Playing at the Border

July 5, 2021
Employing the refrain “feet planted on the soil of one nation,/ eyes gazing at the shores of another,” Ho pens a time-travelling free verse profile of Parisian-born, Chinese American cellist Yo-Yo Ma, former child prodigy and current philanthropist, multi–Grammy Award winner, and a 2011 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Using Ma’s Bach Project as framework—specifically 2019 performances along the U.S.-Mexico border opposing anti-immigrant rhetoric—Ho surveys Ma’s background and accolades, as well as the multicultural origins of his cello: “Pieces united in one instrument,/ one language.” Digital art by Martinez has a softly rounded, approachable feel, depicting emotion-filled people of differing abilities, religions, sizes, and skin tones in a mellow palette. An ambitious portrait of a storied humanitarian with a clear message of advocacy. Back matter features more information on the figure and his music, and an author’s note. Ages 4–8.

August 15, 2021
Yo-Yo Ma performed Bach's cello suites at the U.S.-Mexico border in Laredo, Texas, in 2019. Through poetic and reverent language, Ho uses this performance as a keyhole to introduce readers to Ma's impressive career, with a focus on how he "challenges convention and weaves worlds together" through music. Extensive backmatter gives informative context for such global initiatives, such as the Silk Road Ensemble, which has brought together strangers from different cultures to play music, and the Bach Project, which the titular concert was part of. Ho extends the theme of global unity when she describes Petunia, his beloved cello, which embodies materials from Italy, Brazil, Mongolia, India, and West Africa. Martinez's gentle illustrations match Ho's inspired tone with sweeping, soft strokes in welcoming, warm tones. A visual throughline of music notes appears on almost every page, conveying the magic that music, even while unseen, can be felt by all. The wraparound cover illustration and final double-page spread both depict lines of adults and children of various ages and racial presentations holding hands across the border, beautifully underscoring the book's theme of unity through music. Elementary school teachers and parents of school-age children searching for examples of people connecting across borders and differences will delight in this sweet introduction--an excellent companion to Mitali Perkins and Sara Palacios' Between Us and Abuela (2019). (This book was reviewed digitally.) Hopeful and lovely. (resources, author's note) (Informational picture book. 5-8)

COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 1, 2021
Grades 1-3 "Yo-Yo Ma uses art to push boundaries," explains the detailed notes on the famous cellist's life that close this stirring yet gentle book. The main text tells of when Ma transcended a boundary, however, playing at the U.S.-Mexico border as part of a day of action on April 13, 2019. "Feet planted on the soil of one nation, facing the shores of another"--a phrase repeated several times here--Ma played a solo from Bach's cello concertos. These pieces of music were only rediscovered in recent decades, a tale that's also told in the text and notes by Ho (Eyes That Kiss in the Corners, 2021), alongside details of Ma's life and groundbreaking, award-winning performances. Martinez' full-spread watercolors on each spread start with close-up and bird's-eye-views of Ma playing at the Rio Grande and his audience looking on, followed by other dreamy, musical-note-filled creations depicting moments in the musician's life and craft. Introspective children will enjoy this quiet work, and everyone can benefit from Ho's message of music bringing calm and peace to the world.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2021
"Feet planted on the soil of one nation, eyes gazing at the shores of another," runs the refrain of this book, which uses one incident from cellist Yo-Yo Ma's career to introduce a consideration of his life as a whole. In April 2019, as part of the Bach Project, Ma performed Bach's cello suites on the banks of the Rio Grande -- the border between the United States and Mexico -- in order to build a metaphorical bridge between the "two countries that used to be one." Born in Paris to Chinese parents and raised in the United States, Ma has always been a barrier-breaker. He plays music composed in different places and from different times, with a cello made of parts from "lands of many languages." Ho's (Eyes That Kiss in the Corners) lyrical text and Martinez's lush and sweeping digital illustrations reflect Ma's ease with finding "home at the intersections of cultures, where traditions are kept alive and new ideas are born." All illustrations, including the cover and the endpapers, are double-page spreads. They break the borders between pages (i.e., the gutter) and act as visual representations of how music -- and all forms of art -- can cross borders and bring people together. By examining the life of Ma, whose story resonates with courage, persistence, and unity, Ho inspires readers to break barriers of their own. A more detailed explanation of Ma's performance at the border and its significance is given in the back matter, which also includes additional information about Ma, his cello, and the Bach Project; a brief bibliography; and an author's note.

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from September 1, 2021
"Feet planted on the soil of one nation, eyes gazing at the shores of another," runs the refrain of this book, which uses one incident from cellist Yo-Yo Ma's career to introduce a consideration of his life as a whole. In April 2019, as part of the Bach Project, Ma performed Bach's cello suites on the banks of the Rio Grande -- the border between the United States and Mexico -- in order to build a metaphorical bridge between the "two countries that used to be one." Born in Paris to Chinese parents and raised in the United States, Ma has always been a barrier-breaker. He plays music composed in different places and from different times, with a cello made of parts from "lands of many languages." Ho's (Eyes That Kiss in the Corners) lyrical text and Martinez's lush and sweeping digital illustrations reflect Ma's ease with finding "home at the intersections of cultures, where traditions are kept alive and new ideas are born." All illustrations, including the cover and the endpapers, are double-page spreads. They break the borders between pages (i.e., the gutter) and act as visual representations of how music -- and all forms of art -- can cross borders and bring people together. By examining the life of Ma, whose story resonates with courage, persistence, and unity, Ho inspires readers to break barriers of their own. A more detailed explanation of Ma's performance at the border and its significance is given in the back matter, which also includes additional information about Ma, his cello, and the Bach Project; a brief bibliography; and an author's note. Weileen Wang

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)