Itzhak: A Boy Who Loved the Violin

by Tracy Newman, Abigail Halpin (Contributor)

This picture-book biography of violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman will inspire young readers to follow the melody within themselves
 
Before becoming one of the greatest violinists of all time, Itzhak Perlman was simply a boy who loved music. Raised by a poor immigrant family in a tiny Tel Aviv apartment, baby Itzhak was transformed by the sounds from his family’s kitchen radio—graceful classical symphonies, lively klezmer tunes, and soulful cantorial chants. The rich melodies and vibrant rhythms spoke to him like magic, filling his mind with vivid rainbows of color. After begging his parents for an instrument, Itzhak threw his heart and soul into playing the violin. Despite enormous obstacles—including a near-fatal bout of polio that left him crippled for life—Itzhak persevered, honing his extraordinary gift. When he performed on the Ed Sullivan Show sat only 13, audiences around the world were mesmerized by the warmth, joy, and passion in every note. Gorgeously illustrated with extensive back matter, this picture-book biography recounts Itzhak’s childhood journey—from a boy with a dream to an internationally acclaimed violin virtuoso.
 

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, Music, Nonfiction, Disability, Biography Memoir, Childrens

40 pages, Hardcover

First published May 12, 2020

Reviews

[Moonkiszt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Featured in a grandma reads session.

Our reading group meets twice a week over zoom. It all started with the pandemic and the fear that I'd never get to see my kidlets again. . .and so we innovated. And it did something for us we never expected. I now see them more than I did before, and we talk about books and reading and what we are learning! We share screens and they show me what they are doing (minecraft!) and I check out library books and read to them.

Itzhak: A Boy who Loved the Violin fell off the shelf and into my loan queue, and we were off. Before I opened the book, I pulled up a YouTube of Itzhak Perlman at 13 on the Ed Sullivan show playing his violin. The kids were entranced. Then I read this book. It was brilliant. They could see the real boy, quite close to their ages, and then hear the story from this book. And the artwork ! So perfect to accompany his story!

[Bogi Takács]

Mati got this at the library. He was really happy there was a book about a disabled Jewish kid who plays the violin, and read the book on his own without any prompting. It is for younger kids, but he really wanted to have it. The power of representation :)

I thought it was nice, but had some qualms about it. Israel looked kind of like Western Europe with palm trees, and ethnically quite homogenous too. Also the text at the end for parents about Itzhak Perlman's disability advocacy could have used a quick look-over by someone familiar with modern disability terminology, because it had a lot of phrasings like "wheelchair-bound".
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Source of the book: Lawrence Public Library

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book because I deeply admire Perlman and have heard him play in person. However, the book has whetted my curiosity about Itzhak Perlman. Being a picture book for children, it cannot answer many questions I have. However, it does a great job for its intended audience! I love how the illustrator and author worked together to illustrate different musical techniques such as vibrato and pizzicato that Perlman is known for. The musical notes beautifully show each technique in addition to the illustration of the young Perlman playing them. The illustration of the love that baby Itzhak had for music is wonderful! The author and illustrator notes were marvelous as were the notes in general. The bibliography looks very useful too. I’m going to try some of the videos. Highly recommended as a book introduction to Itzhak Perlman!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book for a lot of reasons but for once I felt like learning violin was portrayed accurately (my kiddo loved a book finally admitting that playing music is fun and practicing is....not) and they did a decently good job showing how one actually holds a violin and bow (believe me we've seen some incredibly laughable illustrations at this point).

[Norkett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Itzhak has quite an inspirational story, he didn't let his disability stop him from pursuing his passion and dreams. It inspired us to listen to his music. Illustrations were astounding and the information at the end sharing more of his story and the impact he made was appreciated.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tells the early life story of Itzhak Perlman. His early love of music, contracting polio, and his fame from appearing on the Ed Sullivan show.

Backmatter discusses the scholarship to live and study in the US. The difficulties of traveling while disabled and his dedication to make public buildings more accessible. His advocation for special needs children, his appearance on Sesame St., Grammy and Emmy Awards, and medals from 3 Presidents are mentioned.

I loved the music swirling around on many of the pages.

[Cheryl Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Itzhak A Boy Who Loved the Violin: The Story of Young Itzhak Perlman written by Tracy Newman and illustrated by Abigail Halpin is a picture book biography of one of the greatest violinists of all time. It is the winner of the Schneider Family Book Award, which is given by the American Library Association for authors and illustrators that show excellence of disabilities in children’s literature. It is listed on the Social Justice Books website under books about Jewish identity and history, music, and disability. This book is recommended to be used with students ages 6-10, but I think it could be used with older students as well.

