• Age: 5 to 8
• Grade: 5 to 8
• Reading age: 5 to 8

Who is playing that beautiful music in the subway? And why is nobody listening?

This gorgeous picture book is based on the true story of Joshua Bell, the renowned American violinist who famously took his instrument down into the Washington D.C. subway for a free concert. More than a thousand commuters rushed by him, but only seven stopped to listen for more than a minute. In The Man with the Violin, bestselling author Kathy Stinson has woven a heart-warming story that reminds us all to stop and appreciate the beauty that surrounds us.

Dylan is someone who notices things. His mom is someone who doesn’t. So try as he might, Dylan can’t get his mom to listen to the man playing the violin in the subway station. But Dylan is swept away by the soaring and swooping notes that fill the air as crowds of oblivious people rush by. With the beautiful music in his head all day long, Dylan can’t forget the violinist, and finally succeeds in making his mother stop and listen, too.

Vividly imagined text combined with illustrations that pulse with energy and movement expertly demonstrate the transformative power of music. With a postscript explaining Joshua Bell’s story, and afterword by Joshua Bell himself.

Kathy Stinson is a familiar name in children’s literature. She wrote the award-winning Red is Best and Big or Little?—two of the first picture books for preschoolers in Canada. Both were a huge success and have since achieved international acclaim. Red is Best 25th Anniversary Edition was released in 2006 a newly illustrated Big or Little? was published in 2009. Kathy’s latest book, The Man with the Violin (2013), was greeted with rave reviews, including starred reviews in Kirkus and uill & uire. Illustrated by Duan Petricic, this beautifully evocative picture book tells the true story of world-renowned violinist, Joshua Bell, who conducted an experiment by anonymously playing his priceless violin in the Washington D.C. subway station. Kathy grew up in Toronto. “My love affair with books began as a child,” she says. “I remember regular visits to the library, getting stacks of books to read.” She still has a notebook of stories that she wrote when she was in grade four. She believes that reading a lot is the key to becoming a good writer. In the early 1970s Kathy attended university while teaching elementary school. In 1981, she took a course called “How to write and get published.” The titles she has published in the years since range from picture books to young adult novels, from historical fiction chapter books to short stories in the horror genre. 2008 sees the publication of her first brand-new picture book in sixteen years! Kathy enjoys visiting schools across Canada, and especially talking with fellow writers. In 1987 she traveled to England as part of an exchange of Canadian and British children’s authors. She has helped students across Canada pursue their own creative projects through the Writers in Electronic Residence program, and in many communities has conducted writing workshops for children and for adults. When she’s not busy writing or reading, Kathy is a self-proclaimed jigsaw puzzle addict. Her children now grown, she lives with her partner, editor Peter Carver, in a hamlet not far from Guelph, Ontario.

Kathy Stinson's profile page

Duan Petricic was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, but loved to pretend that he grew up in Zemun, an old city located just across the river (and now a part of Belgrade). As a boy he did all the forbidden things that children do, but what Duan loved most was to draw. He started drawing at age four and, encouraged by his parents, he never stopped. He found inspiration in everything, and drawing became a way to communicate with the people around him. Two books that were very important to his childhood were an old encyclopedia with lots of pictures and The Boys from Pavel’s Street by Ferenc Molnár. Early on, he was moved by the drawings found within the encyclopedia. As he grew older, he adored many artists, including Leonardo da Vinci, Dürer, and Picasso. Duan has been illustrating children’s books for many years. He has received numerous honors and awards for his work, in North America and internationally, including an IBBY Certificate of Honour and an Alberta Book Award for On Tumbledown Hill (Red Deer Press). The Longitude Prize (FSG) was selected as a Robert F. Siebert Honor Book for a Distinguished Informative Book for Children in the US. His beautiful, evocative illustrations for Mattland (2009) by Hazel Hutchins and Gail Herbert garnered Duan the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator’s Award from the Canadian Library Association as well as the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award. His illustrations for Better Together (2011) by Sheryl and Simon Shapiro were described as “sublime” by Kirkus Reviews. When it came time to reissue Robert Munsch’s Mud Puddle (2012), Duan was Annick’s first choice to reillustrate the classic. The results are a fresh and energetic look that will delight a whole new generation of young Munsch fans. Duan’s latest book, The Man with the Violin (2013), was greeted with rave reviews, including starred reviews in Kirkus and uill & uire. Written by Kathy Stinson, this beautifully evocative picture book tells the true story of world-renowned violinist, Joshua Bell, who conducted an experiment by anonymously playing his priceless violin in the Washington D.C. subway station. Luckily for Duan, his profession is his favorite hobby and he is happy when at work. To young artists he would give this advice: “Think, think, think, think, draw!” Duan lives in Toronto where he is a regular contributor as an editorial cartoonist in the Toronto Star.

