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He Whistles for the Cricket
A heart-warming story about a young girl and her dog in mid-Western America in the 1940s.
- GenresYoung AdultChildrens
160 pages, Paperback
First published December 25, 2011
104 people are currently reading
306 people want to read
About the author
Gwen Walker
4 books2 followersGwen Walker: beloved wife, mother of six, grandmother to 26 grandchildren, dog-lover, writer, friend, believer.
She resides in Heaven with her Lord Jesus Christ, and is missed by all who loved her.
She resides in Heaven with her Lord Jesus Christ, and is missed by all who loved her.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 22 reviews
September 9, 2023
Entertaining family listening 🎶🔰
This is a free novella on Amazon. Oh how I love 💘 those free books 📚!
This is a cute interesting will written novella about a young girl 👧 and her love 💘 for one dog 🐕 and the adventure. I would recommend this novella and author to 👍 readers of family and friends relationships novels 👍🔰. 2023 👒😀☺🏡
This is a free novella on Amazon. Oh how I love 💘 those free books 📚!
This is a cute interesting will written novella about a young girl 👧 and her love 💘 for one dog 🐕 and the adventure. I would recommend this novella and author to 👍 readers of family and friends relationships novels 👍🔰. 2023 👒😀☺🏡
December 12, 2017
This is such a lovely book. Reading it feels like you are getting a gift from the author. There is depth here and tenderness and beauty far beyond most other books you will ever read.
The story unfolds as a series of vignettes or "slice of life" portraits surrounding Miriam and her dog Moses, though several other characters take over the point of view as well. Sometimes the shifts are a bit confusing, and there is not really an overarching plot, but by the end everything weaves together nicely despite this. This is managed by the graceful, generous tone which the author infuses into her tale, and by the vivid prose which pulls you into the town and surrounding farms of Redney.
This story reminded me a little of the movie "My dog Skip" or even the coming of age parts of Jem in "To Kill a Mockingbird". It pulls us back to a simpler time, where faith, family, and community were tighter and frankly better than what most of us know today.
It is noted in the section about the author that this book was written by a Grandmother and surely that sort of loving, compassionate voice comes through on every page. Reading this made me wish I had known my own grandmothers better. But what a privilege to get to listen in on the stories this one tells.
Truly, a rewarding read.
The story unfolds as a series of vignettes or "slice of life" portraits surrounding Miriam and her dog Moses, though several other characters take over the point of view as well. Sometimes the shifts are a bit confusing, and there is not really an overarching plot, but by the end everything weaves together nicely despite this. This is managed by the graceful, generous tone which the author infuses into her tale, and by the vivid prose which pulls you into the town and surrounding farms of Redney.
This story reminded me a little of the movie "My dog Skip" or even the coming of age parts of Jem in "To Kill a Mockingbird". It pulls us back to a simpler time, where faith, family, and community were tighter and frankly better than what most of us know today.
It is noted in the section about the author that this book was written by a Grandmother and surely that sort of loving, compassionate voice comes through on every page. Reading this made me wish I had known my own grandmothers better. But what a privilege to get to listen in on the stories this one tells.
Truly, a rewarding read.
September 13, 2018
This was a sweet, if rather meandering, story. I really appreciated all the happy endings, and the fact that most of the various troubles were handled quickly, rather than festering for a long time. Although the quick resolutions did play a part in the somewhat disjointed feel of the story.
The style wasn't quite my favorite, feeling just a bit flowery and awkward, but I didn't have trouble picking up the meaning, even when the wording felt strange. The characters were almost always either sweet to begin with or eventually redeemable, which was a refreshing change. Moses wasn't quite your normal dog-hero, but his loyalty to Miriam and unfailing good humor were very sweet to watch.
