Reviewed by Theresa L. Stowell for TeensReadToo.com
Thirteen-year-old Sylvie Bartram's father is not just any musician in SYLVIE AND THE SONGMAN by Tim Binding. Daniel Bartram is an inventor and composer whose search for that one perfect note leads to more trouble than anyone could have imagined.
One night, father and daughter experiment with his homemade instruments and hit an unusual note. The next day, Sylvie comes home from school to find that her father is missing and a mysterious message is on the bathroom mirror. The novel traces Sylvie's and her best friend George's adventures as they set off on a quest to find him.
Daniel's note seems to have drawn the attention of the Songman, a mysterious figure who has been stealing the voices of animals. As Sylvie and George search for her father, they must elude The Drummers, a strange old couple who are able to control behavior through the rhythmic beats they create, and the Woodpecker Man. The Woodpecker Man travels in a hot air balloon pulled by swans and accompanied by myriads of green and red birds.
Sylvie is aided by Mr. Jackson, her much-loved dog who has lost his voice, and a friendly fox who gives her the ability to understand the language of animals. Sylvie discovers that animals communicate in ways that are much different than humans, and their understanding of the world can help her to see the things around her differently, as well.
The adventure undertaken by these two children opens their hearts to realizations that though the adults around them are motivated by a variety of actions which the children do not always see, their parents' love for them is never out of reach. The novel is a lovely story of friendship, love, and belonging.
Alongside Binding's captivating text, Angela Barrett's beautiful illustrations bring the characters and story to life.
Thirteen-year-old Sylvie Bartram's father is not just any musician in SYLVIE AND THE SONGMAN by Tim Binding. Daniel Bartram is an inventor and composer whose search for that one perfect note leads to more trouble than anyone could have imagined.
One night, father and daughter experiment with his homemade instruments and hit an unusual note. The next day, Sylvie comes home from school to find that her father is missing and a mysterious message is on the bathroom mirror. The novel traces Sylvie's and her best friend George's adventures as they set off on a quest to find him.
Daniel's note seems to have drawn the attention of the Songman, a mysterious figure who has been stealing the voices of animals. As Sylvie and George search for her father, they must elude The Drummers, a strange old couple who are able to control behavior through the rhythmic beats they create, and the Woodpecker Man. The Woodpecker Man travels in a hot air balloon pulled by swans and accompanied by myriads of green and red birds.
Sylvie is aided by Mr. Jackson, her much-loved dog who has lost his voice, and a friendly fox who gives her the ability to understand the language of animals. Sylvie discovers that animals communicate in ways that are much different than humans, and their understanding of the world can help her to see the things around her differently, as well.
The adventure undertaken by these two children opens their hearts to realizations that though the adults around them are motivated by a variety of actions which the children do not always see, their parents' love for them is never out of reach. The novel is a lovely story of friendship, love, and belonging.
Alongside Binding's captivating text, Angela Barrett's beautiful illustrations bring the characters and story to life.