Itzhak A Boy Who Loved the Violin is a beautiful picture book that takes us through the many challenges that Itzhak Perlman had to overcome in order to do what he loved in life. Growing up in a tiny apartment with his parents in Tel Aviv, Itzhak knew from a very early age how important music was to him. He heard and saw music everywhere he went and in everything he did. From seeing the colors of the music, to experiencing the emotions it made him feel, he knew that he was meant to make music. One problem, however, was that his family did not have a lot of money and could only afford a toy violin that certainly did not make the same beautiful sounds he was used to hearing. After being disappointed with this gift, he was sadly struck with polio and spent weeks fighting for his life. Though he fought through this deadly disease, his body was extremely affected as he had to reteach himself how to walk and use his arms and hands. Even though he would always need crutches or braces to walk, he was not going to let that stop him from his true passion of playing music. After getting his very own violin, lots of practice, and his determination in getting his talent out in the world, he became one of the greatest violinists to ever play.

Newman and Halpin did a wonderful job of sharing Itzhak’s childhood, writing and illustrating it in such a way that children can read, visualize through the illustrations, and understand the challenges that he had to overcome. I love that they included more of Itzhak’s story in the author’s and illustrator’s notes because they explain not only how he has succeeded as a musician winning Grammy and Emmy Awards, but also has become “an advocate for children with specials needs, and is dedicated to improving access to public buildings, including hotels, airports, and concert halls.” They also included a timeline and videos to watch of his performances. Halpin’s watercolor illustrations bring to life the rainbow of colors he would see as he listened to the violin, the peace and happiness he would feel while playing, and the beauty and images he would see in his mind as he felt the melody in his heart. I love how they incorporated musical notes throughout the pages, such as when they are pouring out of his radio when he becomes angry with his toy violin, or how they flow out of the center of his violin as he is playing spiccato, vibrato, staccato, pizzicato, and legato.

This book would be wonderful to bring into the classroom as it shows students the dedication and determination it took Itzhak to overcome obstacles in order to follow his passion in life. This could be used in a unit when working on biographies or a study about influential people in history, as well as when discussing what responsible citizens do in their communities. The timeline included at the end could be used to teach about chronological order, as well as some of the events that were happening at those times in history. I would definitely show the students the videos that were suggested in the back of the book, so they can also get the true experience of his talent. In addition to watching the videos, this would be a neat time to collaborate with the music teacher to see if she would want to do a musician of the month, kind of like how the art teacher does the artist of the month.

[Patricia Lamoza · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true artist cannot help but create art. It is more than a whim or an escape from "real work." For Itzhak Perlman, he felt that calling at three years old. His relationship with music was visceral. This picture book biography follows his early years in Israel, from his first toy violin (which I also got for my daughter and so wholly understood the frustration of the terrible quality of sound it produces) to performing on the Ed Sullivan Show in the United States at thirteen and the life-altering illness that happened in between. When Itzhak was only four years old, he contracted polio and forever afterward needed to walk with crutches.
He may not be able to do some of the things ordinary children could do, but he wasn't going to let that stop him from doing the only thing that he really cared about- play the violin.
He worked hard, but he also worked in his own way. His relationship with music was different from that of his old, traditional instructor. He heard music in everything, and attending to that, despite lectures and admonishments, is what set him apart from other violinists.
The watercolor and colored pencil artwork in this book help carry the story along with whisps of musical notations from the Bach Double Violin Concerto (we learn in the author's note) layered atop everyday life- brilliantly working into the drawings how Itzhak saw the world.
The story is full of secret facts about other musicians like Jascha Heifetz and Isaac Stern (who he ends up playing with) and (perhaps) introduces some musical language like legato, spiccato, and vibrato. The end matter contains more adult information about polio, living abroad, travelling with disabilities, and receiving medals from presidents among other things, all the while remaining interesting and age-appropriate.
Tracy Newman and Abigail Halpin do an extraordinary job of telling this story with compassion and wonder and bringing light to the triumph of a young boy who deserves to be revered and whose story could revel millions. Being a poor immigrant couldn't stop him; polio couldn't stop him; nothing could keep this young boy from achieving his goal—a true inspiration for anyone having a tough time.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Itzhak: A Boy Who Loved the Violin," by Tracy Newman, is a book that I found through a link provided in our inclusion theme Wakelet from this week. This book was a Schneider Family Book Award Nominee for Young Children in 2021. I read this book in digital print on my Kindle app. I was able to borrow it from Libby using my local library card. This is a book that needs to be read with access to the pictures, as they portray joy, strength, and courage throughout.

