Most of us know the song, so I was interested to see how this would be addressed in picture book form. I don't know that it works as well as I expected. It isn't concrete, and that can be difficult for a child to grasp.

2.5 out of five. I’m sorry to have to give this beautifully illustrated picture book a poor review. The pictures were gorgeous, but I found the story thin and disappointing, especially knowing that McLean was surely capable of far more lyricism than he gave us here.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for my review.

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

A great story of friendship and new lyrical beginnings. The title is misleading, I think this is the autobiographical story of Mr. McLean's lyrical start.

I enjoyed the story and the illustrations were beautiful. This books is a quick and easy read but is also entertaining. I believe children (and parents) will enjoy it!

Don McLean’s American Pie is a delightful story by Meteor 17 Books. Don McLean’s American Pie tells the story of a Newspaper Boy who is lonely and in need to a friend and uses his imagination in order to cope. One day while delivering the mail, a note is left for him. The notes continue for some time, showing the Newspaper Boy he has a purpose and a gift for the world. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book. My review is also on Goodreads.

I have always been a fan of this song. It's definitely a jam. However, when I saw a book named after the song, I was extremely confused, because...um. How do you turn a song mostly about the death of famous rockstars in an extremely tragic plane crash a child's fable?

Did I want to know?

Turns out, it's both about the song and NOT about the song. It's about a lonely little boy, delivering newspapers and desperate for a friend. And the notes he finds along the way. The ending really kicked me in my heart strings.

There's some delicate storytelling here that I genuinely, genuinely enjoyed, and an easiness that works for kids and doesn't try to tell them, hey, did I ever tell you about how the guy who sang that Spanish song I mumble along to while dancing died a terrible fiery death?

Jeremiah enjoyed having this read to him, but without much reaction. I got a snuggle, and that's what I ask for in any book reading.

Gorgeously illustrated, this is a story of a lonely boy and the satisfaction he gets from knowing he is doing a good job delivering his newspapers [that people want to read, even when they don't], and the way he has learned to combat his loneliness by using his imagination and ultimately, with the help of notes from a new friend, music.
Based on the song by Don McLean, this is a touching story of how a lonely boy comes into himself and finds music and friendship. It was a lovely read and children of all ages will really love and relate to this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Meteor 17 Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well, this was an unusual item on the review pile. I have to note the book does not definitively guarantee that Don wrote this, and certainly he didn't appear to illustrate it, but it does seem to have a stamp of officialdom, and allegedly touches on his childhood as a paperboy just as much as it does the titular song. Our lad is a lonely kid, delivering newspapers and actually happy that he can deliver the papers to people's stoops – the swing of the rag as it flies to the doormat is likened to butterflies here, because America never has any bad news, not in Vietnam, not in Korea, no sirree no. However, all that joy of doing a job well is tempered by his solitude, and he has to have a vivid imagination to place himself in a happy land of wonder and adventure. Until someone starts leaving him notes of gratitude...

These notes then come to him partnered with angel wings, and they're signed Buddy. They seem to take the place of the kid's fantasies, but to what end, and for how long? This can't be said to explain any of the song, or any part that actually is left needing an explanation, but it really does feel as if it belongs in some kind of joint world with the lyrics. When music starts to get under the skin of our hero you can possibly suggest he would be the man to grow up and pen "American Pie" – but prior knowledge probably isn't needed to get something out of this, even if it does tend to the enigmatic as opposed to the child-friendly fable. It's a quiet appreciation of generosity, and perhaps other readings are valid – as I say it wants to be deliberately vague. The illustrations were a good mix of the real and actual with the fantastical, emblematic and logographic, for want of the right word. Worth a look.

A Picture book that looks at Don Mclean's American pie. I recommend it for older kids and adults. I would say it would be good for little kids.

This picture book tells the story of a boy who delivers newspapers, and who possesses a detailed imagination. While he delivers his papers, the boy dreams of fanciful settings and beings, but longs for human friends. His life improves when he starts receiving notes from a customer.

