Mr Horton’s Violin

A magical story of Mr Horton, a violin maker who finds a music tree, whose leaves tinkle a melody in the breeze and whose trunk resonates when struck.  Mr Horton makes from it the world’s finest violin, one of a kind. Now he must find the right person to play it. There are many candidates, a former child music prodigy now business man assumes the violin is rightfully his as does the richest man in town and a royal prince. But Mr Horton refuses to give the violin to any of them, none seeming to him to be the right person. Eventually, after being captured by thieves, Mr Horton meets a young boy who is able to play simple lullabies which speak to the heart sending the thieves scurrying home to be with their mothers. Mr Horton has finally found the rightful owner of his special violin.

This is a well told story based on the clever idea of a music tree by Taiwanese writer Wenhua Wang. The illustrations and book design complement the text. A fable set in an ‘olden time’ with a clear underlying theme; being wealthy and privileged does not always mean you get what you want.