The Traveling Piano Man of Fort Whettershire
Victoria Murgante, Illustrations by Emily Kimbell
Humble Books: Publishing • Product Development • Art Direction • Cover Design • Interior Layout
“Unlike most traveling pianists, Tom carried his own piano with him on his back, with about as little fuss as a traveler carrying a rucksack.”
Victoria Murgante is a masterful storyteller. In this picturesque middle-grade novel, she offers a story of beauty and substance about knowing and being known. The Traveling Piano Man of Fort Whettershire explores the value of true intimacy and the costly grace that makes it possible.
The elegant prose, charming scenery, and vivid characters in this book demanded an equally talented illustrator. We were fortunate enough to partner with Emily Kimbell. Kimbell’s artwork perfectly captures the spirit of the story, simultaneously lending the appropriate amount of weight and whimsey to this timeless tale.
Emily Kimbell’s illustrations are beguilingly textured. To compliment the “human” aesthetic of her artwork, we opted to craft a hand-lettered title for the cover design. The result is a whimsical, inviting design that opens to a warmhearted tale.
“Being considered worthy of love is not the same as being loved. Love takes time. It needs enough stillness to let it take root, and blossom, and bear fruit.”
The Traveling Piano Man is set in a fictional world that feels very much like the United Kingdom. The audiobook begged for a British narrator. We were fortunate enough to partner with Will Rixon. Will’s sensitivity to inflection and narrative tone—not to mention character accents—was second to none.
“Over many years, Tom’s mind had become as vast as the hillsides he wandered: a place verdant with swaying grass and abundant skies, a laundry line billowing in the wind. The only building was a small hut of truth, which he was ever coming back to whenever he lost his way. It was the closest thing he’d had to a home in over twelve years.”
