The Trumpet of the Swan
Recommended. Age: 8+. A Catholic review of this book for parents.
Our review
Louis is a trumpeter swan who was born without a voice. His father takes a trumpet from a store so Louis can speak with music, and Louis works hard to pay for it. It is a funny, gentle book about making things right. This is a sound family read. The theft is the one thing to frame, and the book does most of the framing itself: the father is ashamed, the debt is paid in full, and an apology goes with the money. Use it to teach restitution. The story has no faith content, so the why behind honesty is yours to supply.
For parents
Read aloud from about six. Independent reading from about eight or nine. Ask: the father loved Louis, so was it all right to steal the trumpet? Help your child see that a good reason does not make a wrong act right, and that being sorry means paying back what was taken. Point out that Louis gives up his own time and comfort to clear his father's name. Talk about the deal with the zoo too. Was it fair to promise away a cygnet? One mild moment to know about: the storekeeper shoots and wounds the father swan.