When Uncle Took the Fiddle

When the entire family declares they are exhausted, Uncle reaches for the fiddle, and before you know it, Grandpa's feet are stomping, grandma's hands are clapping, and everyone finds good cheer.

Gray (My Mama Had a Dancing Heart) hits all the right notes with this toe-tapping tale. When family members settle down to relax at the end of a long day, they all feel the same way: "Tired." But as soon as Uncle reaches for his fiddle the mood changes. As Uncle plays ("Zee zee/ Saw saw/ Ziggle, ziggle, zang"), Grandma, Grandpa, Mama and others grab their own instruments (guitar, mouth harp, washboard, etc.) and join in the mountain-style jam session. Before long, "folks down in the hollow" make their way to the house for a dance-filled jamboree. Gray's text is equal parts raucous and cozy, conveying rhythm and sound through fun-to-say onomatopoeic words. The family's attitude adjustment in the face of homespun tunes lightly testifies to the positive effects of music. Bloom (Like Jake and Me) offers readers a down-home look at the sunny side of life in Appalachia. His pale colored-pencil compositions, often tinged with soft browns and pinks, are set on airy expanses of white, emphasizing the characters and their movements. The slightly scraggly countryside and the people, with their bright, elongated faces, their overalls and worn, lace-up boots, all suggest a setting ruled by a strong sense of camaraderie. Ages 4-7. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

PLB 0-531-33137-7 At night, everyone in the family from the father to the dog is tuckered out, but when Uncle starts to tune his fiddle, toes start tapping and hands begin clapping. The energy of music will fuel the imaginations of those who loved Gray's My Mama Had a Dancing Heart (1995). Exhilarating nonsense phrases reproduce the sounds of this bluegrass band: ``Pick-a-pluck-a-plum'' sings Miss Essie's banjo; ``Shu-sha-shu/Rick-a-rack-a-MEW!'' is the sound of square dancers gliding around the room, while a cat dodges among their feet. The music brings the whole valley to life as the neighbors join in, and by the time everyone leaves, the big full moon is peeking over the hill. Bloom's gentle illustrations conjure up the soft nights of early summer, the air scented with flowering trees and ringing with tunes. (Picture book. 4-7) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

PreSchool-Grade 2-A swinging hymn to life. Although a family is tired at the end of a long day, "Grandpa's feet began to tap./Grandma's hands began to clap./Brown Dog lifted floppy ears./Ziggle, ziggle, zang..." and the impromptu party is on. Neighbors are lured by the sounds: "The music floated out the door/to folks down in the hollow,/where Homer Jenkins started humming/as he headed up the hill." Soon, everyone, including the young narrator, is dancing. "Hand in hand,/we circled round/until the music/spindled down-/Zing-a-zingle zing." Bloom's soft colored-pencil drawings perfectly match the mountain setting and, like the folks they portray, teem with life. This book is as irresistible as Uncle's fiddle tunes, and begs to be read aloud.
Kathleen Whalin, Greenwich Country Day School, CT
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

A drowsy Appalachian family begins to nod off until Uncle picks up his fiddle and scratches out a tune. One by one, the family members awake and join in, adding such instruments as a mouth harp and spoons. Drawn by the music, neighbors arrive with more instruments, join the merriment, and begin to dance. Gradually things wind down, friends depart, and Uncle strokes the strings one last time. Elongated human figures bend and twist to the pace of the vigorous narrative. The dominant weathered grays, faded blues, and greens fit the humble country setting. Inside the small frame house, characters appear against the white of the page, but exterior pictures reveal a fully drawn background. When the music is in full swing, the onomatopoetic text makes this a fine but challenging read-aloud. Although very different in tone, palette, and setting, this rural cousin to Zin! Zin! Zin! a Violin (1995) will add bounce and zest to storytimes and music curricula. Linda Perkins