Itzhak was born in Tel Aviv in 1945. At an early age (3 years old), he had an extreme interest in music. He saw the music in his mind and already knew he wanted to play the violin. His first toy violin was a great disappointment. Shortly after frustrations with his early toy violin, Polio swept through Israel. Itzhak was hospitalized but was one of the lucky ones to survive. He had to relearn many body functions, but never fully regained the strength in his legs. Therefore, to this day Itzhak is still using supports to walk. Young Itzhak did not let his braces get in the way of his desire to perform the violin. While musicians are expected to stand, Itzhak realizes that he is not on stage to stand or walk but to perform his violin. He does just that as this story takes you through the performances and beautiful accomplishments of Itzhak.

This is a tremendous read-aloud book to simply expose elementary-aged students to texts that focus on believing in oneself and going after dreams. Surely, Itzhak faces adversity with wearing braces to walk, but he was motivated as a young boy, before Polio, to go after his dreams. Therefore, it's a great text that can focus on the real person Itzhak who becomes a successful and talented musician, yet also happens to wear braces on his legs. Students can use this text to analyze how Itzhak was able to reach his dreams.

[Abby Johnson]

This gorgeous picture book celebrates the childhood and career of virtuoso violinist Itzhak Perlman, from growing up in Israel and surviving polio to performing on the Ed Sullivan show and then touring all over the world. More than a celebration of music (although it is that, for sure), this is a book that advocates for better disability accessibility as Perlman often faced physical barriers in the music halls he visited. This is a wonderful biography for young musicians and a super introduction to a famous performer.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nicely written and brightly illustrated telling of Itzhak Perlman's early life. His love of music and challenge of surviving polio are presented in ways a youngster will relate to without an iota of unnecessary pity about disability or Itzhak. My lone concern was about how the working of his four-year-old mind was presented, but that is nowhere near enough to prevent sharing this book with youngsters.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A melodiously written and illustrated look at the early life of the violin virtuoso, his childhood in Israel, crippling bout with polio, and concluding with the beginning of his international fame.

[Holly Mueller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot about Itzhak Perlman that I didn't know. Itzhak contracted polio when he was a young child. Not only has he contributed to the world of music, but he is an advocate for children with special needs and has dedicated himself to improving handicapped access to public buildings. Gorgeous illustrations! A 2021 Schneider Family Book Award Honor winner.

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely to learn some information about Itzhak Perlman that I didn't know, which was pretty much everything except that he plays the violin.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really spoke to me, both in the way it is written AND illustrated. A beautiful book!

At the end of the book is an Author's Note, Illustrator's Note, Timeline of Perlman's life (so far), Notes, and a Bibliography that contains articles and videos.

Outstanding!

[Julie Ditton]

This picture-book biography of violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman looks interesting.

I saw this book on a list of books for Jewish American Heritage Month that was created by The Artists against Antisemitism. https://bookshop.org/lists/jewish-ame... .

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biography of Itzhak Perlman for elementary readers.
Newman takes readers through Perlman's childhood to his first performance on the Ed Sullivan show. Itzhak survived polio and developed his gift for playing the violin. The illustrations bring readers in to his life. Informative text provided at the end of the book.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The renowned and much-beloved violinist Itzhak Perlman was born in Israel in 1945. Newman tells the story of Itzhak’s childhood as a music prodigy and his bout with polio which left him paralyzed. The story documents Itzhak’s hard work to manage both the effects of his disease and his extraordinary talent. (He was performing with orchestras by the time he was six years old.) The story ends when Itzhak was 13 and traveled to New York to perform on the Ed Sullivan Show, an appearance which catapulted the boy to fame.

What the author doesn’t explain but only alludes to, especially by way of the illustrations, is the fact of his synesthesia. The author writes that “when Itzhak listened to music, a vivid rainbow of colors appeared in his mind - hues from dark green to red to yellow.” This wasn’t just metaphor.

