The joy of music crescendos through When Rubin Plays by Gracey Zhang and may inspire the next violin virtuoso.

Rubin lives in a small town near a big forest. The orchestra in the town always stages a big concerto and Rubin longs to play. Maestro gives him a violin and he begins. Not confident in his ability, he slips away in the night to play in a small secluded place in the forest and is accompanied by a chorus of feral cats. On the day of the big concert, Rubin has a big surprise for the audience.

Playing an instrument is hard work. In When Rubin Plays, readers are reminded of the work that comes with playing an instrument, especially the violin. I love that Gracey Zhang give Rubin a safe space to learn and practice, away from the prying ears and eyes of the town and the other musicians so that he can begin to gain confidence in his playing. Although they laugh at first, the other musicians offer encouragement to Rubin which is such a beautiful thing to be reflected in the book. Teammates, whether in a orchestra or on a sports team, are there to offer encouragement and support so that was a nice element to add to the story.

Readers will laugh out loud when the cats storm the concert and offer up their own chorus of sound to accompany Rubin in his big moment. What a sight to see when hundreds of cats upend the audience!

While many young readers will not know the inspiration behind the story, I love Gracey Zhang’s author’s note which gives context for the story and offers information about classical and Baroque music, the kind that Rubin shares.

Don’t let the thickness of the book deter you. While the book does have more pages than a usual picture book, which seems to be a trend in publishing right now, each page has very few words and the publisher, Orchard Books, allows the illustrations tell the bulk of the story.

Gracey Zhang’s illustrations are stunning, filling the pages and inspiring the readers with colour and sound. Her illustrations feel tactile and invite readers into the forest with Rubin. One can almost smell the smells and hear the music while perusing the pages.