Rating: 
Summary: This book is absolutely Brilliant!
Review: Being a primary school music teacher, I laughed when introduced to this book... then I read it. What a brilliant piece of work it is! A wonderful introduction to the orchestra for children, beautiful, vivid pictures, and verbal repetition for children to grasp on to - what more could we ask for? I have used this book with several classes and ALL have enjoyed it.I aggree with the concerns about Farkle destroying instruments that he is not satisified with - however, children know that this is extreme and non-typical behavior. (and if it does not occur to them, I remind them!) I do like the fact that he keeps exploring until he has found the perfect fit - many students ultimately shy away from music/instruments because they were forced to stick with the instrument at hand. I was also thrilled to pick up the companion CD this weekend - "Farkle and Friends." It is wonderfully imaginative and a brilliant companion to the fanciful writing style and artwork of the book. Would that I could find more inspiring material so easily for my classroom!
Rating: 
Summary: The Remarkable (Spoiled) Farkle McBride.
Review: Farkle McBride is a musical genius. At the age of three he plays the violin. At five it's the flute, at seven the trombone, and at nine he's mastered percussion. However, Farkle is never quite satisfied and destroys each of his instruments a year after mastering them. It isn't until he's ten that he realizes that what he loves best is hearing all the instruments together and is called upon to conduct an orchestra. Lithgow has a wonderful sense of rhyme and the onomatopoeia is a delight. C.F. Payne's illustrations are beautiful and his Farkle looks rather similar to a young John Lithgow. Kids enjoy listening to the book and if you really want to read into it, it's filled with lessons. For example, the book introduces children to the wondrous sounds of an orchestra and it illustrates that it's good to try new things and keep learning. I didn't not like the fact that Farkle destroys every instrument he owned. That illustrates the Farkle is basically a spoiled brat whose parents obey his every whim. Of course, that whole characteristic of Farkle could be used as a lesson, too. Then again, maybe Lithgow never intended for there to be any lessons in the book. Some books, after all, are just fun to read in and of themselves. In that case, it's a very fun and entertaining story to read.
Rating:
Summary: The Remarkable (Spoiled) Farkle McBride.
Review: Farkle McBride is a musical genius. At the age of three he plays the violin. At five it's the flute, at seven the trombone, and at nine he's mastered percussion. However, Farkle is never quite satisfied and destroys each of his instruments a year after mastering them. It isn't until he's ten that he realizes that what he loves best is hearing all the instruments together and is called upon to conduct an orchestra. Lithgow has a wonderful sense of rhyme and the onomatopoeia is a delight. C.F. Payne's illustrations are beautiful and his Farkle looks rather similar to a young John Lithgow. Kids enjoy listening to the book and if you really want to read into it, it's filled with lessons. For example, the book introduces children to the wondrous sounds of an orchestra and it illustrates that it's good to try new things and keep learning. I didn't not like the fact that Farkle destroys every instrument he owned. That illustrates the Farkle is basically a spoiled brat whose parents obey his every whim. Of course, that whole characteristic of Farkle could be used as a lesson, too. Then again, maybe Lithgow never intended for there to be any lessons in the book. Some books, after all, are just fun to read in and of themselves. In that case, it's a very fun and entertaining story to read.
Rating:
Summary: Music Made Wonderful
Review: Farkle McBride is definitely a remarkable little guy. He could play the violin at three. But was bored with violin playing at four. At five he discovered the flute. But at six decided it was not for him. When Farkle was seven, he took up the trombone, but then gave it up too. Next he tried percussion, but decided that was not quite right for him either. After thinking and thinking he realized that his very favorite sound was all the different instruments playing together...the orchestra. And so when the conductor gets sick, Maestro Farkle McBride steps in, finding what he really likes to do most at last. John Lithgow as written a terrific children's book, full of rhythm, rhyme and wonderful sound effects. His text is complimented by C.F. Payne's very expressive and detailed, larger than life illustrations. This is a delightful story that will charm and amuse all youngsters aged 4-8 and is a wonderful introduction to both musical instruments and the orchestra. The Remarkable Farkle McBride is a winner and a wonderful addition to all home libraries.
Rating:
Summary: Way To Go, Mr. Lithgow!
Review: Farkle McBride is not satisfied. He's a musical genius who masters every instrument he picks up, only to toss it away out of boredom soon after. By the end of this story, told in fun, lilting verse, Farkle has found a way to be involved in music; a way that also holds his interest. John Lithgow's books are a cut above many other children's books written by celebrities. The rhymed verse that he uses to tell Farkle's story bounces and rambles along, and it's almost impossible not to hear Lithgow's voice in your head, "reading" the book to you. The illustrations by C.F. Payne are at once sensitive and wonderfully silly; they're a perfect match for Lithgow's text. I have been known to bring this book out for friends and just open it to certain pages (such as the one showing Farkle with the cymbals) to exclaim, "Look at this painting! Look at the kid's face. Isn't that a riot? And the story's really good too!"
