Children's book about a boy and his harmonica

October 26, 2006 8:24 AM

Looking for a children's book about a boy who plays the harmonica...

I am buying a book as a baby shower gift for a friend. This friend has told me several times about a book he read growing up about a boy who played the harmonica. He said the book is illustrated with simple line drawings, and he thought that either the illustrator or author was fairly famous.

I have little else to go by, and the people at my local bookstore looked at me like I was crazy.

posted by amelliferae to grab bag (5 comments total)

Lentil, by Robert McCloskey.
posted by Futurehouse at 8:44 AM on October 26, 2006

The Harmonica Man. I remember it as a kid; seems to be out of print.
posted by Meatbomb at 8:56 AM on October 26, 2006

Spoiler alert: in the end, the kid grows up to be the new harmonica man.

Similar philosophical message can be had in The Bee Man of Orn.
posted by Meatbomb at 9:00 AM on October 26, 2006

I second Lentil. I seem to remember simple line drawings in my copy, a hundred years ago.
posted by silverstatue at 9:05 AM on October 26, 2006

Thanks! I am almost positive that Lentil is the book he's looking for.
posted by amelliferae at 1:46 PM on October 26, 2006