Music and Silence - Perfect Picture Book Friday #PPBF

2 minutes ago
4 min read

Weaving a wonderful thread of how the music of nature and certain compositions (Beethoven’s hymn of brotherhood, "Ode to Joy," the Catalan carol “El cant dels ocells”— “The Song of the Birds,” and "Six Suites for Cello Solo" by Johann Sebastian Bach) influenced both his development as a musician and the course in life, this wonderful biography explores the influence that Pau (Pablo) Casals had on the world through his music, generosity, and social protests.

Book cover - a man sitting and playing a cello as birds fly into the air as planes emerge from a dark cloud in the upper right.

Music and Silence: The Passion and Protest of Pablo Casals

Author: Christy Mihaly

Illustrator: Mariona Cabassa

Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers (April 21, 2026)

Ages: 7-12

Nonfiction Biography

Themes:

Music, resistance, hope, protest, and fight for peace.

Synopsis:

An inspiring picture book biography of a UN Peace Medal recipient who used his songs―and his silence―to fight fascism, oppression, and violence.

One day in Catalonia, Spain, eleven-year-old Pau Casals was captivated by the cello―setting him on a path toward international fame (as a cellist) and extraordinary courage (as an advocate for social justice).

Playing the cello would take Pau all over the world, performing in palaces, concert halls, even the White House. People called him Pablo Casals now, and he was famous and beloved. But when the events of Spanish Civil War and World War II left his homeland ruled by a dictator, Pablo made a dramatic decision: he would silence his music until Spain was free. Would the world ever hear his cello sing again?

Illustrated in vibrant, joyous color by Catalonian artist Mariona Cabassa, Music and Silence introduces children to a man who was not just a master of the cello, but a remarkable model of sacrifice and artistic protest. After the story, readers can learn more about Pablo Casals through creator notes, historical notes, a timeline, a bibliography, and links to performances and interviews.

Opening Lines:

Pablo Casals grew up surrounded by music. When he

was little, sparrows caroled outside his window, and his

neighbors sang old folk songs as they walked to work in

the fields. His mama sometimes took him to the seashore,

where he heard the ocean whisper and swish and crash

on the sand. Even before he could talk, he sang, echoing

the melodies around him. And wherever he went, his

whole long life, he carried with him this music, the music

of his childhood.

What I Loved about this book:

The first two spreads beautifully establish the influence of nature, especially birds and his father's connection to music, in the formative years of Pau Casals in a village in Catalonia, Spain. I love the vibrant colors and textures of Mariona Cabassa's mixed media (acrylic, gouache, watercolors, and pencils) and digital illustrations. You can almost hear the lapping waves and smell the salty breeze. And as a fellow bird love, I adore the way birds are woven throughout the entire book - including the one perched on Pau's head, enjoying his father's playing.

Internal spread - a mother and child walk along a ripple coastline, with seagulls soaring overhead in the breeze and fish swooping about in the shallows.

Internal spread - a boy holding a gourd string instrument, with a bird perched on his head, walks past a balcony with four other birds as he heads toward his father playing the piano - as golden sparkles of music swoop around the boy and out into the countryside.

When his heart was captured by music created by a cellist, he moved to Barcelona to study. There he bucked the formality of the traditional instruction and surprised his instructors by coaxing "beautiful sounds from wood and strings . . . [making] his cello sing." The discovery, and joyful mastery, of the almost forgotten cello works of Johann Sebastian Bach propelled Pablo onto the world-wide stage. The small aside of Pablo's experience with nerves and performance anxiety creates another connection to young (and old) readers before continuing with his biography. As a renowned cellist, "he played in palaces across Europe, concert halls in South America, the White House in Washington, D.C." It is so fascinating how Mariona Cabassa integrated at least one bird in almost every spread - following Pablo and his father on a stroll, in a concert hall, or combating fascists.

As Spain experienced shifts from democracy to fascism, Pablo performed across Europe to raise money and awareness for the Catalonia people and ultimately left Spain to support refugees who fled to Prades, Spain, even though the ensuing violence and dangers of WWII. When Spain remained under fascist rule that specifically targeted Catalonia, Pablo again crossed Europe protesting, petitioning, and pleading for people, ending every concert with the Catalan carol “El cant dels ocells”— “The Song of the Birds.” This is such a poignant representation of both the European enthusiasm of peace and music, especially the white dove, with an olive branch in its beak, leading the other birds and music sparkles across Europe and the dark, painful oppression which remained in Spain.

Internal image - a solid shape of Spain stands against a jouyously colorful Europe, with multicolored birds and sparkles of music soaring throughout the continent. A white dove with an olive branch in its beak flies off the left side.

Protesting the world's tacit acceptance of Franco as Spain's ruler, Pablo Casals refused to perform - "“No more. I don’t play anymore.” Although music was his life (and his income), he rejected all offers. The ending is both poignant and joyful, exploring the deep, moving, and life changing effect of music. With a beautiful, heart-warming call back to the image above. This picture book biography successfully encapsulates the joy and power of music within a weighty and important historical context in a way that is accessible to young readers. Notes from the author and illustrator, a timeline, additional information about Pablo Casals, "The Song of the Birds," Spain and additional resources (including interviews with, and performance by, Pablo Casals) expand the reader's experience. This is a very touching, poignant, and empowering picture book on the power of music and protest.

Resources:

listen to a Toronto Symphony Orchestra violinist and her children play "Chorus" and "Ode to Joy" on violins and a cello. Then follow them to make your own string instrument.

what is one (or more) favorite song or musical piece of yours? Why? How does it make you feel?
if you play an instrument, or you enjoy listening to a particular instrument, what about it appeals to you? Could you not play (or listen) to any music for months or years?

If you missed my interview with Christy Mihaly and Mariona Cabassa on Monday, find it (here).

This post is part of a series of blog posts by authors and KidLit bloggers called Perfect Picture Book Fridays. For more picture book suggestions and resources see Susanna Leonard Hill's Perfect Picture Books.