Trubloff

by John Burningham

Trubloff the mouse lives with his family in the village inn but dreams of becoming the greatest balalaika player in the whole country. So one night, when everyone is asleep, he runs away to join a band of gypsy musicians who promise to teach him to play. Trubloff’s poor family are overcome with worry, but in the end, it’s Trubloff’s gift for music that saves them all.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Adventure, Music

32 pages, Paperback

First published September 17, 1964

About the author

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bur...

Married to Helen Oxenbury They have one son and two daughters.

John Burningham was born in 1936 in Farnham, Surrey, and attended the alternative school, Summerhill. In 1954 he spent two years travelling through Italy, Yugoslavia and Israel, working at a variety of jobs.

From 1956-1959, he studied at the Central School of Art, after which he designed posters for London Transport and the British Transport Commission. He also spent a year on an animated puppet film in the Middle East. He then became a writer and illustrator of children's books, his first book, Borka: The Adventures of a Goose With No Feathers (1963) winning the Kate Greenaway Medal in 1963, an achievement he repeated with Mr Gumpy's Outing (1970).

Since then, he has written and illustrated many children's books. He is also a freelance designer of murals, exhibitions models, magazine illustrations and advertisements.

Reviews

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate that Burningham got the clarinetist's hands correct, but am disappointed that he (like many others) failed on the flutist's.

[CanadianReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trubloff, a little mouse, lives with his family (the “Trubs”) behind the walls of an inn in a tiny Central European village. Winters are very cold and very snowy, and villagers like to spend their evenings listening to travelling gypsy musicians in the inn’s Parlour Bar. They aren’t the only ones; Trubloff does, too. He is particularly attracted to the balalaika. After getting the local mouse craftsman, Nabakoff, to fashion a tiny one for him, Trubloff discovers that playing the instrument is harder than it looks. One of the kindly older gypsy musicians tells the little mouse that he would’ve given him lessons, but the troupe is on their way. Without telling his family, Trubloff, determined to learn to play, hides in the man’s pocket. He travels with the gypsies, gets nightly regular instruction, and becomes increasingly proficient.

Meanwhile, there is trouble on the home front. The Trubs are most distressed at the disappearance of their balalaika-loving son and brother. Mama has actually become ill from the stress of it, as well as from the news that the innkeeper plans to drive the mice out of their home with the aid of some fierce farm cats. Learning that Trubloff is with the gypsies, the family sends his sister (on skis) to retrieve him. She succeeds. The two make an eventful journey home and are joyfully greeted. Not only does Mama get better but Trubloff’s talent saves them from the disaster of homelessness. When the innkeeper has no one to play one night, the balalaika-playing mouse volunteers his services. He is received with enthusiasm, gains a reputation, and the innkeeper is glad to have the family stay.

Burningham isn’t my favourite illustrator, but I still do love his books. They’re very well received by young children. This charming tale is no exception. The humorous illustrations and Slavic flavour make it particularly special.

[Judith Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up the 1974 reprint by Piccolo Picture Books yesterday from a book-swap shelf. What a delightful charming read, and I loved the painterly look of the illustrations. We have a few John Burningham books on our shelves from my son's childhood reading, but this has inspired me to collect the rest!

For those interested, the Guardian did a nice obituary of the author, when he died in 2019: https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...

[Raquel Pilar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trubloff is a mouse with a passion: music.
The inn he lives in often receives gypsies playing songs!
Then, an old gypsy offers Trubloff the chance to learn from him and he decides to run away.
I forgot to mention that the inn's owner despises the mice there.
Music in the end saves the day for the mice!

OK story.

[Sierra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about an ambitious little mouse who saves his family doing what he loves.

[Cyndy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely story about a mouse that loves music and wants to learn to play the balalaika.

[Gemma Duling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Reaction:
I enjoyed this book because it reminds me of something I would do. I would follow my dreams like Trubloff even though my parents might worry. I really liked the illustrations and how the words did not take up most of the page. The illustrations were the main focus and helped tell the story.

Purpose:
I would use this book to have children talk about what inspires them and what there passions are. I would want children to think about what makes them excited and somehow try and incorporate that into a lesson to get them excited about learning. I would want to be able to capture the attention of children and want them to be brave about what they want in life like this little mouse.

[Tabatha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an awesome double-sided book. My mom found this for me at a yard sale today and thought I would like it when she saw "Trubleoff: The mouse who wanted to play the Balalaika" She didn't realize it had a reverse side story. Love the epic story about a mouse learning to play the Balalaika and saving his families home. Great story.

Petunia, I love you, was a funny story. I was cracking up, and it definitely reminded me of books from my childhood.



Recommended to anyone who enjoys children's books