Published by Hyperion Books for Children

Summary:  “Because a man named Ludwig wrote beautiful music–a man named Franz was inspired to create his own.”  And that music inspired people to form an orchestra. And individuals worked hard to get into the orchestra.  When a man with a ticket to hear the orchestra got sick, his wife invited their niece to go to the concert instead.  That performance got her so excited about music that she grew up to be a conductor, and eventually, a composer. She named her first symphony “The Cold”, and the last page shows the music wrapping around another child…”And that night, someone else was changed.  That is how it happens.” 40 pages; ages 4-10.

Pros:  A cute story with an interesting message about cause and effect and how we all make a difference in the lives of others.  I loved debut illustrator Amber Ren’s pictures, and hope she will be illustrating more picture books in the near future.

Cons:  Willems’ legion of fans may be disappointed in this story, which is quite different from his usual wildly goofy fare.

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