The one thing that really threw me at the beginning and kept catching me off-guard through the rest of the book was the way that long backstories and explanations were inserted at the exact point where they became important, which meant that we would leave the main story for pages on end to turn our attention to the history of a character we'd never heard of before, but who ended up playing an important role in the coming section. Sometimes there were backstories nested within backstories, and I admit that I lost my place in the chronology more than once. After thinking about it, I've decided that it feels very much like listening to someone reminisce--hopping off the main theme to introduce someone or explain something that had happened previously, then returning to the original story. This book did have that kind of endearing, story-telling quality, but I admit that it got a bit distracting at times. :)
The style wasn't quite my favorite, feeling just a bit flowery and awkward, but I didn't have trouble picking up the meaning, even when the wording felt strange. The characters were almost always either sweet to begin with or eventually redeemable, which was a refreshing change. Moses wasn't quite your normal dog-hero, but his loyalty to Miriam and unfailing good humor were very sweet to watch.
The one thing that really threw me at the beginning and kept catching me off-guard through the rest of the book was the way that long backstories and explanations were inserted at the exact point where they became important, which meant that we would leave the main story for pages on end to turn our attention to the history of a character we'd never heard of before, but who ended up playing an important role in the coming section. Sometimes there were backstories nested within backstories, and I admit that I lost my place in the chronology more than once. After thinking about it, I've decided that it feels very much like listening to someone reminisce--hopping off the main theme to introduce someone or explain something that had happened previously, then returning to the original story. This book did have that kind of endearing, story-telling quality, but I admit that it got a bit distracting at times. :)
April 15, 2020
I love this book. It is among those I consider to be all-time favorites. I have read it probably a hundred times and the humorous parts still make me laugh, and the sad and sweet parts still make me cry. A sweet, charming story, filled with realistic characters and events and a story you can read over and over again.
Miriam has always wanted a dog. But times are hard, and her father's health problems mean that there's very little money left for luxuries after feeding the family and paying for medical bills. When her neighbor's dog has puppies, Miriam spends as much time as she can playing with them, and pretending they are hers. But when tragedy strikes, and only one tiny pup is left alive, it is up to Miriam to find someone to care for him.
This story follows the life of a young girl growing up in the midwest in the 1940s. More than just a story about a girl and her dog, this book is about family, friendship, trust, standing up for what is right even when what is right isn't popular, forgiveness, and love. As the characters from this small community carry on in their lives, you will laugh, cry, and cheer for them as they face and overcome great struggles. You will fall in love with the mischievous young pup, Moses, and the story of how he and the young girl who loves him touch the hearts of the people around them will probably cause the pages to grow a bit blurry at times.
If you enjoy stories such as "Where the Red Fern Grows," "Lad: A Dog," or "Bridge to Terabithia," you will love this book.
Miriam has always wanted a dog. But times are hard, and her father's health problems mean that there's very little money left for luxuries after feeding the family and paying for medical bills. When her neighbor's dog has puppies, Miriam spends as much time as she can playing with them, and pretending they are hers. But when tragedy strikes, and only one tiny pup is left alive, it is up to Miriam to find someone to care for him.
This story follows the life of a young girl growing up in the midwest in the 1940s. More than just a story about a girl and her dog, this book is about family, friendship, trust, standing up for what is right even when what is right isn't popular, forgiveness, and love. As the characters from this small community carry on in their lives, you will laugh, cry, and cheer for them as they face and overcome great struggles. You will fall in love with the mischievous young pup, Moses, and the story of how he and the young girl who loves him touch the hearts of the people around them will probably cause the pages to grow a bit blurry at times.
If you enjoy stories such as "Where the Red Fern Grows," "Lad: A Dog," or "Bridge to Terabithia," you will love this book.
May 2, 2020
In the past month (April 2020) author Jenelle Leanne Schmidt posted videos across her social media of her reading "He Whistles for the Cricket" by Gwen Walker, Jenelle's grandmother. I'd seen this book around Goodreads, but hadn't read it yet, so I was glad to have a chance to listen to it.