Rating:
Summary: Not Just A Children's Book
Review: I gave this book to my 60 year old father who is a true "Farkle" of all trades. Our family laughed and laughed as he read it aloud, understanding how fitting it was for his life. A perfectionist at all he does and bored once perfected, the book let us all laugh at what has at times been a frustrating life to live with. The illustrations and story are fun and entertaining for people of all ages, from my 2 year old to my 90 year old grandparents. A great book for any age, a great gift for that perfectionist "Farkle" in your life, and a great "satisfying" laugh all around.
Rating:
Summary: Musical Fun
Review: I judge a great children's book by how easily the words flow, how captivating and relevant the illustrations are, and most importantly, if my children enjoy it. The illustrations are what first caught my eye and since I have a very musical family, I thought this would be a nice addition to our library. My children loved it immediately! The rhythym is fun and the sheer silliness of this boy who is so musically talented but cannot seem to find his place, sends my kids into fits of laughter. Sometimes, as adults, I think we need to stop taking ourselves so seriously and find simple pleasure in things the way our kids do. This book comes highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Musical Fun
Review: I judge a great children's book by how easily the words flow, how captivating and relevant the illustrations are, and most importantly, if my children enjoy it. The illustrations are what first caught my eye and since I have a very musical family, I thought this would be a nice addition to our library. My children loved it immediately! The rhythym is fun and the sheer silliness of this boy who is so musically talented but cannot seem to find his place, sends my kids into fits of laughter. Sometimes, as adults, I think we need to stop taking ourselves so seriously and find simple pleasure in things the way our kids do. This book comes highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A great first book, Mr. Lithgow.
Review: Like most people, I associate John Lithgow with interesting, off-beat acting rolls: the eccentric engineer Walter Curnow in 2010, the bemused and crazed father in Harry and the Hendersons, Professor Solomon in 3rd Rock from the Sun, and the voice of Prince Charming in Shrek. In examining his vita on-line, I find that he has had a long and varied career. With his first book, The Remarkable Farkle McBride, Mr. Lithgow can happily add "children's author" to that vita.
The Remarkable Farkle McBride is a delightful short story about a musically gifted child. The style has the rhythmically catchy poetry of a Dr. Suess, but unlike the latter is grounded more in the reality of a child's world. It reads quickly and would be a good before bed story for very young children-although I suspect you'll have to read it more than once each time to please your audience!-and a good first reading book for pre-schoolers, although it may require some explanation, since some of the vocabulary may be a bit advanced.
The art by C. F. Payne is wonderfully whimsical. The exaggerated facial expressions on Farkle's face are delightful, and so typical of children; it's like having a photograph of kids at their funniest and most dear. So endearing are the sketches that I plan on keeping the book in my own collection-something I don't often do-and donating another to the hospital where I work.
A great first book, Mr. Lithgow.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Story
Review: Out of about 100 books bought in the last 2 months for our two year old, this is the only one that we're returning and don't want to read to him. It's not that what other reviews praise about the story and pictures isn't true, it's just that the story and pictures also depict values and actions that we are not comfortable exposing to our young child although I seriously considered keeping the book for myself because I personally liked it. The main character is not a very good role model. (Because we are both parents and early childhood and elementary educators, we may be more attuned to and concerned about role models in books, which may not be as big of an issue or concern to others so this book may be fine depending on one's particular sensitivies and orientation.) Not every child is a childhood prodigy like Farkle McBride and particularly with certain issues that surround children in today's American culture and media, I am concerned about a child being exposed to a character who can master something without trying that hard or practicing or sticking to it and who easily gives up what they're doing because they get bored. Though not automatically negative, there's a bit of concern that a message is being sent suggesting that the one who is in charge (e.g. the conductor) has a better job than the others. Though amusing from an adult point of view, the book has images of instruments being broken in pieces or thrown away because the child is bored of them - not a good model for caring for personal property and respecting the investment (monetary and time) made by his parents to support his interests. We love Lithgow's other children's CDs and some of his other works but considering the selection of books out there, I think one can easily make a better choice for stories about children and music (e.g. for whole orchestra books try "Zin, Zin, Zin, A Vioin", the Gustav Mole books, "The Hippo Hop", "The Story of the Incredible Orchestra", and for less than full orchestra books, "Mole Music", "Song and Dance Man").
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