Fiddlin' Sam

by Marianna Dengler

Blessed with the gift of music, a fiddler named Sam travels from town to town, sharing his music. As Sam ages, he searches for someone special to pass his talent on to, remembering his father's words, "This ain't a gift, Son. It's a loan. You gotta pass the music along". This is the story about a boy who takes up the fiddle and manages to complete Sam's quest.

Genres: Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1999

Reviews

[Shaye Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

As my class has been selecting picture books appropriate for studying music, I’ve come across some really wonderful children’s books — old and new. This one is from the late 90s, but definitely worth sharing. Fiddlin’ Sam is a very talented man, so incredibly gifted that he could fiddle away others’ worries, cares, and even their pain. Throughout the story, Sam comes to know people all over the Ozarks. He faces joy and he faces hardships. And he just hopes that he will find someone to pass his gift on to before his life is over.

“This ain’t a gift, Son. It’s a loan. You gotta pass the music along.”

The illustrations are stunning — some up-close images look almost like a photograph. The artwork was was done in watercolor on paper. For more #kidlit, #mglit, and #yalit book reviews, please visit my blog: The Miller Memo.

[Sammie Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The whole story was very touching. It teaches alot about country life in Appalachian country, which is almost like its own culture in American history. It is a sweet story about a man who fiddles through out his whole life with the ultimate goal to find someone to pass the music down to. It has the value of friendship and helping others in it, and has a wonderful ending. It could be used to teach predicting or inferring, as children guess what the old man will do as he gets older and tries to find an apprentice. 1st graders would love the story but probably would struggle to read it independently. 2nd-4rth would also enjoy it. The illustrations are also beautiful and very realistic. They have watercolor but nearly look like photographs.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was difficult finding any children's books about Arkansas, but I was glad to find this one. The illustrations are lovely, and the story is a wonderful one that gives little clues into the culture of Arkansas. A really great addition to our studies.