The Singing Hill

by Meindert De Jong, Maurice Sendak (Illustrator)

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Genres: Childrens, Fiction

180 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

Meindert De Jong was an award-winning author of children's books. He was born in the village of Wierum, of the province of Friesland, in the Netherlands.

De Jong immigrated to the United States with his family in 1914. He attended Dutch Calvinist secondary schools and Calvin College, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and entered the University of Chicago, but left without graduating.

He held various jobs during the Great Depression, and it was at the suggestion of a local librarian that he began writing children's books. His first book The Big Goose and the Little White Duck was published in 1938.

He wrote several more books before joining the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, serving in China. After the war he resumed writing, and for several years resided in Mexico. He returned for a time to Michigan. After settling in North Carolina, he returned to Michigan for the final years of his life.

Reviews

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

a sweet story about a little boy who secretly befriends an old when his family moves to an old farmhouse in the middle of vast cornfields. A nice one for second or third graders.

[Josie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming children's chapter book, with the quaint reminder of what life was like when kids were given a stick and sent out to play, versus handed a computer.

[Alfonso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tenía una deuda pendiente. Este es el primer libro que me regalaron. Fue en 1983, hace nada menos que 40 años. Me lo regalaron unas amigas de la infancia por mi octavo cumpleaños. El libro ha sobrevivido conmigo durante este tiempo. Me acuerdo de intentar leerlo varias veces siendo niño pero nunca conseguí acabarlo. Que haya sobrevivido conmigo tanto tiempo era una señal para que, al menos le hiciese justicia leyéndolo.
El libro es una historia infantil. Burn escrita y de fácil lectura. Aunque al principio cuesta meterse en la historia ( el libro está, lógicamente, adaptado a la mente de un lector infantil) la historia hacia el final gana en intensidad, y se lee con interés. Una historia sobre como un niño va descubriendo la naturaleza y el mundo del campo y consigue hacerse con la a.istad de un viejo caballo. Muy recomendable para cualquier niño o niña que, en estos tiempos de tablets, móviles y consolas, quieren ver otra realidad más cercana como lo es la naturaleza y el cariño por los animales

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is told from the viewpoint of 5-year-old Raymond (AKA Ray, who doesn’t like to be called Raimie, except by his mother). This is such a sweet story and I think the author captured well the mindset of a 5-year-old boy. It was written in 1962 when you could have an uncomplicated and intact family who goes to church and who have just moved out into the country. Ray has a wonderful relationship with his Dad, and when they have a little adventure on their way to church without the rest of the family, his Dad tells Ray lightheartedly that they shouldn’t tell anyone. Ray discovers a horse but doesn’t dare tell anyone. His two older siblings, Martin and Shirley, would not like it if they knew he had found the same horse that they’d been feeding and riding in the little fenced area on the hilltop. His mother was afraid of mice - she surely wouldn’t let him ride the horse. As Ray and his mother look out the attic window on a glorious fall day, she tells him how beautiful it is, and quotes from the Bible “The little hills rejoice on every side. The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys are covered over with corn; They shout for joy, they also sing.” Ray is enamored with the idea of little hills that sing. Toward the end of the book, Ray’s secrets are becoming too difficult to bear and when he fears the horse will not survive a nasty and cold rainstorm, Ray decides to take action, even though he knows he’ll be punished for it.

The only “sour” note for me was that his two older siblings are quite unkind to him at times and exclude him from everything. I know that happens in sibling relationships, but I would have liked to have seen some affection from Martin and Shirley for their little brother.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a winner in 1962 when I was a Senior in High School. The author was aDutch immigrant who migrated to Grand Rapids, Michigan and wrote at least 20 books . He was awarded the Newberry and The Hans Christian Andersen Awards so I decided to read it. A very simple story about a young boy who moves out to the country to live with parents and 2 older siblings. It is a pristine clean book so many Conservative parents would now approve this book but I found it a little boring and I think that I would have found it boring even in grade school but I am glad that I did read it.

[André · Rating 1 out of 5]

Não sei se o original poderá mudar a minha opinião, mas com esta tradução, a história tem algo em falta. Talvez por ter sido traduzido ainda durante a ditadura, (quem sabe o que não poderá ter sido removido ou alterado) , não tenha o mesmo efeito que outros livros para crianças.

[Pepi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mi madre le encantaba, me hizo leerlo y para mi ni fu ni fa, no era mal libro pero no es el mejor

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a delight! Highly recommend as a read aloud.

[Bindu Pamulapati]

A really good book.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another charming read from DeJong, appropriate read-aloud for 6-10, read-alone for 8-12.