As defined in Scientific American:

“Synesthesia is an anomalous blending of the senses in which the stimulation of one modality simultaneously produces sensation in a different modality. Synesthetes hear colors, feel sounds and taste shapes. What makes synesthesia different from drug-induced hallucinations is that synesthetic sensations are highly consistent: for particular synesthetes, the note F is always a reddish shade of rust, a 3 is always pink or truck is always blue.

The estimated occurrence of synesthesia ranges from rarer than one in 20,000 to as prevalent as one in 200.”

In a Psychology Today article about Perman’s synesthesia, Itzhak is quoted as explaining:

“I know that I can describe certain sounds with color. It's not music - it's notes, it's single sounds. So if I hear a particular sound on a particular string on the violin I could associate that sound with color....It's not like I play a piece and I see sparkling blue things.”

Perlman also revealed that besides colors, he sees shapes in music: "Each note has a shape. I would say that if you play a D on the G string, for me that's round. But if you play an A on an E string for me, that's much more flat, the shape of it. I hope not the intonation, but the shape of it."

These ways of hearing and identifying sounds helped him hone his music into something mesmerizing.

This author’s primary focus however is on Itzhak’s perseverance, and how he overcame obstacles, including physical disability, to achieve success. Perlman as an adult, as explained in the Author’s Note, has become an advocate for children with special needs.

Back matter also includes an Illustrator’s Note, Timeline (which brings readers up-to-date on Perlman’s life), and sources for further study, including a list of videos.

Illustrations by Abigail Halpin reflect her own understanding of music, as well as her admiration for Itzhak Perlman not only as a performer but as a person.


Evaluation: The author focuses on the many struggles Itzhak had to face in order to realize his dreams. She also, importantly, notes that Itzhak realized he could never do some things because of his disability, but he could find other ways to enjoy life and feel fulfilled.

[Holly Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book tells the story of a boy named Itzhak Perlman and his journey to becoming a world-renowned violinist. The story follows Itzhak from a young boy to the time after his first performance in America in the Ed Sullivan Theatre and through intentionally-written text and detailed and more than complementary illustrations, readers will be engaged through the reading of the story. Readers will learn that through perseverance, dedication, determination, and choosing to move froward, Itzhak refrained from giving up in order to pursue the knack he knew wanted to do since he was three- play the violin. The text while, in a smaller font, is inspiring and allows readers to understand that Itzhak's journey was very a journey as he had to overcome financial, physical, and illness related obstacles. Lines such as, "the work was hard, slow, painful..." and " a year of stretching, straightening, and strengthening paid off," inform readers that Itzhak's success was not always easy, yet he was able to triumph over the trails. The text may also have been kept small with intention of giving more attention to the illustrative works and its qualities through out the book. The illustrations are large, bright, and well done. While Itzhak's eyes are usually rendered as barely open or closed, with the exception of a few illustrations, readers can gather the way Itzhak might feel while playing the violin as his smile conveys a pleasing and intense happiness for playing the instrument he so enjoys. Watercolor appears to be used to create the engaging and noticeably colorful illustrations. I enjoyed both textual features and illustrative qualities within the book and was able to learn about a man who I do think I had known about prior to viewing the book. The book does a good job of noting the determination and process behind success and readers will most likely find something they enjoy within the book.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a picture book biography about the early life of violinist Itzhak Perlman.

The narrative begins with his family's love of music as an escape from their cramped one room apartment. It then shifts to Perlman contracting polio at age 4. His illness left him permanently disabled, and he now needed braces and crutches to walk and stand.

Perlman's love of music was reawakened during his recovery, and he devoted himself to learning to play the violin, which he could do sitting down. Perlman proved to have an extraordinary talent, but like most children he didn't always like practicing.

At age 6, Perlman began performing with orchestras, and at age 10, he was giving solo performances. The book ends with his performing on "The Ed Sullivan Show" at age 13.

The author's note provides a summary of the rest of Perlman's life and career. It also discusses his advocacy to improve access in public spaces for persons with limited mobility.

Included at the back of the book are a timeline, citations for the quotations used in the text, and a bibliography. There is an illustrator's note as well, explaining the artist's personal connection to Perlman.

There are a few spots in the narrative in which the author appears to be interjecting her own thoughts and interpretations. The portrayal of Perlman's thoughts during his recovery and physical therapy is where this is most obvious. But since the intention of this book is to inspire rather than to provide unbiased information about its subject, this can perhaps be overlooked as creative license.

Overall this is an excellent introduction to the violinist Itzhak Perlman for young readers, which also underscores the importance of perseverance in the face of adversity.

