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The Music Inside Us
Yo-Yo Ma and His Gifts to the World (A Picture Book Biography)
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From a bestselling and award-winning team comes a moving, gorgeously illustrated picture-book biography of one of the greatest cellists of all time, Yo-Yo Ma, and his lifelong passion for using music to unite people in harmony and joy
“I’ve been asking myself all my life, ‘What is the purpose of music?’” –Yo-Yo Ma
At a young age, Yo-Yo Ma discovered a remarkable gift for the cello, playing Bach from memory by age four. His technique was far beyond his years, but even as he grew and became a world-class musician—studying at Juilliard, performing at Carnegie Hall at a young age, even playing on television before the president of the United States—he wanted to use his gift for something deeper, something bigger.
As he asked question after question, trying to understand his place in the world, he discovered something that every culture has in common: music.
Ma decided that he would spend his life not only performing for others, but learning from other cultures’ musical traditions and finding ways to unite people. Even as he dedicated himself to humanitarian work around the world, Ma also dedicated himself to teaching a new generation of young cellists to play with their whole hearts, bodies, and souls, like he does—how to find the music inside themselves.
From James Howe, bestselling author of Bunnicula, and Jack Wong, award-winning author/illustrator of When You Can Swim, comes the story of legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who was special not only because of his unmatched talent but also his curious mind and compassionate heart. Powerfully told and stunningly illustrated, this biography will inspire readers to discover the gifts inside us all.
Back matter includes an author’s and an illustrator’s note, a timeline of Ma’s life, and resources to learn more about his life and work.
“I’ve been asking myself all my life, ‘What is the purpose of music?’” –Yo-Yo Ma
At a young age, Yo-Yo Ma discovered a remarkable gift for the cello, playing Bach from memory by age four. His technique was far beyond his years, but even as he grew and became a world-class musician—studying at Juilliard, performing at Carnegie Hall at a young age, even playing on television before the president of the United States—he wanted to use his gift for something deeper, something bigger.
As he asked question after question, trying to understand his place in the world, he discovered something that every culture has in common: music.
Ma decided that he would spend his life not only performing for others, but learning from other cultures’ musical traditions and finding ways to unite people. Even as he dedicated himself to humanitarian work around the world, Ma also dedicated himself to teaching a new generation of young cellists to play with their whole hearts, bodies, and souls, like he does—how to find the music inside themselves.
From James Howe, bestselling author of Bunnicula, and Jack Wong, award-winning author/illustrator of When You Can Swim, comes the story of legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who was special not only because of his unmatched talent but also his curious mind and compassionate heart. Powerfully told and stunningly illustrated, this biography will inspire readers to discover the gifts inside us all.
Back matter includes an author’s and an illustrator’s note, a timeline of Ma’s life, and resources to learn more about his life and work.
Extent: 48 pp
Format: Hardback
Illustrations: Full-color illustrations throughout
Publication date: 2025-06-05
Size: 26.3 x 26.2 cm
ISBN: 9781419755217
Praise for The Music Inside Us
***STARRED REVIEW*** "Painterly, thoughtfully composed illustrations provide a remarkable depth of emotion and dynamism. Howe’s lyrical prose is a finely tuned pleasure to read, from overture to encore. A harmonious tribute to one of music’s absolute greats."
Kirkus Review
***STARRED REVIEW*** "Wong’s illustrations...are beautiful and engaging...Howe’s plain-spoken but high-minded reflections on Ma’s accomplishments will resonate with kids who admire the cellist, as well as the many readers who, though perhaps unfamiliar with Ma himself, are drawn to his ideal of uniting people around the world through their music."
Booklist
***STARRED REVIEW*** "It’s a warm, musing biographical work that details a figure’s desire to “bring people together in harmony and joy”—and invites readers to ask and answer questions of their own."
Publishers Weekly
***STARRED REVIEW*** "Howe’s story will move some readers to tears and make them think about the special gifts each person possesses. Wong’s illustrations have a soft beauty that captures Ma’s open-eyed wonder in the world and his journey from child prodigy to Earth’s musical ambassador...A heartfelt tribute to a master musician whose life has lessons for all of us."
School Library Journal
About the Author
James Howe wrote his first book, Bunnicula, for fun. He has tried to bring the same spirit of playfulness and discovery to all the books he has written since. These include picture books such as Milo Walking, Brontorina, and Horace and Morris But Mostly Dolores and the beginning-reader series Pinky and Rex and Houndsley and Catina. He is also the author of The Misfits and Totally Joe, as well as numerous sequels to Bunnicula. Howe lives with his husband in an old house just north of New York City. Jack Wong’s debut picture book, When You Can Swim, received the 2023 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award in Picture Books and the 2023 Governor General’s Literary Award in Young People’s Literature, Illustrated Books. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Vancouver, Jack holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax, Canada, where he now lives with his wife and two cats.
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