CCBC Booklists

CCBC Review:

As a young child, Yo-Yo Ma lived with his musical family in Paris. Unlike his sister and father, he did not want to play violin. He wanted a bigger instrument, so at age four he got a cello. He flourished under the tutelage of Paris’s best cello teacher. Able to play an entire Bach cello suite from memory, his incredible musical talent was apparent early. At age seven, his family moved to New York City, where he performed with his sister on television and for the President. At the time, though he was a well-trained musician, it took and additional practice before Yo-Yo was able to play the cello with true feeling and from his heart. As he became a teenager, he worked to determine who he was outside of the expectations placed on him; eventually, he made the decision to go to college not for music but for anthropology. His interest in people and cultures inspired him to journey around the world learning about musical traditions, and to make music with people who were strangers. In this way, Yo-Yo Ma became his own best self and the world’s best cello player. The fresh tone of this inspiring text was written by cellist James Howe (of Bunnicula fame) and illustrated with intimate beauty by Jack Wong. ©2026 Cooperative Children’s Book Center

Illustrated by Jack Wong

CCBC Age Recommendation: 7-10
Age Range: PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7) Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Formats: Biography, Autobiography and Memoir Picture book
Subjects: Chinese and Chinese Americans Curiosity Identity Music and Musicians Self-Esteem and Self-Worth
Diversity subject: Asian
On CCBC Booklist: Asian in America: Selected Books for PreK-Grade 12 to Support Hmong and Asian American Studies in Wisconsin 

Publisher: Abrams
Publish Year: 2025
Pages: 48
ISBN: 9781419755217
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 787 Howe

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