This historical fiction book about a girl, her dog, and her family in 1940 was so sweet, though there were some emotional moments. The relaxed, meandering pace of the story (and presence of dogs as major characters, including one dog who gets some scenes from his own perspective) reminded me a lot of classics like, "Because of Winn-Dixie," or "Sounder." I especially liked the themes of faith in God sprinkled throughout, and the chapter with the same title as the book was a particular favorite that brought me to tears in a good way by reminding me of God's goodness even in hard times.
Truly, it seems to me that this book has all the ingredients to become a children's classic if only more people knew about it.
Recommended to children and adults alike. If anyone wants to listen to Jennelle read the book aloud, here is the link to the first video on YouTube. (There are 13 videos total.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aMa7... I believe she posted the videos on Facebook and Instagram as well. The ebook is also free on Amazon, and even the paperback is very cheap.
Content Advisory:
Romance: One of Miriam's brother's has a girlfriend, but their relationship is not physical in any way and remains very innocent and sweet throughout.
Violence: A young man has an accident while working that drastically injures his hand. The accident happens "off screen" and the young man is simply found sitting there, looking in pain, with a bloody rag wrapped around his hand. The injury itself, however, is moderately described, including mention the one of his fingers is almost off, so squeamish readers may want to skip that bit.
For those sensitive about animals it should be known that a few dogs die in this story. Near the beginning, a mother dog has puppies, but all but one of the puppies end up drowned by accident when a nearby body of water floods during a storm. Their motionless bodies are mentioned.
Later on, the mother dog herself is accidentally poisoned to death when a boy trying to break her of "sucking eggs" fills an egg with liniment, not realizing this particular kind of liniment had a second ingredient in it that was toxic. Her lifeless body is briefly mentioned and the boy feels extremely bad about his mistake.
Another dog's life is in peril multiple times. He gets bitten on the nose by a bug and his nose swells up till he almost can't breath, but his humans help him. He gets in a fight with another dog and their respective injuries are mentioned. He gets kidnapped, stuffed in a bag, and thrown in a quarry to drown , but survives.
Other:
Mean people try to frame someone else for wringing the necks of a neighbor's chickens when it was really them who did it.
A mean man decides to get revenge on people who put him in jail (even though he deserved the jail time) by attempting to steal and drown their dog. He also lies to and steals money from a young girl.
Sometimes, one character tells another stories that are intended to educate, but can also be somewhat sad, so sensitive readers should be aware of that.
Spiritual: The main character's family are Christians and Christian beliefs can be found throughout the book.
This historical fiction book about a girl, her dog, and her family in 1940 was so sweet, though there were some emotional moments. The relaxed, meandering pace of the story (and presence of dogs as major characters, including one dog who gets some scenes from his own perspective) reminded me a lot of classics like, "Because of Winn-Dixie," or "Sounder." I especially liked the themes of faith in God sprinkled throughout, and the chapter with the same title as the book was a particular favorite that brought me to tears in a good way by reminding me of God's goodness even in hard times.
Truly, it seems to me that this book has all the ingredients to become a children's classic if only more people knew about it.
Recommended to children and adults alike. If anyone wants to listen to Jennelle read the book aloud, here is the link to the first video on YouTube. (There are 13 videos total.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aMa7... I believe she posted the videos on Facebook and Instagram as well. The ebook is also free on Amazon, and even the paperback is very cheap.
Content Advisory:
Romance: One of Miriam's brother's has a girlfriend, but their relationship is not physical in any way and remains very innocent and sweet throughout.
Violence: A young man has an accident while working that drastically injures his hand. The accident happens "off screen" and the young man is simply found sitting there, looking in pain, with a bloody rag wrapped around his hand. The injury itself, however, is moderately described, including mention the one of his fingers is almost off, so squeamish readers may want to skip that bit.
