Book: Fiddles & Spoons: Journey of an Acadian Mouse Author: Lila Hope-Simpson Illustrator: Doretta Groenendyk Publisher: DPG: Dery Publishing Group Date: 2004 Genre: children's historical fiction; age 5-9, gr K-4 Pages: 32 Price: $17.95 My rating: historical event wonderfully-told for children
This is one of the beautiful books I purchased at the children’s book fair in 2016, although my copy has a different cover, as you see below. Apparently, the image above is the newer edition which includes more illustrations.
Fiddles & Spoons: Journey of an Acadian Mouse is written by Canadian author Lila Hope-Simpson, who, in fact, lives only a few miles from me. Illustrator Doretta Groenendyk is also a local artist.
First of all, look at this dedication – which seems very suited to the times we are living in – that she wrote in her book: This book is dedicated to uprooted people from every place and time, whose spirits have proven that after adversity, life goes on. And sometimes, there is even dancing.
Fiddles & Spoons is a historical fiction, fanciful for the child reader. This story is about a mouse family, the expulsion of the Acadians, and the will to survive.
In the small Acadian village of Grand Pré in Nova Scotia, Canada, life was good. Families worked hard to keep their village functioning and to make a life they could be proud of. The men built sturdy dykes to hold back the powerful tides of the Bay of Fundy, creating very fertile farmland along the coast – and those dykes are still there doing what they were intended to do.
Under the floorboards of the homestead of the hardworking Dubois family lived the Souris mouse family. They feasted on the crumbs that fell down through, particularly enjoying Saturday nights when everyone danced and played their fiddles and spoons.
One night in 1755 it all changed. Soldiers marched in and separated the men from the women and children. Mama Souris was determined to not leave the Dubois family, so she and her family scurried along near the feet of all the people being forced onto boats. It was a long rugged trip until they finally arrived in a new land and were reunited with their loved ones. From there they had to start over.
Lila Hope-Simpson told this story of an important historical event in a wonderful way, introducing children – and perhaps adult readers – to the Expulsion of the Acadians, which is a memorable part of local, and far-reaching, history. It is not heavy-handed so as to include lurid details of the atrocities committed against an honest, God-fearing people. On the other hand it is not overly gently told so that the drama cannot be felt and understood.
Doretta Groenendyk‘s illustrations are colourful, playful, effective. I especially like the scenes of Minas Basin and Cape Blomidon which are very familiar to me.
You can find Fiddles & Spoons: Journey of an Acadian Mouse on my BUY THE BOOK page.
Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂 ♥
Polilla Writes 