A perfect gift for any young musician! Violin & Cello celebrates musical friends — with a bonus duet of ‘The Mystery Friends’ for young violinists and cellists to play now!
 
Children will love this heart-warming story about making music with friends. Violin & Cello follows two young musicians as they discover the secret to who is practising in the apartment next door! This picture book is perfect for young readers beginning to learn an instrument, particularly violin or cello, and for every parent or teacher helping them along the way.
 
Catherine Greer’s delightful story of musical friends and Joanna Bartel’s intricate, detailed illustrations explore the lives of two young musicians — a violinist and a cellist — who live with their families in a large city.
 
Award-winning Australian composer, Alexander Lau, has composed an original duet for violin and cello, ‘The Mystery Friends’. The score for the allegro and adagio movements of ‘The Mystery Friends’ are printed in the book. This beautiful composition is simple enough to be played by young cellists and violinists.
 
Readers of every age are sure to shout ‘Encore!’ when they experience this joyful celebration of friendship and classical music.

Catherine Greer, BA Hons, MA, is an author of fiction and non-fiction, a copywriter and an age positive advocate at the lifestyle blog LoveOurAge.com. Catherine’s books include The 10 Minute Fix (2020), Love Lie Repeat (2019), and the award-winning Choosing Happiness (2006), in collaboration with Dr. S Dowrick. Catherine lives with her husband and two young adult sons in Sydney. Violin and Cello is her second collaboration with musician and co-author, Alexander Lau. The two first worked together on Catherine’s growth mindset picture book, Jacaranda Snow (2018).

Alexander Lau is an emerging contemporary classical composer. He studied composition for six years under Dr Nicholas Vines. Having played violin for 15 years, Alex often writes chamber music for strings. He is also a member of the Seraphim String Trio, established in 2015. Alex's compositional style is diverse and often changes. Most recently, his works have been influenced by Jazz and American minimalism. Alex is also the composer of ‘Jacaranda Snow’, a piano quartet for the growth mindset picture book, Jacaranda Snow. Alex lives with his family in Sydney and currently studies at The University of NSW.

Joanna Bartel is a designer and illustrator. Previously, she has been a graphic designer for a boutique fashion label, a senior art and design teacher and an English teacher in Melbourne and Brisbane, and a copywriter and graphic designer in marketing. Now she brings her experience in Arts education, design, teaching and creative marketing to her illustration work! Joanna particularly loves character design and creating imaginative and playful images to engage children and enhance imaginative learning. While growing up, Joanna loved books, reading to her younger brothers, and writing and illustrating her own stories. Art, Design and English were always her favourite subjects at school and these interests guided her university studies and pursuit of varied roles in the creative industries. Joanna moved to Brisbane with her husband for his work in 2013 and, since becoming a mother to two small children, is now balancing family life with her other great loves of drawing and writing.