play a wide variety of musical genres, including jazz, classical, rock, country, pop, and blues. A child's musical education expands beyond what they hear through the speakers. There are so many valuable messages woven throughout children's books about violin players. Some of the characters are picking up the instrument for the very first time and sharing their experiences in mastering this musical craft. Others are professional violinists playing with the best orchestras who give readers an inside peak at the hours of practice and dedication required to reach their peak.

zin zin zin a violin
Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin

A Caldecott Honor Book that does an exceptional job of intertwining basic counting skills with sophisticated musical terminology. One by one, various instruments, including a violin, are added to the orchestra until an entire ensemble is on stage. The verse flows across the pages like musical notes played in harmony. Young readers will learn about all the different musical groups while learning to count in the language of song. Solo, duet, trio!

Picture Books Featuring Violinists

Musicians have stories to tell through their instruments. This collection of books about professional violin players delves into their experiences and how playing music influenced their lives. These books include historical fiction, biographies, and fictional stories about famous violinists that will may inspire your child to pick up a bow one day. And if string instruments prove to be too difficult, check out the stories about piano players for more inspiration.


the bat boy and his violin

The Bat Boy and His Violin

Reginald and his father do not always see eye-to-eye. The little boy wants to spend all his free time practicing his fiddle. His father, the manager of the worst-performing baseball team in the Negro National League, wants him to focus on his job as batboy instead. One day Reginald brings his violin with him into the dugout and fills the air with classical music. An unexpected result occurs when the bats start cracking against the sound of balls hit hard and far. This team that had been down in the dumps is suddenly making a comeback. An uplifting historical fiction picture book about the power of violin music.

 



hana hashimoto sixth violin

Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin

Hana is eager to perform at an upcoming talent show, even though she cannot play her violin very well yet. Her brother discourages her from participating and insinuates that she is not talented enough to take the stage. Refusing to let his negativity bring her down, Hana is more determined than ever to impress her audience. Reflecting on her Japanese grandfather's violin skills, she practices non-stop until the day of the show. When she finally takes the stage, Hana proves to the world that her perseverance paid off.

 


the man with the violin

The Man with the Violin

A fictional story based on a true experiment conducted by Joshua Bell, a renown violinist who made his debut performing at Carnegie Hall when he was only 17 years old. His long list of musical accomplishments is long and impressive, including a Grammy award and partnerships with some of the most prestigious music schools and organizations aroud the world. Tickets to his performances commanded top dollar and were in high demand. One day he decided to conduct an experiment. So he disguised himself by wearing a baseball cap and some old clothes and headed to the Washington D.C. subway station to put on a free concert. Over the course of an hour, thousands of people passed by and less than 10 stopped to listen for more than a minute. In this story, Dylan is one such passerby who desperately wants to soak in the beautiful music, but his mother is entirely too busy to take pause. A haunting story about the importance of slowing down and appreciating the opportunities that surround us every single day.



you can do it noisy nora

Noisy Nora!

Nora has found a new way to make some noise. She drags her bow across the violin strings and produces some terrible, loud, screechy sounds. Kids who are just learning how to play will relate to Nora's struggles. When the day of her recital arrives, everyone is pleasantly surprised that all of her practicing paid off.



itzhak a boy who loved the violin

Itzhak, A Boy Who Loved the Violin

Itzhak Perlman is a household name that is synonymous with violin virtuoso. This historical biography takes young readers back to a time when he was just a little boy living in Tel Aviv. His parents were poor immigrants but their modest apartment was filled with music blaring through the tiny kitchen radio. When his family saved enough money to buy him a violin, it is apparent that Itzhak had a natural-born gift. The inspiring story covers his rise to fame despite a bout with polio that nearly killed him. Several bonus pages in the back provide a more in-depth look at this master violinist's lift.



ada's violin

Ada's Violin

Quite an amazing true story of an incredibly poor town in Paraguay that found a richness in rubble. This is a story about how music can rise out of the most dire surroundings and lift the spirits of people living in poverty. Quite an amazing true story of an incredibly poor town in Paraguay that found a richness in rubble. This is a story about how music can rise out of the most dire surroundings and lift the spirits of people living in poverty. It's told from the perspective of a little girl, Ada Ríos, who grew up on a town built on top of a landfill. Rummaging through the trash was a way of life and survival for the local people. When a music teacher arrives to give the children lessons, he is discouraged by their lack of resources. The kids love their instruments, but they cannot afford to purchase enough to go around. An genius idea of recycling materials to make their own instruments proved worthwhile. Today, the Recycled Orchestra performs all over the world spreading a message of hope.



