“Preamble” by Mike Wilkins and “Fifty Nifty States”

Posted by: Sing Books with Emily on: November 13, 2011

In: Art of Singing a Song | Case for Singable Books | Heartfelt Musings | SBWE Sing-Along Program for Classrooms and Families | Sing Books with Emily Sing-Along Materials | Singable Book Title | Song History
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Preamble (1987) by Mike Wilkins
Smithsonian American Art Museum
http://americanart.si.edu

I have really been enjoying singing the School House Rock Preamble Song with kids at schools, pointing to the words as spelled out in Mike Wilkin’s wonderful work of art called “Preamble.”

I wondered out loud the other day if there was a licence plate for each state in this picture. I just counted them up and found that, indeed, there are 51. 51? Lookie thar (as my pop would say) a license plate for each state and the extra one is for the District of Columbia.

Closer inspection reveals that not only is there a plate for each state, but the plates are arranged in alphabetical order! This means to me that not only can one look at “Preamble” to sing “The Preamble Song,” but you can sing it with “Fifty Nifty States, too!”

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Fifty Nifty States
Words and Music by Ray Charles
Book Assembled by Emily Leatha Everson Gleichenhaus
This item is for classroom, home, or library use only.