Wandering through the Ozarks and bringing joy to people with his music, Fiddlin' Sam seeks the right person to take up his fiddle and carry on the practice.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Dengler and Gerig, creators of The Worry Stone, team up for a poignant, ultimately uplifting tale of a wandering bard. Sam, a fiddler, travels contentedly from town to town, entertaining people with his music in exchange for bread and board. But he has another mission in life as well, as his father once told him, "This ain't a gift, Son. It's a loan. You gotta pass the music along." As the years pass and Sam grows older, he despairs of finding a worthy successor. Then one day a boy appears who can fill Sam's shoes and who takes the story full circle; the camera fades on a new fiddler walking the Ozark hills. Dengler depicts the cycle of the seasons, while creating a sense of timelessness, with poetic refrains ("He fiddled high, and he fiddled low. He fiddled fast, and he fiddled slow. His prancing bow kept the beat"). Gerig may dip her brush a bit too often in a sunrise palette of pinks and lavenders, but her realistic landscapes evoke the Ozark setting, and her sensitive portraits, particularly those of Sam, bring the fiddler as well as his heir apparent to life. Ages 5-8. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Grade 1-4-A lovely journey of balance and harmony from the creators of The Worry Stone (Rising Moon, 1996). For years on end, Fiddlin' Sam travels the back roads of the Ozarks, fiddling away the people's cares, their worries, and even the aching in their bones. However, one thought always hovers in his mind: he must find someone to whom he can pass along his gift of music. He roams for years, growing older and grayer, without ever meeting that someone. Then one day, a young boy joins him in the woods. Has Sam finally found The One? It is obvious that both the narrative and the illustrations were rendered by loving, nostalgic hands. The story glides along with a bittersweet rhythm and a gently repetitive structure. The simple, folksy prose is especially well suited to sharing aloud. The glowing watercolors are a mixture of sharply focused, hauntingly realistic anatomic details, such as the intricately patterned wrinkles on the old fiddler's face, and blurred, softened backgrounds, such as a blended yellow-pink-green sky. Despite the many visual details, the art is also perfect for group sharing. A fine-tuned, heartfelt tale that will strike a chord with young readers.
Denise E. Agosto, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Denise E. Agosto, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
rich textures,vibrant colors of all generations,
By A Customer
This review is from: Fiddlin' Sam (Hardcover)
Some people would call this a children's book. I say it's a messege in a bottle. In an age of instant messeges, retirement communities and all-day child care, how wonderful to know that Ms. Dengler is out there, gently reminding us that it is the care we take of each other that makes life valueable.People talk a lot about family values these days.But when we forget our heritages, our cultures, our ancestral stories, how can we say what is really precious?A child who learns a passed-on talent isthe wealthiest of us all.The illustrator is intuitive and bold. The author is smart and strong.This is a book to be read at family gatherings, so we all remember how precious our connections truly are.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A gentle story of sharing your special gift with others.,
By
This review is from: Fiddlin' Sam (Hardcover)
Rarely does an author/illustrator team have a hit right out of the box, and more difficult is to followup up a previous success with another. "Fiddlin Sam" is just that. Written and illustrated by the team that produced "The Worry Stone", this gently written and beautifully illustrated story is a delight for all ages. Once there was a fiddler named Sam who traveled the Ozarks from town to town sharing his music. People said he had a gift. Sam could fiddle away peoples worries, cares, and the aches in their bones. As he grew older, he searched for someone to pass his talent to, for he remembered his father's words, "This ain't a gift son. It's a loan. You gotta pass the music along." How a red-haired boy took up the fiddle and manages to complete Sam's quest results in a delightful tale of bringing happiness to others. The rich watercolor illustrations entice the reader with warm summer evenings, children chasing fireflies and playing "hide and seek," the camaraderie of mountain families and neighbors and the value of passing special gifts to another. "Fiddlin' Sam" is a reminder of the the beauty of the Ozarks and the values of a less hurried America.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Reader From Connecticut,
By A Customer
This review is from: Fiddlin' Sam (Hardcover)
I have a son named Sam so this book seemed an obvious choice. The cover art drew my attention and the art throughout the book is just beautiful throughout. My children have asked me to read it to them over and over again for both the story and the illustrations. The story combines elements of death, life, hope and duty in a form lacking any preachy style but rather a quiet humility. I strongly recommend it for any k- 3rd or forth graders.
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