Like the rest of his family, Louis is a trumpeter swan. But unlike his four brothers and sisters, Louis can't trumpet joyfully. In fact, he can't even make a sound. And since he can't trumpet his love, the beautiful swan Serena pays absolutely no attention to him.
Louis tries everything he can think of to win Serena's affection--he even goes to school to learn to read and write. But nothing seems to work. Then his father steals him a real brass trumpet. Is a musical instrument the key to winning Louis his love?
Although he lacks a voice in the traditional "Ko-hoh!" sense, trumpeter swan Louis learns to speak to the world with a trumpet stolen from a music store by his father. With the support of an unusual boy named Sam, who helps Louis learn how to read and write, the swan has some rather unswanlike adventures and ultimately wins the love--and the freedom--of a beautiful swan named Serena.
For over 30 years, E.B. White's masterpiece has captured the fancy of countless readers. Now, with stunning new art by award-winning illustrator Fred Marcellino, the beloved story can be experienced anew. The sepia-colored drawings lend an old-fashioned charm to the story--it's almost as if, with their complementary dry wit and uniquely creative talents, White and Marcellino originally worked together. Marcellino received the Caldecott Honor for his illustrations in Charles Perrault's Puss in Boots. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
a good book:
I is a good book because a trumpet swan needs to get money to pay for a trumpet.
Beautiful story and well told!:
This story is told by the author, E. B. White. His reading is simple, but very enjoyable. With little embellishment, he captures your attention and holds it. This book was the favorite audiobook my three children (9yr, 7yr and 4yr) listened to this summer. They keep listening to it!
Charlotte usually gets all the notice...:
But for my money, I prefer Louis the swan. I think this book has been under-rated over the years and is a much better story than Charlotte's Web which has been anthologized over and over again. Far less didactic, Louis is a sympathetic character that chidren readily identify with.
That other Louis:
I love this little gem of a book! Sam, 11-year-old boy, discovers the nest of a trumpeter swan family, one of which baby swans is born without a voice. This is the story of Louis the swan's persistance and determination to gain the heart of his true-love, even though he has no voice with which to woo her. I love the old cobb, who fancies himself a wise and poetic bird, and who waxes eloquent and long-winded on many an occasion. White has a dry and wonderful sense of humor! If you never read this when you... more info
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