“The Song of Delphine,” by Kenneth Kraegel.
Candlewick Press, Somerville, Mass, 2015, 32 pages, Grades K-2.
Loneliness is a painful part in the lives of many people. Sometimes these people have had family members die, or move away to other locations. This leaves them alone which often leads to loneliness.
The heart longs to be united closely to others. The reality of this can lead people to make good or bad choices. Unfortunately, those making bad decisions take out their frustrations on others, which makes it less likely for them to develop friendships. Some use better judgement and try to live charitably. They have patience and endure their painful times with an optimism that someday friendships will be part of their lives. These people usually find companionship because of their innate goodness. Kenneth Kraegel has written a beautiful story of about two young girls in Africa in search of such relationships. The title of this touching book is “The Song of Delphine.”
The story begins in the palace of the great Queen Theodora. Inside, a young servant girl named Delphine steadfastly cleans the rooms, sweeps the floors and scrubs the hallways. She has no family and no one pays any attention to her. In her lonely labors, Delphine yearns to have friends. When the pain becomes too much, she goes to the window and sings. Her moving songs release her hurt and bring comfort to the giraffes as they feed on the leaves of the trees on the savanna. Having offered up her pain in such a beautiful way, Delphine returns to her hard life of work at the royal residence.
One day the niece of Queen Theodora, Princess Beatrice, arrives to live at the palace after her own mother has died. Delphine is thrilled to have a young girl her own age so nearby. But Princess Beatrice is mean and conniving. She breaks things and makes sure that Delphine is blamed. This increases Delphine’s problems and leads her to sing with greater fervor out of her second-story window. So beautiful is her music that a herd of giraffes come by and put their heads in the window and offer to take Delphine for a night ride across the savanna.
The ride is glorious and the giraffes return the girl to the palace. Unfortunately, they have not returned her to her own room, but to the room of Princess Beatrice. The mean girl immediately accuses Delphine of trespassing and calls for the police. But before the police come, Delphine sees a picture on the Princess’s bedstead. “Who is that,” she asks the Princess? She surmises that it is the Princess’s mother. She tells the Princess that she knows what it is like to be lonely. But the Princess misses her opportunity and has Delphine arrested.
However, the Princess has told the Queen that Delphine can sing, and the servant girl is called the next morning to perform in court. Delphine is soon made the court singer. Later the girls are together and the Princess asks Delphine how she got into her room. Delphine tells her about the window and the giraffes. The girls go to the window and Delphine begins singing. What happens next?
Do the giraffes come? Can the Princess overcome her own loneliness brought on by the pain of her mother’s death? Does she chose goodness over self-centeredness? What happens to Delphine? To find out the answers to these questions, go to the library and check out this wonderful book, “The Song of Delphine” by Kenneth Kraegel.
This book is a beautiful story about two girls overcoming trials in life. Delphine knows and the Princess learns that loving is the essence of living. This is a great book to read aloud with your family. I hope you go to the library and check out the title. You will be glad you did. Enjoy!