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Itzhak: A Boy Who Loved the Violin is a children's picture book written by Tracy Newman and illustrated by Abigail Halpin. It recounts the childhood of renowned Israeli American violinist and polio survivor Itzhak Perlman.

Itzhak Perlman is an Israeli-American violinist, conductor, and music teacher. Over the course of his career Perlman has performed worldwide, and throughout the United States, in venues that have included a State Dinner at the White House honoring Queen Elizabeth II, and at the Presidential Inauguration of President Obama.

Newman's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Newman conducts readers through Perlman’s childhood in Tel Aviv to his eventual rise of being a renowned violinist. Backmatter includes a timeline, notes, and bibliography. Halpin's colorful illustrations of a young Perlman, ribboned by swirling staves of musical scores, reflect his vivid inner world and warm-hearted life.

The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Perlman's resilience is shown in this biography form facing obstacles, including, at age four, a bout of polio that left him reliant on crutches or braces. After growing serious about the violin, the boy performs at age six and solos by age ten and culminates with the teenage Perlman’s life-changing 1958 performance on the Ed Sullivan Show.

All in all, Itzhak: A Boy Who Loved the Violin is an eye-catching tale of music and perseverance.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Music brought Itzhak intense joy. And tears. Itzhak loved it.”

From a young age, Itzhak knew he wanted to make music, but the family didn’t have the money to buy him the instrument that spoke to him the most, the violin. At the age of 4, he was infected with Polio. Ahead of him was a long struggle to rehabilitate muscles that had been effected by the disease. “But a steady melody played inside Itzhak, encouraging, energizing, empowering him.” Finally, his parents were able to buy him a real violin and he faced challenges with that, too: having to use crutches, he was unable to stand to play and his fingers were too big. But his passion for the music allowed him to find a way to play. “He knew the melody inside him gave him a different gift.”

And so his career began: performing with orchestras in Israel at the age of six, soloing at the age of 10
and performing on The Ed Sullivan Show at the age of 13, which was the performance that truly launched him into notoriety. “His life would never again be ordinary.”

Beautifully done! Includes an author’s note which details his work to improve conditions for those with disabilities and an advocate for children with special needs, an illustrator’s note, a timeline and a good-sized bibliography. Here he is performing at age 13: https://youtu.be/4eLoWm9swbM

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew the name Itzhak Perlman before I read this book but I did not know very much about him. I knew he played a string instrument but I'm not sure I would have said violin.
He was born in Tel Aviv. His parents were immigrants (they were from Poland) and they did not have a lot of money. But they did have a radio and at an early age, Itzhak fell in love with the violin. Then, at age four, Itzhak contracted polio. After his recovery, he had physical therapy which allowed him to regain some strength but he was unable to walk without braces and crutches. Yet his love of music and his desire to play violin were only deepened. Itzhak acknowledged that obstacles were ordinary things that he just had to get used to. And that is the main theme of the book - no matter what life threw at Itzhak, he refused to give up. Today he is considered to be one of the best (if not THE best) violinist in the world. And having had his share of problems gaining access to theatres and performance halls while on crutches, Itzhak has become a tireless advocate for people with disabilities.

I loved Abigail Halpin's illustrations and encourage you to listen to Itzhak's music while you read the book. Halpin mentions a few specific titles that inspired - and are even included! - in her drawings. Be sure to read her note at the end of the book.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Itzhak: A Boy Who Loved Violin review: Itzhak: A Boy Who Loved Violin was written by Tracy Newman and illustrated by Abigail Halfin. It won the 2021 Schneider Family Book Award, the Young Children Honor Title. This is the true story of Itzhak Pearlman, who is an Israeli-American violinist.

At a very young age, Itzhak fell in love with the violin. However, when he turned 4, he was diagnosed with Polio. Because of this disease, he had to relearn how to walk, raise his arms over his head, hold a book. While his arms regained their strength, his legs didn’t. He would need to use braces and crutches forever. Despite his physical disabilities, he continued to practice his much, traveled to the United States, and proved to so many people that he could still be a master violinist.

This book is great for the middle elementary grades (2-5) as it has challenging names and deeper themes throughout the story. This biography can prove to readers that people with physical disabilities can still achieve the same things that those without disabilities can, but that they just have to do it differently.

