Ko-hoh, Ko-hoh!
A review of The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White
By Julia A. Keirns
A third children’s classic by E. B. White written much later in his life in 1970. This book is much better written than his previous two children’s books, Stuart Little and Charlotte’s Web. The pages of words are full of detail and flare. The story of Louis, the trumpeter swan with no voice, is a great tale.
White does a wonderful job of teaching us several things we would probably never know. He includes a lot of detail about swans and other animals. For example, I personally did not know that an adult male swan was called a cob, or that the baby swans were called cygnets. White truly expresses a love of nature, animals, and all the sounds that nature makes in this book, and he gives the character Sam, this same love of nature…
“Sam always felt happy when he was in a wild place among wild creatures. Sitting on his log, watching the swans, he had the same good feeling some people get when they are sitting in church.”
I totally agree with that statement. When I am out walking in nature, on a trail in a woods far from any noise, I hear God speak to me so much clearer than in any church building. It is important to relay this love of nature on to the next generation of children.
White also gave Sam a love of writing…
“Sam kept a diary – a daybook about his life. He wrote about things he had done, things he had seen, and thoughts he had had.”
Seems to me, maybe White poured a lot of himself into the character of Sam. And the character of Louis the swan, was so different from all the other swans. White uses this to teach us about being different and treating others who are different with respect. He explores some of the feelings that Louis experiences in being different from the others. And through all of Louis’s adventures, he learns to overcome his disability.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Louis’s adventures with his chalk board and chalk, trumpet and medal hanging around his neck, and was very pleased with the ending. This is definitely one of the best children’s classics I have read in a long time. I would highly recommend that everyone read this book at least once in their lifetime.