Dusan Petricic's profile page

• Joint winner, Best Books for Kids & Teens, Canadian Children’s Book Centre
• Joint winner, Notable Book for a Global Society
• Commended, Best Bets List, Honourable Mention, Ontario Library Association
• Winner, Digital Book Award
• Commended, Foreword Indies Book of the Year Award, Honorable Mention
• Joint winner, Independent Publisher Book Award, Gold
• Joint winner, National Parenting Publications Award
• Joint winner, 100 Best Canadian Kids’ Books, Today’s Parent Magazine
• Winner, TD Children’s Literature Award
• Joint winner, White Ravens Collection, International Youth Library, Munich
• Runner-up, Nautilus Award, Silver
• Joint winner, Storytelling World Honor Book
• Joint winner, Next Generation Indie Book Award
• Joint winner, Best Book List, Kirkus Reviews

“This captivating tale is a beautiful balance between a simple but powerful text and illustrations that are full of vitality and rhythm.”

CM Reviews, 10/13

“Find that book and open to page one. Sigh. Swoon. Hooked.”

Nerdy Book Club, 01/18/14

“In a world of sounds that aren’t always as pleasant as a Stradivarius, Stinson and Petricic remind readers young (and especially old) to stop and listen to the arpeggios.”

Publishers Weekly, 07/29/13

“This is a lyrical explanation of the value of the arts in the human experience.”

Library Media Connection, 03/14

“A rich springboard for creative learning across the curriculum . . . a must for any classroom or school library.”

Professionally Speaking, 06/14

“The author and illustrator bring music to life in this touching book that reminds us of the curious nature of children, and their ability to notice things that adults ignore.”

The Deakin Review of Children’s Literature, 02/14

“I want to read it over and over again . . . I want it to get attention, lots of attention, because that’s what it deserves.”

Reading and Sharing, 10/13

“The art work is stunning; sophisticated, yet sensible enough to appeal to children.”

Mike Lewis, Reading Specialist, District of Columbia, 09/29/13

“A wonderful tale about the importance of music in one’s life relayed in a simple, entertaining manner.”

Resource Links, 12/13

“The story is simple, but the language has its own musicality . . . gorgeous illustrations . . . are as light and lucid as they are satirical.”

Booklist, 11/15/13

“A fine reminder of the old adage to stop and smell the roses.”

School Library Journal, 10/13

“Imaginatively illustrated and beautifully written, this offbeat ode to the power of music is a winner.”

Kirkus Reviews, *starred review, 08/03/13

“The art bursts forth, creating a stunning visual expression of Stinson’s text.”

Quill & Quire, *starred review, 11/13

“This is a lyrical explanation of the value of the arts in the human experience.”

Library Media Connection, 03/14

“The art bursts forth, creating a stunning visual expression of Stinson’s text.”

Quill & Quire, *starred review, 11/13

“A brilliant portrayal of the sensitivities of children and the sad loss of that wonder by most adults.”

CanLit for Little Canadians, 09/05/13

“Stinson’s melodious descriptions and Petricic’s colourful swirls seem to envelop the reader, captivating them just like the music captivates Dylan.”

National Reading Campaign, Readerly, 01/28/14