Violin & cello

A girl and a boy live in apartments with balconies side by side. The boy stands in his apartment, playing his violin, while the girl sits in her apartment, playing her cello. Even when they're on the balconies, they cannot see each other. Each hears the other practicing, but they have never met. One day, the violinist folds a page of music called "The Mystery Friends" into paper airplane and sends it flying to the balcony next door. The cellist opens the secret message, marked allegro. Soon she sends a similar page of music, marked adagio, back to him. Each practices independently, but soon they stand on their balconies, performing "The Mystery Friends" for their neighbors. The simple story is written in short sentences, surrounded by a profusion of details within colorful, energetic illustrations. On the copyright page, interested musicians will find information on how to access the score of Lau's "The Mystery Friends." The charm of this picture book lies in the joy that the children give and receive when they play music together.

Friendship makes for beautiful music. In a tall apartment building in an urban setting, a tan-skinned, black-haired boy plays a violin in an apartment next to a light-skinned, brown-haired girl who plays the cello. Although the two families don't seem to interact, there's a bit of a "Pyramus and Thisbe" vibe as the two are kept apart by a wall that separates their apartment balconies. It's unclear why the two music-loving families don't interact, but they remain separated until the violinist sends a message on a paper airplane made of sheet music to the balcony next door. The duo communicate this way until they eventually emerge on their respective balconies to play a concert for their diverse neighbors. After the concert, the pair finally meet in person, share a meal, and begin to play together. The story borders on twee, and musical readers may wonder why the two don't practice together to encourage and learn from each other. Concerts, like friendships, don't easily form when people remain separated, and the plot holes detract from the message that…wait, what is the message? That part is never really clear. The characters aren't depicted as masked when shown outside their homes, so the separation doesn't seem to be pandemic related. Young performers may enjoy the short duet composed by Alexander Lau that accompanies the book, but this is a small joy in an otherwise confusing story. (This book was reviewed digitally.) This book needed a few more rehearsals. (Picture book. 5-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A girl and a boy live in apartments with balconies side by side. The boy stands in his apartment, playing his violin, while the girl sits in her apartment, playing her cello. Even when they're on the balconies, they cannot see each other. Each hears the other practicing, but they have never met. One day, the violinist folds a page of music called "The Mystery Friends" into paper airplane and sends it flying to the balcony next door. The cellist opens the secret message, marked allegro. Soon she sends a similar page of music, marked adagio, back to him. Each practices independently, but soon they stand on their balconies, performing "The Mystery Friends" for their neighbors. The simple story is written in short sentences, surrounded by a profusion of details within colorful, energetic illustrations. On the copyright page, interested musicians will find information on how to access the score of Lau's "The Mystery Friends." The charm of this picture book lies in the joy that the children give and receive when they play music together. Preschool-Grade 3. Copyright 2022 Booklist Reviews.