The beautiful and colorful illustrations provide cool pictures of the boy's fantastical thoughts and dreams. The story did not hold together for me, although I am very familiar with the song on which it is based. For those readers and kids not familiar with the song, the story might seem confusing.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

I think most people have heard the song, "American Pie" but I personally never gave much thought to the meaning of the lyrics. I could not find an authoritative answer from several articles written about it (other than "the day the music died" referring to Buddy Holly's plane crash).

The publisher notes the book has "numerous nods to the nostalgic themes and cryptic lyrics of the beloved song, Don McLean’s American Pie: A Fable is a picture book McLean says he hopes will become a bedtime standard for families."

Whether you read this as a prequel to the musical masterwork, or as a tale of growing up, or as a beautiful exploration of finding inspiration, Don McLean's American Pie: A Fable will both enhance the song for fans of Don McLean and introduce a world of imagination to young readers who have not yet experienced this generation-defining music."

I only saw the publisher comments on the NetGalley website; those notes were not included in the book itself. Nor were there any end notes or historical comments about the song inside the book. Given the title of this book, I'd assumed it would offer either some background on the author's childhood or influences for writing the song. It was not at all obvious how the book had much to do with the song at all. Perhaps adults who loved the song will better read meaning into its pages, but I feel any parallels will be lost on young readers.

I'm not sure how a child picking up this book would make any connection to the song. I have to say that I'm also confused by the assertion that the book contains "numerous nods to the nostalgic themes and cryptic lyrics of the beloved song." I must be incredibly dense because even after perusing the original lyrics several times, I failed to identify any "nods" in the picture book.

Taking the book at face value, the fable itself is rather ambiguous (in that, the book is similar to the song). A newspaper boy is full of imagination and fills his mind with adventures as he delivers papers. Then one day, the boy begins to receive a note from one of his customers, and instead of living out fantasies in his mind, he now anticipates his daily letter. It would seem to imply that only lonely children use their imagination and that once he had the hope of a friend (even anonymous), he no longer lived in a fantasy world.

And then the letters stop (I presume this is analogous to the music stopping), and the boy is left with a gift that helps him move into a new chapter of creativity. The illustrations were bright and engaging and readers will be fascinated by the depictions of the boy's imagination. I would encourage parents to read this book with their child and discuss what their takeaway is and what they think it means. It could provide an interesting window into their child's own imagination.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of Don McLean's American Pie: A Fable from NetGalley for the purpose of review; no other compensation was received.

Thank you, Meteor 17 Books, for the advance reading copy.

The book is so beautiful inside out! The illustrations are dreamy and perfect. The story is about a newspaper boy who doesn't give up on his dreams. This book is quite inspirational and will make the kids to know what dreams mean and how to protect our dreams.

I have always loved the song American Pie. When I saw the title of this book, I knew I had to read it! The book is not what I expected but it was still wonderful. The story is great! This story reminded me that a few simple words can change someone's day, can change a life.
The illustrations are amazing! I enjoyed looking at them and finding little references to the lyrics of American Pie.
I highly recommend this book for anyone, young or old.
Thank you NetGalley and Meteor 17 Books for an ARC of Don McLean's American Pie. All opinions in this review are my own.

’For all the children in every corner of the globe.
Your dreams are the future of the world.
Cling to them, and set goals to make them come true.’
- Don McLean


A long, long time ago…

A long, long time ago a lonely boy delivered newspapers to the people in his neighborhood. And like most newspapers, the news was occasionally good news that made them happy, periodically it would make them sad, or reflect on the things they’d just read. Every so often it would make them angry.

Most days the newspaper boy felt alone and friendless. He took some measure of comfort in knowing that the people depended on him for the news.

This young boy had an imagination that took him places beyond his neighborhood, to new ideas of who he might become someday. It took him to places he could never have gone, soaring into space, and transformed the ordinary everyday places to magical ones filled with the extraordinary.

Still… he was often lonely.

