This Beautiful Day by Richard Jackson & Illus by Suzy Lee

The contrast between the cover illustration and the title grabbed me as soon as I saw this book. 

The illustrations start out as black and white. 

Kids sitting at home being somewhat bored on a rainy day. 

Then the boy turns on the radio and music pours out.

Suddenly there is a little wisp of blue in the illustration and much more movement.

When their dancing gets to big to be contained inside, they venture outside with a parade of umbrellas

all of us skipping and singing and calling aloud

As the rain lets up, the colors pour into the illustrations

high-fiving

 and yes, 

we're alive-ing

Love the music and bounce of the text!

Such color and joy!

And finally they are back in the garden for a popsicle snack with their mother

all together, oh yes

I love how this book demonstrates the beauty to be had in every day/situation. 

Kilmeny of the Orchard by LM Montgomery

LM Montgomery, while I love her dearly, can be a teensy weensy bit melodramatic. This book is where she showcases all her mad melodramatic skills. 

The book is told from the point of view of the man you see brooding in the background on the cover, which is somewhat unusual for LM Montgomery. Eric Marshall has just graduated from college and is at a loose end before going to work for his millionaire father. A friend needs a break, so asks Eric to substitute teach for him for a month on PEI in a small town named Lindsay. 

And wouldn't you know it, Eric goes and falls in love with the one impossible girl in Lindsay. Kilmeny Gordon has never been out in public and has never spoken. Her mother decided her own personal beauty was a terrible burden, so decided Kilmeny should stay out of the public eye for fear she would realize she is beautiful. There is a complicated backstory to her mother, which you learn through the book. It is sad, dark, and mildly insane. LM Montgomery was never afraid to bring a little dark into her writing. 

Kilmeny can play violin like magic, is incredibly beautiful, and totally innocent due to her lack of contact with the outside world. One thing I don't exactly like is that Kilmeny's worth is definitely dependent on her beauty. Eric is a millionaires son. Falling in love with a poor girl from a rural PEI town is not really part of his millionaire father's life plan for Eric. Eric tells his father and anyone else who questions his choice of girl "Just wait until you see Kilmeny." Not interact with her and enjoy her wit, but just observe her beauty; that will justify my choice of woman. Kilmeny has a lot of great characteristics, so she is not some vapid beauty. Eric appreciates her musical talent, her wit, her intelligence, her pleasure in life, but it is her beauty that he keeps mentioning. 

There are occasions when stereotypes are brought into LM Montgomery's works, and this is one of them. Kilmeny has an adopted brother-ish sort of person who happens to be Italian. The poor guy is forever being irrational, brooding, and passionate. Because that is how Italians are apparently. At least in 1910's PEI. 

So Kilmeny of the Orchard is melodramatic, somewhat shallow, and stereotypical. If you read this book with a modern sensibility, you will likely roll your eyes. However, most people come to this book after Anne or Emily and already adore LM Montgomery, so they will love this book based on that fact alone. And really, for this time and in this place, the sensibilities in this book are pretty representative.

And guess what? I love this book. I can't take it seriously, but this was one of my first ever LM Montgomery books. (It just so happens this is her shortest novel.) I listened to Anne when I was very little, so loved her, then read this when I was too young to tackle of book of Anne's length, but wanted more LM Montgomery. So I love this book for sentimental reasons. Plus, I was much more melodramatic as a nine year old or whatever I was when I read this. So I probably didn't roll my eyes at all. 

There is poetry in this book, lyrical descriptions of PEI in May, and an overall happy ending. And, it is by LM MONTGOMERY, for crying out loud. So you can do a lot worse. Just don't think you will find LM Montgomery's clever, biting wit or hilarious situations. 

Passing the Music Down by Sarah Sullivan & Illus by Barry Root

This is such a sweet book. 

(And I always forget how hard it is to take pictures of books outside... One of these days, I am totally going to learn how to take phenomenal pictures. You can say you knew me when... )

This book is a true story about a young violin player, Jake, meeting one of the greats of the Appalachian fiddlers, Melvin Wine.

Melvin sees talent in this young boy, so agrees to tutor him. 

Jake's family moves to live near Melvin so Jake can learn more from him. 

Melvin thinks it is important to do more than just play music though--he teaches Jake all about Appalachia through daily life and living. 

I love this so much! This old man giving his wisdom to Jake, passing it on to live after him.

They do find time to fiddle together though. Always time for fiddling.

On the porch...

By the fire..

...and at festivals. 

They play together everywhere.

Years pass, following the same pattern.

Eventually, Melvin teaches Jake about the ending of life. 

And finally, Jake is a grown man and playing at festivals on his own, as a world class fiddler.

And Jake never forgets the man or the place that helped him be everything he is today. 

I so love this! The passion for music, Jake's parent's commitment to his talent, the eventual success. 

I think one of the things I like the most is Melvin insisting that other things were important too. He didn't just tutor Jake on the fiddle and send him home, but taught him how to live life as well. 

Let Your Voice Be Heard: The Life and Times of Pete Seeger by Anita Silvey

I liked the cover of this book. I really didn't know much about Peter Seeger before, but he was a fascinating character. I love that he never backed down on the things he really cared about. And,,, the banjo. I love the banjo. 

Today would have been his 98th birthday. 

