# Identify this book **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 6, 2014, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-book/692462 "2014-07-06T03:38:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2014, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-book/692462/1 "2014-07-06T03:38:00Z")
Someone on a mailing list I subscribe to asks for the name and author of the following book (from about 1975 or earlier): I remember (only) that it involved a child who, while playing a certain (magical?) recorder, was able to communicate with animals telepathically. I think there was a mentor-figure as well. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2014, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-book/692462/2 "2014-07-06T04:16:13Z")
This sounds like the children’s show H. R. Pufnstuf. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2014, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-book/692462/3 "2014-07-06T18:41:41Z")
This is probably H. Philip Birdsong’s _ESP_, in which a veterinarian’s son learns that when he plays an old recorder he can communicate with animals. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2014, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-book/692462/4 "2014-07-07T08:16:36Z")
The person who asked about this book says that it’s indeed _H. Philip Birdsong’s ESP_.