Review of “Thomas and the Magic Violin” by Dr. Tuula Pere

​Score: 94/100 (9.4 out of 10)

Sometimes, all a person needs is for someone to recognize their potential and give them the opportunity to rise to it. Thomas does not simply receive a violin, he receives proof that his hard work, talent, and future have been seen. That recognition transforms his frustration into confidence and his potential into possibility.

In a lot of ways, author Tuula Pere once again exemplifies the ideals of the Outstanding Creator Awards. At our core, we believe that talented people can accomplish extraordinary things when someone takes the time to notice them, encourage them, and give them an opportunity.

Thomas and the Magic Violin expresses that same belief through a gentle and deeply moving story about a young musician whose persistence is finally recognized by someone he greatly admires.

Thomas loves playing the violin, but preparing for his music school’s spring concert pushes his patience and confidence to their limits. He's riddled with self-doubt and apprehension. He doesn't think he's very good or very talented. He definitely doesn't feel ready for his performance in a few weeks.

While his friends enjoy the warm weather and invite him to play basketball, Thomas remains inside, rehearsing a difficult composition again and again. One troublesome section refuses to cooperate, leaving him exhausted, embarrassed, and increasingly angry with himself and his instrument.

Across the courtyard lives an elderly master violinist whose playing Thomas admires. One day, the older man hears Thomas struggling and begins playing the difficult passage from his balcony. Thomas listens, joins him, and the two violins seem to speak to each other across the courtyard. Their unexpected duet gives Thomas the confidence and understanding he needs. He later performs beautifully at the concert.

Thomas hopes to thank the master, but the music from the opposite balcony suddenly stops. He eventually learns that the old violinist has died. Months later, the man’s daughter, Aino, visits Thomas and reveals that her father had followed his development for years. Even while sick, he listened to Thomas practice and believed the boy would become a great musician. She gives Thomas her father’s treasured violin. Thomas plays the composition they once shared, sending the music across the courtyard and toward the sky, certain that his mentor is still listening.

Pere once again demonstrated things we love to see at the Outstanding Creator Awards: she tells the story of someone who is seen and heard despite not realizing he is seen or heard. Early on, he felt that his song fell on deaf ears. He felt unworthy.

And, as tales like these tend to go, that was all flipped on its head. Not only was he heard, but he was heard by a local legend. Not only was his music valued, but it was valued like a most-cherished memory by a sick and dying man.

This is a beautiful, tender, and surprisingly emotional children’s book. It begins as a familiar story about practice and perseverance, but gradually becomes something deeper: a story about mentorship, grief, artistic connection, and the ways one generation can inspire the next.

One of the strongest ideas is that Thomas and the old man barely know each other personally, yet they communicate meaningfully through music. Their violins “talk,” allowing encouragement, instruction, gratitude, and eventually farewell to pass between them without many spoken words. That gives the story an almost magical feeling without requiring literal spells or fantasy. The violin is “magic” because of the emotion, history, and human connection carried within it.

Thomas is also a believable child. He is committed, but he becomes tired, insecure, impatient, and angry. His frustration with the difficult passage feels honest. Importantly, the book does not suggest that talent appears effortlessly. Thomas improves because he practices relentlessly, listens carefully, accepts guidance, and continues after failure. The master helps unlock his confidence, but Thomas has already done the hard work.

The ending is exceptionally moving. The revelation that the elderly musician listened from his sickbed adds new meaning to Thomas’s daily practicing. Thomas believed he was receiving encouragement from the master, but his music was also comforting the older man during his final days. The gift of the violin therefore feels earned rather than merely fortunate. It becomes both an inheritance and a responsibility: Thomas is being trusted to continue the music.

Sofia Panchyshyn’s illustrations complement the story wonderfully. The soft watercolor-like artwork, flower-covered balconies, warm pastel shades, and musical notes flowing through the air give the book a gentle, dreamlike atmosphere. The visual ribbon of music rising into the sky near the ending is particularly effective. It turns Thomas’s tribute into something readers can almost see and feel.

Check it out on Amazon!