For those sensitive about animals it should be known that a few dogs die in this story. Near the beginning, a mother dog has puppies, but all but one of the puppies end up drowned by accident when a nearby body of water floods during a storm. Their motionless bodies are mentioned.
Later on, the mother dog herself is accidentally poisoned to death when a boy trying to break her of "sucking eggs" fills an egg with liniment, not realizing this particular kind of liniment had a second ingredient in it that was toxic. Her lifeless body is briefly mentioned and the boy feels extremely bad about his mistake.
Another dog's life is in peril multiple times. He gets bitten on the nose by a bug and his nose swells up till he almost can't breath, but his humans help him. He gets in a fight with another dog and their respective injuries are mentioned. He gets kidnapped, stuffed in a bag, and thrown in a quarry to drown , but survives.
Other:
Mean people try to frame someone else for wringing the necks of a neighbor's chickens when it was really them who did it.
A mean man decides to get revenge on people who put him in jail (even though he deserved the jail time) by attempting to steal and drown their dog. He also lies to and steals money from a young girl.
Sometimes, one character tells another stories that are intended to educate, but can also be somewhat sad, so sensitive readers should be aware of that.
Spiritual: The main character's family are Christians and Christian beliefs can be found throughout the book.
May 15, 2021
This book is about a young girl and her dog on one level but about so much more on another. It takes place in the late 1930s and early 40s. Some may find it predictable and idealistic but it was sweet and faith affirming to me.
July 17, 2021
Such a sweet easy to read book. Has a little bit of everything in.
March 13, 2019
This sweet, meandering story revolves around a young girl and her beloved pet, the lives of people she comes into contact with, and a small rural farming community struggling in an era of poverty.
It reads like a portrait of life, told in short vignettes that circle around in relational patterns. Though a short 150 pages, it is a longer read, due to the expressive details of surroundings, character, and thought, rather than with familiar dialogue patterns.
Endearing. Recommended as a slow, easy, feel good read.
It reads like a portrait of life, told in short vignettes that circle around in relational patterns. Though a short 150 pages, it is a longer read, due to the expressive details of surroundings, character, and thought, rather than with familiar dialogue patterns.
Endearing. Recommended as a slow, easy, feel good read.
Read
March 5, 2018This was a read-aloud to the family. For such a short book, it took a very long time to get through, because this is a hard book to read aloud. I say "short book" although this is the longest 150-page book I've ever read. The font is small, yes, but it has more to do with the writing style of the author. Paragraphs are long, little broken up by dialogue, and the result is that most pages are a solid wall of text, two or three paragraphs of description stacked on top of each other. The average number of words per page for novels is apparently 250-300; I would be curious what it is for He Whistles for the Cricket.
The format of the story is unusual in that it often feels less like a unified narrative than a series of vignettes taking place in the same town and involving many of the same people. While the girl Miriam and her dog Moses appear to be the main characters in the opening chapters, later chapters tend to focus on what were previously side characters, or even introduce new ones and follow them. Chapters often jump forward a ways in time from where the previous left off, weeks or even months. The overall effect is reminiscent of a television show taking place in a small-town, in which there is a core family that the show is "about" and members of which show up in almost every episode, but many episodes will focus in on some neighbor or the nice man who works at the gas station or grocery store. It's a way of laying out a novel that feels slightly strange and unfamiliar until you stop expecting the book to be primarily about Miriam and Moses and think of it as a nostalgic television show in print.
The plots of these chapters are often so convincing that it feels autobiographical - one feels the author must have borrowed heavily from actual events from her childhood. This is plausible since the story is set around 1940 - mention of the Pearl Harbor attack is made toward the end of the book - and the novel was published in 2010, after the elderly author had passed away. I'm not sure when during her life Ms. Walker actually wrote the book, but the tone and language of it makes it feel like an artifact from the 40's or 50's. There is something decidedly "old-fashioned" about the sensibilities it displays. A 21st-century reader that is sympathetic may find it pleasingly quaint, while others will likely use the term sentimental.
