The Heart Of The Wood [Hardcover]

Marguerite W. Davol (Author), Sheila Hamanaka (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

Bold paintings on bark paper depicting characters from different cultures and a rhythmic verse follow the transformation of a tall tree in the forest into a singing fiddle at a picnic dance, showing that the power of the song still comes from the heart of the wood.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Davol sheds some gentle light on the interconnected worlds of art and nature in her first picture book. In a cumulative poem fashioned after "The House That Jack Built," she relates how a fiddle that plays beautiful music is eventually formed from a sycamore tree that grows in the Winderly Woods. The melodious text with a sing-song rhythm could well be a jumping off point for numerous discussions of such touched-upon topics as ecology, craftsmanship and art appreciation. Readers may want to know more about why the mockingbird was displaced from her home, or about the woodcutter and woodcarver's work. Hamanaka's ( The Journey ; The Terrible Eek ) rich, double-page oil paintings deftly capture the Winderly Woods in the peak of their autumnal splendor. Sunlight filtering through the leaves and later through the woodcarver's window infuses the scenes with a warm glow. A spread depicting a joyous outdoor crowd of dancing couples moving to the fiddle's tune is particularly heart-lifting. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-- A cumulative, rhyming tale that describes the process by which a living tree is transformed into a musical instrument. Hamanaka's paintings are powerful and effective, magically conveying the song of a mockingbird or of a fiddle in the pattern of sunlight glancing through the leaves or dancers whirling on the grass. Davol's text, unfortunately, is not as successful. While the individual rhymed stanzas describe the action clearly and generally flow well, the repetition becomes tiresome, tempting readers to skip the familiar, oft-repeated lines. Many will be willing to do just that in order to admire Hamanaka's rich, vivid paintings. She includes people of various ethnicities, providing a glimpse of a matter-of-factly multicultural world in which both natural beauty and the appeal of the arts are recognized and celebrated. The sophistication of Davol's concept and the spare verse make the book more appealing to adults than to children. While introducing it to the right audience may present a challenge, don't pass it over without a close inspection: you may well find yourself captivated by Hamanaka's evocative interpretation of Davol's quietly expressive text. --Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (September 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671747789
• ISBN-13: 978-0671747787
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,476,692 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Heart of the Wood, December 9, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Heart Of The Wood (Hardcover)

I love both the illustrations and the story! It depicts the joy of folk music and shows where wooden instruments come from. No child should grow up without this book!

2.0 out of 5 stars IS IT OVER YET?, August 10, 2011

By 

MommaMia - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Heart Of The Wood (Hardcover)

Sadly, I was disappointed in this book, probably for the same reason many people enjoyed it. I disliked the repetitive language, the lines added to and said over and over and over, and building up and building up, page after page. I just PRAYED for it to change or end...but instead, I found myself reading outloud, faster and faster...and the only thing that my daughter found amusing about this book was that I was reading so quickly that she found it silly. She enjoyed my frustration!
I think that's about all she DID enjoy.

Not to mention that I found the death of the tree, treated in such a nonchalant manner...to be so sad. This gorgeous, towering tree's death was treated as a celebration...when all I could think of was the poor bird who lost his perch in the beautiful forest, and the beautiful tree who gave up its life to satisfy our selfish needs. Ok, I'm a tree hugger. I'm sorry. I just didn't like this book.