The Violin Family
Children’s Book by Melissa Perley & Fiona Lee MacLean
Come meet The Violin Family. There is Basil-Bass, Celia-Violoncello, “Bizzy”- Viola and Val and Violet-Violins.
This is an introduction to the family of stringed instruments, offering a delightful pairing of fact and fiction. In meeting The Violin Family, readers have the opportunity to learn about the anatomy as well as the personality of each of the strings.
While the family is playing music, Violet falls and has to visit the luthier to be repaired. Will her sound come back so that her family can continue to play together as a quintet?
This children’s book explores the power and value of both music and family. The book is authored by Melissa Perley, with illustrations by Fiona Lee MacLean and is available by Rootstock Publishing.
The Violin Family Plays New Music
2025 Follow up by Melissa Perley & Tim Knickerbocker
The Violin family plays new music and makes new friends in this second children’s picture book by award-winning author and teaching cellist Melissa Perley.
On a cold, snowy day, Celia Violoncello meets her neighbor, Clarence Clarinet, a woodwind who looks and sounds different from anyone in her string family. They spend a wonderful afternoon making new music together. When Celia tells her family about her new friend, it’s clear they don’t approve. Clarence is a different shape and color, and he doesn’t even have strings—how can he make beautiful music?
But when Celia’s family overhears them making joyful new sounds as their strings and reeds harmonize, the Violin family welcomes Clarence to play with them and even share in their favorite meal—pancakes and hot cocoa!
Perley once again shows young readers the power of music to bring people together in this picture book about a friendship that harmonizes instruments from different families.
The Violin Family has been named a winner in the Children’s Category of the 2021 Inde Reader Discovery Awards!
Find out how Melissa got started on this book project in her blog:
Melissa Perley
About the Author
Melissa Perley is a performing and teaching cellist. She lives in VT with her luthier husband, Paul and family. Together Paul and Melissa own Paul Perley Cellos, a stringed instrument business.
What People Are Saying…
“In this unique and charming story by first time author Melissa Perley, The Violin Family celebrates the voices and musical personalities that make up a string quintet. Educational and entertaining this delightful children’s book is soon to become a favorite of musicians and readers young and old. Fiona Lee MacLean brings the personality of each instrument family member to life with her sweet and colorful illustrations as the scenes of the story unfold.”
“The Violin Family” is a delightful, warm-hearted book that introduces young and not-so young readers to the violin family of string instruments. Author Melissa Perley, through clever and endearing storytelling, reveals each member of the violin family’s unique personality and role in classical music as well as in popular genres. Fiona Lee MacLean lovingly illustrates the story in playful colors and cheerful detail.”
“While reading The Violin Family my inner child wanted to do nothing more than be adopted into their happy family quintet and make music forever.”