fiddle-playing dog spread,
and one day, a very famous
bear came to watch.
Bear told Hugo that he was
starting a band of musical
animals. He invited him to
come on tour and play his
fiddle for hundreds of
thousands of people. As
Hugo looked up at Hector,
his tail wagging ... "
Hector and Hugo are best friends. Hector loves to play the fiddle and dreams of being famous. Through good times and bad, Hector plays and Hugo listens intently to every note. When fame proves elusive, Hector decides to retire. Sure that no one wants to listen to an aging musician when they can turn their attention to a famous bear who plays piano, he admits defeat.
What? A bear playing a piano? Do you remember him from an earlier post? The Bear and the Piano (2015) hit a bright spot with children in times past. Lucky we are to meet the Bear again in this new story, with Hugo and Hector as brand new characters.
Hector spends more and more time at home, alone and sleeping. He does not notice that Hugo is keeping busy with the discarded fiddle. The neighbors are amazed that a dog has such talent, while Hector is oblivious to what is happening right under his nose. Then one night, he leaves his window open, hears a familiar sound, and makes a surprising discovery.
"Hugo was playing Hector's fiddle,
and the music Hugo was making was
toe-tappingly,
finger-clickingly,
whistle-blowingly
AWESOME!"
Setting aside his personal feelings concerning his own career, Hector recognizes Hugo's love for the music and finds new purpose in teaching Hugo as much as he can. That is when the Bear makes his first appearance, offering Hugo a chance that might never come again. It is terribly hard for Hector to let him go. His jealousy has him saying things he never meant to say. Hugo is gone before he can apologize. World-wide recognition for Hugo is wonderful. Watching and listening from so far away sparks interest in playing again for Hector ... but, it doesn't bring back his best friend.
When the band comes to town, Hector finds a spot in the first row. What happens next is another lovely surprise for readers ... and for Hector!
David Litchfield's mixed media illustrations are glorious! The choice of colors, the infusion of light on every page, the detailed, expressive scenes draw readers into the story and hold attention throughout the entire book. Emotional, tender and just plain wonderful!
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