During World War II, composer Olivier Messiaen was a soldier in the French army when he was captured by the Germans and held as a prisoner of war. When he learned of Olivier’s occupation, the young German officer in charge of the camp gave him permission to work on his music, eventually providing him with a broken-down piano. Three other prisoners were also musicians, and when Olivier completed the composition on which he had been working the four of them performed it for 5,000 fellow prisoners on January 15, 1941. Jen Bryant’s eloquent picture book account of the events surrounding the composition and debut performance of Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time is set against Wisconsin artist Beth Peck’s lyrical charcoal and pastel illustrations that beautifully balance somber tones of prison life with soaring scenes in which the music is symbolized by sweeping swaths of warm yellow and the freedom of birds in flight. (Ages 6–9)

""Eee -- oh -- lay! Eee -- oh -- lay!"
Such a wild and beautiful sound,
Olivier thought.
His eyes followed the bird as it turned
toward the woods, floated over the treetops,
and, at last, disappeared."

Detained in a German prison camp, Olivier misses his family, his friends, and his home -- but most of all he misses music. A chance encounter with a nightingale and a German officer, however, provides Olivier with a small miracle -- the opportunity to write music again.

Jen Bryant's poetic biography of French composer Olivier Messiaen, coupled with Beth Peck's evocative pastel illustrations, captures both the desolation of a World War II prison camp and the transforming power of music. This book will stir readers of all ages to seek hope in the things that inspire them.