Soon the youngster is dreaming of owning a trumpet himself. In town on a Saturday, he begs John Potts to go into a pawn shop and look for a horn, but to no avail. When spring comes, the two of them play for the other men who help with planting the berries. As summer arrives, the boy plays the trombolia at every opportunity and becomes quite good. The boy is both sad and angry at Mr. Potts for not telling him that the plant would die.
Life moves on, the berry harvest is good and the boy goes to school.
One day, he returns to the field where he had left his dying trombolia. Author David Birchman grew up on a berry farm in the 1950s and the story has the feel of a memory, although that may be due more to Thomas Allen's illustrations. Done in his recognizable style, they nonetheless convey his special feeling for this story in the postures and eyes of the two characters. Only his art reveals that John Potts is a black man, which adds a new dimension to the poignant story. Birchman and Allen have combined their talents to give children an outstanding picture book.