Fiddle-I-Fee

by Will Hillenbrand

The farmer and his wife are so intent on preparing for the birth of their baby, they don't notice that their animals are acting a little . . . unusual . During the day, the animals moo and quack and neigh as always. But at night, when the farmer and his wife sleep, the animals gather in the barn to work on a big surprise--a musical treat to welcome the new baby!
Will Hillenbrand brings to this traditional song the imaginative touch that made his Down by the Station a shining success. He has created a world filled with the magic of nighttime--and an exuberant celebration of the joy of a newborn. Sheet music for the song is featured with the text.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Music

40 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2002

About the author

Will Hillenbrand is an American children's book author and illustrator who has worked on over seventy books for young people. Raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, he was influenced by the stories he heard in his father's barbershop growing up. After taking a class in picture-book art while in art school, he decided to pursue a career in children's literature, combining his love of storytelling with his love of illustration. He lives in Terrace Park, Ohio with his wife, Jane, and their son, Ian.

Reviews

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been meaning to add this book to Goodreads for a while. The illustrations are just so darned charming and fun to look at - Hillenbrand inserts clues on each page as to what animal is coming up next - that there's a whole extra dimension added to the reading experience.

[Marcia Boisvert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on the song, this book is well put together and intrigues youngsters with its art work and well-timed page turns. Best when sung.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh...it didn't really impress me.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my very favorite picture books. Out of print, but you can find it on Amazon or at the library. The illustrations are so full of fun and surprising details that you'll find something new every time you read.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Folk song with nice illustrations. This is one of the more difficult folk songs to read or sing out loud repeatedly. It gets rather unwieldy with the addition of each animal, and the high key. (See example here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tycV...) Toddler favorite though.

[MistyinCLE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute illustrations. There are clues to the next character in the prior illustration. The printed music is on the end papers which makes it wonderful to learn the tune.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

looking forward to using this title in Boogie Woogie Books...the classic song with adorable illustrations of animals making fun and music together.

[Sherri · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids love this book. We got it from the library, and it's obvious that it's going to be a book that I'm going to have to end up purchasing because they just love it that much.