This book can be used with SEL for acceptance/ empathy. It can also be used in social studies, as students can research other people with mental or physical disabilities who have become successful, write a report, and then present it to the class.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sigh. I had better hopes for this one. I definitely made a mistake in reading it immediately following a different picture book biography about a person who was disabled from polio (Judith Heumann) that handled it so well, because it was just so much more frustrating for me to read.

To start with the good, the story is decently well told, and I did learn about Itzhak Perlman, which was cool. The art was really nice, and I especially liked how the style looked on Itzhak himself and on the floral motifs.

Now the bad. This was pretty ableist. So much of the story is shaped around the inspiration porn. "Wow, he was disabled and didn't give up on existing or doing things he liked? An inspiration!" It was so exhausting to read this. It genuinely says "other four-year-olds might have given up" which is just awful, and made even weirder by the next page having a quote from Perlman saying "when you're four years old... you get used to things very, very quickly." The notes at the end are filled with dated and problematic terms like handicapped, special needs, and wheelchair-bound. The book also alludes to Perlman's synesthesia but does not name it, explain it, or state that he has it.

I cannot in good conscious recommend reading this. The second star is for the illustrations being so good and the illustrator note being great. The ableism is too overwhelming for it to be worth the read.

[Hannah Lewczynski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I love the positive tone behind Itzhak's disability and how they described that he got polio, which took his ability to walk on his own. They highlighted the disability as an ABILITY and I love the message this book portrays. I also loved the art work. Like WOW. The illustrator used beautiful watercolor and rainbows throughout and the sheet music added elegance to the page. This book does a great job of describing the life of Itzhak Perlman. This book also used words that describe violin playing like spiccato, vibrato, staccato, pizzicato, and legato which I felt was a nice added touch because they described them so well. I would recommend this book to people who love violin or want to hear a story of a boy overcoming insurmountable odds! Loved this book and would read it again. The pages have lots of words, so for this reason I would suggest a person older that 3rd grade read it.

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Itzhak, is a little boy from Tel Aviv, who loved and had an insatiable desire to play the violin. This book won the Schneider Family Book Award. It will be used in my library as a story to encourage, energize, and empower young people who may have a disability or may became disabled due to some kind of disease. Itzhak became deathly ill with Polio at the age of four. Weeks later, Itzhak's body was weak, but he was well enough to go home. He had to learn how to raise his arms above him head, grasp a pencil, hold a book through the slow, hard, pain of rehabilitation. Itzhak had determination and a "don't quit" attitude that paid off. Even though he will forever need braces and crutches to walk, Itzhak learned how to play the violin very well. This book is the inspiring bibliography of famous violinist, Itzhak Perlman.

[Cyndi Russell-Albach · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his childhood in Israel, Itzhak suffered from polio as a young four-year-old child. Since my dad had polio as a toddler, I am partial to people who overcame that horrific disease. Itzhak lost his control of his arms and legs. With physical therapy, he gained control of his arms, but still couldn't walk well. However, he had a gift in visualizing music. Melodies painted murals in his brain. The illustrations help the reader to visualize the way Itzhak "saw" music. Taking that gift, Itzhak found passion and purpose. He adapted and played the violin, rising quickly as a young protege in Israel and appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show in November 1958. While the picture book ends there, the back pages reveal that Itzhak's fame and advocacy had just begun. This book can inspire children of all backgrounds and abilities to drive to reach their dreams.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picture book biography of Itzack Perlman, the world's greatest violinist. Itzack loved music and wanted to play violin most of all, but a childhood bout of polio almost ended his dreams. Itzack fought back, becoming a world-class musician and advocate for the rights of disabled people. This book is about music, perseverance, and overcoming obstacles to achieve your dreams.

This most definitely not a book for small children. Its themes and vocabulary make it best suited for middle school and higher. I am excited to share this book with my MS and HS orchestra teachers and to book talk it as part of SEL lessons and units featuring overcoming challenges. This is a rare picture book--one that is beautiful, inspiring, and perfectly suited for secondary-level students.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so many interesting things reading this book about the early years of world-famous violinist Itzhak Perlman! In addition to describing the development of his amazing musical ability from the age of three, Newman describes young Itzhak's courage and perseverance in overcoming polio and the challenges he faced throughout his life as someone who relied on crutches in a world that was not always handicapped accessible. Charming, bright watercolor and colored pencil illustrations bring the story to life, and author's and illustrator's notes at the end of the book provide further information. This is a great picture book biography for any child, but especially for those involved in music.