I would have been able to enjoy the book more but for the problem I mentioned in the beginning of this review. Anyone who has tried to learn the craft of writing has probably heard the exhortation "Show, don't tell" from early on. As Flannery O'Connor puts it, "fiction has to be largely presented rather than reported." He Whistles for the Cricket is largely reported rather than presented. Paragraph after paragraph tells us about things happening without a sense of immediacy, without us seeing them happen. It is not unusual to go two or three pages with no dialogue, just description and narration, or to have a page with only line or two of dialogue. This is especially a problem early on in the book, leaving the reader with the feeling of a very slow start. To illustrate, the first two chapters (just over fourteen pages of closely packed text) have exactly 40 words of spoken dialogue. As the book goes along this tendency is reduced somewhat, but you still have chapter 8 (admittedly on the shorter side at four and a half pages) with no dialogue whatsoever. And when you are reading the book out loud, trust me, you notice it all the more.
It's hard for me to know how to rate a book with such a well-envisioned story but communicated in so problematic a fashion. Any professional publisher willing to invest criticism in it would surely have told the author to go back and rewrite at least half of what is now merely reported - "write them as scenes," he might have said. "Write it like you're writing a play, so that it looks like it's happening now, in front of us." For all its strengths (for which I admit there is plenty more that could be said than I've done here) I'm saddened to classify it as an example and a cautionary tale to aspiring, new, or self-published writers on how not to tell a story.
The format of the story is unusual in that it often feels less like a unified narrative than a series of vignettes taking place in the same town and involving many of the same people. While the girl Miriam and her dog Moses appear to be the main characters in the opening chapters, later chapters tend to focus on what were previously side characters, or even introduce new ones and follow them. Chapters often jump forward a ways in time from where the previous left off, weeks or even months. The overall effect is reminiscent of a television show taking place in a small-town, in which there is a core family that the show is "about" and members of which show up in almost every episode, but many episodes will focus in on some neighbor or the nice man who works at the gas station or grocery store. It's a way of laying out a novel that feels slightly strange and unfamiliar until you stop expecting the book to be primarily about Miriam and Moses and think of it as a nostalgic television show in print.
The plots of these chapters are often so convincing that it feels autobiographical - one feels the author must have borrowed heavily from actual events from her childhood. This is plausible since the story is set around 1940 - mention of the Pearl Harbor attack is made toward the end of the book - and the novel was published in 2010, after the elderly author had passed away. I'm not sure when during her life Ms. Walker actually wrote the book, but the tone and language of it makes it feel like an artifact from the 40's or 50's. There is something decidedly "old-fashioned" about the sensibilities it displays. A 21st-century reader that is sympathetic may find it pleasingly quaint, while others will likely use the term sentimental.
I would have been able to enjoy the book more but for the problem I mentioned in the beginning of this review. Anyone who has tried to learn the craft of writing has probably heard the exhortation "Show, don't tell" from early on. As Flannery O'Connor puts it, "fiction has to be largely presented rather than reported." He Whistles for the Cricket is largely reported rather than presented. Paragraph after paragraph tells us about things happening without a sense of immediacy, without us seeing them happen. It is not unusual to go two or three pages with no dialogue, just description and narration, or to have a page with only line or two of dialogue. This is especially a problem early on in the book, leaving the reader with the feeling of a very slow start. To illustrate, the first two chapters (just over fourteen pages of closely packed text) have exactly 40 words of spoken dialogue. As the book goes along this tendency is reduced somewhat, but you still have chapter 8 (admittedly on the shorter side at four and a half pages) with no dialogue whatsoever. And when you are reading the book out loud, trust me, you notice it all the more.