Pete's family actually came from money. But they set off in a little car and trailer to listen to the songs of Appalachia. I think they intended to bring classical music to isolated areas, but instead were enchanted with their music. 

Pete was a failed journalist and artist, trying to make a buck when he took up playing music for money. One of his first "groups" included Woody Guthrie on the left there. 

He cared about workers rights, so he played a lot of Union rallies.

This is his portrait in the National Portrait Gallery. Doesn't he just look delighted with life? 

With the Seekers, he became popular and wealthy. 

Pete's story is pretty much a fairy tale--we have the true love and happy ever after marriage to Toshi (70 years together).

And we have the villan--J Edgar Hoover, who painted Seeger as a Communist sympathizer and destroyed his successful career with the Seekers.  

The Seeger family. I mean really, he always is looking delighted. 

Pete knew he was going to have to face the Committee on UnAmerican Activities, but he didn't let it ruin him. 

When he was finally called before the committee, he showed up with his banjo. 

I like his style. 

He never wavered in his defense. He loved America and no longer believed in practical Communism. He was only exercising his American rights when he spoke up in defense of Unions and the ideals of communism. 

After being cleared, he went on to march with Civil Rights activists. He is the one that made We Shall Overcome an anthem for the Civil Rights movement.

In later years, when he wasn't performing at inaugurations, he was cleaning up the Hudson River and launching Clearwater, a river schooner he would use to take kids on day trips to teach them about taking care of the river. 

The Bear and the Piano by David Litchfield

I had seen this on several new books list, so had to see what it was about. It is a charming little book, but not an amazing kind of book.

Love these endpapers!

One day, a young bear discovers a strange thing in the woods. Despite the weirdness of the thing, he keeps coming back. For years. I love how  you can see the bear growing through the seasons!



 

The bear playing piano with wild abandon. His paws sort of look similar to how my hand feel on a piano. Not sure how he became expert. Thank goodness for claws, I guess!

 

Playing for his woodland fan club.

 

One day, a little girl and her father stumble upon this concert. They convince the bear that the best place to be is in the city. Where there is music so fine, it makes your fur stand on end!

 

Off bear goes to see the world. And to be adored!

 

Wowing the music world! Pretty awesome picture!

 

Despite his great success, Bear was a little lonely at times. So he would climb to the top of the buildings and watch the stars.

Until one night, he realized he didn't have to keep being lonely.

 

So off he went. Back to his old stomping grounds.

 

Where he found his friends were not angry at him for leaving, but proud of him for his accomplishments.

 

We can all love this piano, adorned with album covers and news clippings.

 

This is a fun book about friendship and supporting those friends as they follow their dreams.

Willie Was Different by Norman Rockwell

I stumbled across this book somewhere last year. This is the one and only kid's book Norman Rockwell ever wrote. According to the note in the front of the book, this story is somewhat autobiographical. How autobiographical is up for debate amongst his friends and researchers. 

Willie was born to a normal wood thrush family--A slightly proud and pompous father, a loving mother, and two rambunctious older brothers.

Willie was different. 

His father gave daily lectures on the importantance of being a proper wood thrush. Although they are not as mighty, wise, beautiful, or clever as some other birds, wood thrushes are vitally important because of their song that has inspired numerous composers. 

"Willie was proud of being a wood thrush. But he also wanted to be himself. He was tired of his father's daily lectures and of trying to be like every other wood thrush. Finally he just couldn't stand it anymore."

So he flies off. 

Willie sounds like a typical teenager. 

One evening in his new wood, he hears the notes of a flute. Following the sound, he lands on a branch outside the town librarian's window. Miss Polly just happened to be playing a song by Handel that features the thrush song. A delighted Willie sings along. And then he begins to improvise and sing all the song, not just the wood thrush part. 

Miss Polly is equally delighted. They play together until twilight. 

The next day, Miss Polly goes out for some note taking on Willie. She brings her notes and findings to the local bird club. 

They in turn relay her findings to the top ornithological officials in Washington. These experts motorcade to Miss Polly's house to see Willie in action. 

All the experts taking a peek at Willie. 

All of these faces are based on the actual top ornithological experts of Rockwell's time. 

This picture is pure Rockwell. 

Willie was unconcerned by this scrutiny. In fact, he sang better than ever. 

He sang so well, the experts insisted he was too important to be left in the wild. "All the world deserved a chance to hear and see this remarkable creature." Miss Polly "feels a responsibility to Willie's genius," so she treks down to Washington with him in a cage. 

He is placed in a large aviary in Washington.

There is no quiet and Willie is miserable. Even when Miss Polly comes along with her flute, he is too miserable to sing. 

"Willie was proud to be different, to be a genius, but he did not want to be a celebrity."

In a few days, Miss Polly puts her foot down. Her sweet Willie needed to return to his own wood. After a few days of recuperation, he rejoins Miss Polly in evening music--just for their own enjoyment.

But in Washington, a room was built to Willie's honor. And if you have the right spirit, amidst all the hustle and bustle of Washington, you can still find Willie's room. 

Since this is autobiographical, it is pretty easy to assume that Rockwell wasn't a huge fan of the celebrity that went with his artistic success. Some people argue that Miss Polly was based on his third wife--maybe she helped him to return to his "wood" away from all the trappings of a famous life. 

This is a good book about being different, even being proud to be different. It is also a book about the loyalty and understanding between good friends.