One day, as he delivered the newspapers he found a note. For him. A first! He opened the envelope, and inside found a note thanking him for delivering their newspaper every day. A note just for him.

The next day another note was waiting for him, which made him wonder if this was what it felt like to have a friend. Each day he wondered if there would be another.

He began to write notes just for himself, writing down his thoughts, sharing his imaginary dreams, the words took on a pattern, a rhythm, and the more he wrote, the more the words would leap and spin and dance along to the music in his mind. Music that would live within him, and eventually beyond.

Beautifully illustrated, this is a wonderful children’s book about friends that come in all shapes and sizes, and a gift that inspires a dream that came true.


Pub Date: 07 Jun 2022

Many thanks to Meteor 17 Books / Independent Publishers Group

#DonMcLeansAmericanPie #NetGalley

The illustrations are what made this book enjoyable for me.
Although the story is comfortable, it is not a book I would read over and over.
Touted as a tribute to the much loved song, which I COULD listen to again and again, the connections between song and story are thin at best.
Rather than a children's book, this is something those who like to dig deep and create connections will appreciate more.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

This book was great especially for those familiar with the song. It is not word for word with the song but captures it and gives it a new breath into it. Would be great for a classroom or library.

The pictures that went with the book were great and really colorful.

Overall, I would read more by this author.

This book is a bit unusual. It is related to the song American Pie and has some images and words that bring readers back to the history of a beloved song. As a child I enjoyed singing this song with my slightly hippie parents, and would have been very excited to find this book in my school or library. My classmates for the most part did not sing this song or really have any real feelings towards it in the late 90s (spice girls and backstreet boys were more commonly obsessed over), so I probably would have been one of the few kids signing it out at the time. As a grade 3 teacher today, I kind of doubt my students know this song, maybe there are some quirky kids with hippie parents out there right now but definitely not a huge fan base for this song in the elementary schools these days.

The connections between the story and the song are not overly obvious, you might notice the jester and words like blues, shoes and pie, dry. If you look a bit closer you might notice things like pink carnations and someone jumping over a candle stick but it would take a lot of thought and probably a page with the lyrics to really find the connections. I'm not entirely sure who this book is written for, if it is for adult music lovers wanting to share a beloved song with a future generation, I'm not sure this is the right book to do that. If it is a story written for children about a paper boy that happens to also be related to a song from the 70s, that's fine, it's a decent kids book. If it is for adults to just enjoy and celebrate 50 years of American Pie, then I guess that works too, but I'm not sure how many adults would buy it.

Not a bad book at all, but a bit different and definitely unique. I appreciate Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. And thanks to the author, Don McLean for the trip down memory lane this story gave me.

"A long, long time ago lived a lonely newspaper boy. Sometimes the news he delivered made people happy...sometimes sad...sometimes thoughtful...sometimes mad."

To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the release of Don McLean's American Pie, a documentary and a musical are in the works for 2022. McLean states, "American Pie is a biographical song." With the release of a children's book called "Don McLean's American Pie: A Fable", McLean hopes his fable will become a bedtime standard for families.

A friendless, lonely newspaper boy, tossed newspapers from his bike with precision and accuracy. One day, a note from a customer named "Buddy", complemented the boy. A note a day followed, with encouragement to follow his dreams. The boy had a vivid imagination. A surprise gift created a path to finding his true passion.

This beautiful, heartfelt story geared toward young children is a perfect vehicle for sharing. Opportunities abound for discussions about feelings which might be expressed verbally, or in time, through the written word. Themes of discovering one's happy place and plotting the road to personal fulfillment shine through. Magnificent illustrations of the newsboy are enhanced with musical imagery and interspersed with renderings of newspaper and origami figures.

Thank you Meteor 17 Books and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this look Into the inspiration behind the song American Pie. I liked the friendship and how it helped put character develop into who he wanted to be.
Lovely illustrations.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Based on title, this was not was I was expecting. It in nicely illustrated. A nice story. I think the title has nothing to do with the book. It will be misleading to others who may pick it up