It's hard for me to know how to rate a book with such a well-envisioned story but communicated in so problematic a fashion. Any professional publisher willing to invest criticism in it would surely have told the author to go back and rewrite at least half of what is now merely reported - "write them as scenes," he might have said. "Write it like you're writing a play, so that it looks like it's happening now, in front of us." For all its strengths (for which I admit there is plenty more that could be said than I've done here) I'm saddened to classify it as an example and a cautionary tale to aspiring, new, or self-published writers on how not to tell a story.
January 15, 2014
won this book from goodreads.This is a wonderful book I wish the author were alive so she could see how many people enjoy this book.
February 3, 2016
This is a lovely, moving story about a little Girls love for Animals and all around her. Well written, enjoyable read. loved the Children and felt for the Adults, it draws you in.
July 8, 2020
Heart and soul
I chose five stars because it deserved it. This book took on the voices and the life of each character. The animals were portrayed in such a manner that it was believable. The story line was full of the things we crave in real life. Caring, love, sharing in intimate soul searching ways. The scriptures were fittingly expounded on in these situations. There was anger ,hate, bitterness and sorrow. Each emotion was treated as a live thing and was brought into subjection at the end. These young people grew and matured so we'll. The refreshing of love for father and son and the stories of Sarah added the right amount of coming together as community and friends beautifully written it drew me into the pages as though I was there!! Totally awesome. Would highly recommend to any reader of any age. This book made me laugh, cry ,be fearful and allowed me to feel the fear for the coming year. I can't say enough!
I chose five stars because it deserved it. This book took on the voices and the life of each character. The animals were portrayed in such a manner that it was believable. The story line was full of the things we crave in real life. Caring, love, sharing in intimate soul searching ways. The scriptures were fittingly expounded on in these situations. There was anger ,hate, bitterness and sorrow. Each emotion was treated as a live thing and was brought into subjection at the end. These young people grew and matured so we'll. The refreshing of love for father and son and the stories of Sarah added the right amount of coming together as community and friends beautifully written it drew me into the pages as though I was there!! Totally awesome. Would highly recommend to any reader of any age. This book made me laugh, cry ,be fearful and allowed me to feel the fear for the coming year. I can't say enough!
May 7, 2018
Many a Love in this .community
People are caring for each other, and really doing for each other.
Some are trust worthy, and others are not.
There is a worthy dog, named Moses. He has had some tough times, but he is smiling now.
People are caring for each other, and really doing for each other.
Some are trust worthy, and others are not.
There is a worthy dog, named Moses. He has had some tough times, but he is smiling now.
August 11, 2019
Wonderful Love Story
I chose this book for the curiosity in title.
Favorite parts are references to the Lord and the love within the characters of story
I definitely would refer this book to others.
I chose this book for the curiosity in title.
Favorite parts are references to the Lord and the love within the characters of story
I definitely would refer this book to others.
May 26, 2021
What a most delightful and heart warming story. Love , compassion and genuine grace. I l
Particularly appreciated the love of Father God woven so sensitively into the tale. The joy and trust of the children a great joy to share.
Particularly appreciated the love of Father God woven so sensitively into the tale. The joy and trust of the children a great joy to share.
March 26, 2018
This is way different from what I expected.. In the best way! Beautifully written, and an easy read.
July 27, 2018
Good clean story
Along the vein of old fashion Christian stories from my childhood. Well written and easy to entreat. Great for children
Along the vein of old fashion Christian stories from my childhood. Well written and easy to entreat. Great for children
September 30, 2019
Beautiful Story of simple real love
A well told story about children and people as they used to be and love for animals and old fashioned kindness. Excellent reading !
A well told story about children and people as they used to be and love for animals and old fashioned kindness. Excellent reading !
March 19, 2020
WONDERFUL story!
Reading this book written by Gwen Walker will definitely give you a Tumblr of emotions! Definitely recommend to dog lovers!
Reading this book written by Gwen Walker will definitely give you a Tumblr of emotions! Definitely recommend to dog lovers!
October 11, 2021
Great book
Displaying 1 - 21 of 22 reviews