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The Fiddler of the Northern Lights
Young Henry always listens carefully to all his grandfather's tales about the northern wood, stories that everyone else tells him are untrue, until one evening, Henry and his grandfather set out in search of the fiddler and become witness to something truly magical.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1996
87 people want to read
About the author
Natalie Kinsey-Warnock
26 books34 followersMy sister, three brothers, and I grew up on a Vermont dairy farm in a region known as the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, USA, where my Scottish ancestors settled almost two hundred years ago.
Our lives revolved around our church, our community, and the hard work of farming. Along with milking and feeding the animals each morning and evening, there was the work of each season: maple sugaring, plowing, picking stone, planting, haying, corn-cutting, harvest, cutting wood.
While my parents lives were consumed by farming and providing for their children, they managed to pass on much more to us. My mother, a teacher, instilled in us a love of books and reading, and a curiosity about everything, while my father, besides being an excellent athlete, has also encouraged our interest in the natural world, whether it was identifying birds, trees and wildflowers, or pointing out constellations on a starry night.
My book As Long As There Are Mountains is based on my childhood and my love of the farm, the land, and the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.
Our lives revolved around our church, our community, and the hard work of farming. Along with milking and feeding the animals each morning and evening, there was the work of each season: maple sugaring, plowing, picking stone, planting, haying, corn-cutting, harvest, cutting wood.
While my parents lives were consumed by farming and providing for their children, they managed to pass on much more to us. My mother, a teacher, instilled in us a love of books and reading, and a curiosity about everything, while my father, besides being an excellent athlete, has also encouraged our interest in the natural world, whether it was identifying birds, trees and wildflowers, or pointing out constellations on a starry night.
My book As Long As There Are Mountains is based on my childhood and my love of the farm, the land, and the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 28, 2022
A grandfather tells his grandson folk stories about dancing rabbits and a fiddler who can make the northern lights dance. No one in the family believes these tales except the little grandson.
One night the grandfather and grandson go out skating on the frozen river to see if they can find the fiddler.
Ages: 4 - 10
Cleanliness: mentions magic. There is a scene with people dancing.
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One night the grandfather and grandson go out skating on the frozen river to see if they can find the fiddler.
Ages: 4 - 10
Cleanliness: mentions magic. There is a scene with people dancing.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
December 19, 2009
The book is okay but the pictures are beautiful.
May 9, 2022
This story blends the realities of rural life between Montreal and Quebec City with the wonder of the Northern Lights, an area’s mythology, and a child’s and elderly grandfather’s interpretations of these. Bowman’s illustrations sharpen the sense of light in the story and the interactions between the characters.
February 2, 2023
Read this again to the kids this morning and Jed has declared this to be his second favorite book ever (after Wind Wild Dog). Beautiful, magical, whimsical, and I love the illustrations. Books that trigger imagination in my kids will forever and always be my favorite.
December 4, 2017
Lovely story. Gorgeous illustrations!
June 11, 2019
Beautiful illustrations and a sweet, old-fashioned story. I loved it!
March 25, 2008
This is another book I bought on sight. Over and over it inspires me. Leslie Bowman's illustrations are beautifully rendered watercolors, just begging you to create your own. Even if I hadn't liked the magical tale - which I did — I'm delighted every time I open the cover. It's a wonderful escape.
April 7, 2008
What a beautiful folktale about the northern lights! If only we could keep the magic of our childhood...and a fiddler could show up at our door.
August 29, 2013
It would be nice if more of "magic" was still in our world. I really liked the concept of the lights "dancing" to the music.
April 30, 2015
AD550L
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews