Emma Jo's Song - Tapa dura

The Pucketts love music. Everyone in the family plays an instrument and sings--everyone except Emma Jo. But sometimes Emma Jo feels a song bursting to get out. No matter how softly she sings, Rip, the old hound dog, raises a howl, and that gets Emma Jo's brother laughing. Then comes the day of the big Puckett family reunion, and the sounds of fiddles and banjos fill the air. Emma Jo's brother suggests that she get up and sing "This Little Light of Mine." Emma Jo opens her mouth--and lets out a quivering squeak. But all ends triumphantly when she gets a little help from a friend. Faye Gibbons's warm and funny story, featuring a spirited girl and her endearing dog, is zestfully illustrated by Sherry Meidell.

Faye Gibbons was born in the mountains of northern Georgia where storytelling played a large role in everyday living. She is the author of several books, including the Mountain Wedding series; Night in the Barn; and Hook Moon Night. Ms. Gibbons lives in Deatsville, Alabama, with her husband. Sherry Meidell lives with her husband and five boys in West Bountiful, Utah. She has illustrated The ABC's of Uniforms and Outfits, written by Barbara Williams, and When Pioneer Wagons Rumbled West by Christine Graham. Just like Emma, Ms. Meidell enjoys singing a song or two.