the magic violin

Ana and Andrew: The Magic Violin

Ana and Andrew start off on their musical journey with quite a bit of enthusiasm. Their new violins are interesting and fun to play. And joining the youth orchestra with their friends is pretty exciting. But pretty soon the novelty wears off and they tire of having to practice. That's when they receive surprise inspiration from Frederick Douglass, an African American activist who escaped slavery and rose to prominence as a social reformer. He also happened to be an accomplished violinist who has some timely advice for the siblings.



valentine and his violin 

Valentine and His Violin

A highly quirky, unusual story about Valentine, a little boy who plays the violin quite terribly. Despite the praise he receives from his teacher and the hours of practice he puts into his instrument, poor Valentine never succeeds in making more than unpleasant noise. Fortunately, he sincerely believes he plays the violin beautifully and heads out to share his talent. In a funny turn of events, Valentine learns that his music is helpful, but not in the way he expects. Slapstick humor paired with a bit of potty talk will sure to elicit a few giggles throughout this strangely entertaining violin book for kids!



the dance of the violin

The Dance of the Violin

The true story of Josh Bell, an accomplished violinist and conductor, is inspirational for kids just getting started. As a little boy, Josh decided to try out for a music competition. He chose an ambitious piece of music that he teacher believed was too difficult. When Josh took the stage, his nerves took over and he made some mistakes. Fortunately, one of the judges could spot his talent and asked him to start over. That pivotal moment is one that changed the trajectory of this talented violinist's career.



mouse music

Mouse Music

A darling story about Isabel the mouse who loves her violin. She talks daily walks through the woods and listens to all the beautiful noises. Birds and insects are chirping along with all the other sounds of nature. She learns to appreciate all kinds of music and plays her violin in harmony. A dreamy, whimsical story about the unifying power of music.



meet the orchestra

Meet the Orchestra

An award-winning book that introduces children to all the musicians that comprise an orchestra. The animals gather together on stage to get ready for a performance. Readers get a fun glimpse at various animals warming up on their instruments, including the violin, flute, cello, tuba, and drums.



the case of the fiddle playing fox

Hank: The Case of the Fiddle Playing Fox

Hank the Cowdog is the star of a fun, easy chapter book series for emerging readers. In this story, Hank is determined to solve the mystery of eggs that go missing from the henhouse. So he stakes out the area and finds a place where he can watch and wait. Eventually, he observes a fiddle-playing fox appear out of nowhere. He plays his music to an audience of hens, who in turn reward him with fresh eggs!



the bear the piano the dog and the fiddle

The Bear, the Piano, the Dog and the Fiddle

A poignant story about the unifying power of music. An unlikely crew, including a piano-playing bear and a fiddle-playing dog, travel around the world with an all-animal band. They achieve enormous success entertaining large crowds of admirers. Will Hector's human, Hugo, a previous fiddle player himself, push his jealousy to the side and rejoice in the music? Children will learn a valuable lesson about being happy for their friends.


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Why Read Stories About Learning to Play the Violin

Reading kids books about characters learning to play the violin is an important, often overlooked opportunity to expand your child's musical knowledge. Budding musicians will learn a lot from the experiences shared in these stories and relate to them, whether children ar taking violin lessons or thinking about taking it up. Here are some of the key reasons why reading kids books about playing a musical instrument is so valuable.

Kids will learn the importance of practicing.

This lesson applies to every skill they want to master. The characters devote hours and hours of time learning the music until they have perfected a piece. Sometimes they practice for weeks and still can't quite tackle a challenging composition. Rather than giving up, they devote themselves to working harder until they can play effortlessly.

Children will understand that failure is part of the learning process.

Readers are taken behind the scenes to see what life is really like for accomplished violinists. The non-fiction violin books for kids are especially inspiring based on the extraordinary hurdles these musicians had to overcome. Well-respected musical artists who reach the pinnacle of their career have backstories filled with rejections, defeat, mistakes, and failure. Their stories are important for kids to understand, especially those who seek immediate gratification and want to quit when things don't work out in their favor.

Books about the violin foster an appreciation of music and the arts.

Music can play a vital role in a person's life. The notes can elicit a range of emotions and convey a lot of meaning without words. Teaching children to really listen to music played by a violinist takes time and patience. But, like anything worthwhile in life, the effort is well worth the lifelong benefits of instilling a love of music in children. Reading kids' books about the violin is another way to teach them the value and importance of beautiful music.



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