A young boy arrives in Appalachia from Indiana. He has traveled all that way just to hear an old fiddler who is bent from stooping in the mines. The boy is a fiddler too and wants him to be his teacher. So the boy visits the old man's farm and they begin playing tunes together. They become close friends as the years pass. When the old man dies, the boy promises to teach folks all of the music he wrote. As a young man, it becomes his responsibility to pass the music on.
Sarah Sullivan writes that this book was inspired by the true story of two celebrated musicians, Melvin Wine and Jake Krack, who, despite an age difference of 75 years, performed fiddle music together and became the best of friends. Of Melvin Wine, she adds: "When I watched him play, his gentle spirit shone through the music. There was something timeless about him, like an ancient sage who passes on essential knowledge to a chosen apprentice, not for pay, but out of an abundant reverence for his art and an abiding love for the world."
The illustrations by Barry Root convey the sweet vibrations of this book aimed at children four through eight years of age. It is important that kids understand and appreciate the communal nature of music and the genuine ties which can bind music lovers together. Share your favorite tunes, singers, and bands with others. Passing the music on to family and friends is a noble spiritual practice.
