We've been very excited about this book since we first knew of its existence. David Litchfield's sublime "The Bear and the Piano" won us over back in May 2016 (wow, was it that long ago?) and since then it's deservedly propelled David into the big league, not only illustrating his own work but collaborating with some of the brightest and best authors working in children's publishing today.
It must have actually been pretty daunting, the prospect of coming up with a sequel to a book that was so universally well loved - and that's where that 'funny tummy' feeling that crops up a few times in this story came into things.
We had that funny tummy feeling when we first cracked open the parcel containing "The Bear, The Piano, The Dog and the Fiddle". Sequels are often (but not always) trotted out to cash in on the success of the original book so sometimes we end up treating them fairly warily.
When it comes to direct sequels, or books that revisit / reuse a particular setting or set of characters, we don't just want a re-tread of the original, but we want to see something new and inspiring - and thankfully that's exactly what you get from David with this beautiful story.
It starts out, not with Bear this time, but with a dog. Well actually a man and his dog.
Hector and Hugo have been the best of friends for years. Hector is an accomplished violinist and his faithful pooch has accompanied him on a lifetime of adventures as they've enjoyed the ups and downs of a glittering musical career, much like the one Bear and his Piano (and his newly formed band) are embarking on.
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| If you thought the original book was beautiful, you ain't seen nothin' yet! |
Then one night he's woken up by the most sublime sound - and when he goes out onto the terrace of his flat he finds his beloved pooch playing the most beautiful music. Exciting tunes that stir the heart, and give Hector his own strange feeling in his tummy. A twinge of jealousy perhaps? That moment is so beautifully described.
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| Man, that dog can play! |
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| Oh dear, this is a familiar feeling when you're as old as I am! |
And so Hector is left alone. His pride and that aforementioned jealousy ruined a friendship, but without wanting to spoil too much of the story for you, the delicacy and utter tear-streaming perfection of the way this story tugs things back around to an amazingly satisfying and heartwarming ending is just...well, quite frankly it's breathtaking!
As before, David's art is just sumptuous, atmospheric and mesmerising. This time though - and this is no mean feat - even though Bear takes a back seat in the story (though we still cheer every time we see his wry little smile) this is such a gorgeously told tale that does that rare thing - actually knocks the original into a cocked hat. There, we've said it and we don't say it lightly either. We prefer this to the original and that's something I didn't think we'd end up saying.
We could spend all day praising this book, but we'd prefer you to just stop what you're doing, raid your piggy bank and get down to your local book store and get a copy as soon as you possibly can. It's picture book perfection, it's better than the first book and we can't wait to see how many awards this one picks up - it'll deserve each and every one of them.
C's best bit: The rather tense wind-down to the end of the story that turns the whole thing around quite beautifully.
Daddy's favourite bit: That rare jewel amongst picture books, a sequel that's better than the original. A true work of art that's both beautiful in message and as visually rich and sumptuous as the first. Glorious!
"The Bear, The Piano, The Dog and the Fiddle" by David Litchfield is out now, published by Lincoln Children's Books (kindly supplied for review).