Sing Books with Emily, the Blog

Archive for the ‘Book Review by ELEG’ Category

This song takes me home, alright.  Like the other John Denver songs in the Singable Picture Book repertoire, I grew up listening this song and today love the memories it brings back.

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take me home country roads
Take Me Home, Country Roads

Words and Music by  John Denver, Taffy Nivert and Bill Danoff
Words Adapted by Christopher Canyon
Illustrated by Christopher Canyon
ISBN 978-1584690726

This is a wonderfully detailed, joyful and loving book.  I pulled it out in a Kindergarten class and one of the children said “Wow, those are some detailed pictures!”  What a great comment, and true.  Fabulous detail are found in each picture of this book, paintings made to look give the feeling of a lovingly made quilt.  This book is a great work of illustration and a fitting, loving tribute to the wonderful music and big heart of John Denver.

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TAKE ME HOME COUNTRY ROADS
Words and Music by  John Denver, Taffy Nivert and Bill Danoff

Almost heaven West Virginia
Blue ridge mountains, Shenandoah river
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, growin’ like a breeze

Country roads take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home country roads

All my memories, they gather ’round her
Miner’s lady, stranger to blue water
Dark and dusty, painted on the sky
Misty taste of moonshine, teardrops in my eyes

Country roads take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home country roads

I hear her voice in the mornin’ hour she calls me
The radio reminds me of my home far away
And drivin’ down the road I get a feelin’
That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday

Country roads take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home country roads

Country roads take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home country roads
Take me home country roads
Take me home down country roads
Take me home down country roads

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All the songwriters sing the song together:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukUL_I14GPw

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YouTube with Lyrics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6i5nDWUX9Ks

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YouTube of recording sung by the great Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwoʻole

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiCkiyTGM6E

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Take Me Home Country Roads wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_Me_Home,_Country_Roads

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Publisher’s webpage for TAKE ME HOME COUNTRY ROADS which includes images of beautiful two page illustration spreads,
http://www.dawnpub.com/our-books/take-me-home-country-roads/

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The destination of the singer is somewhere in West Virginia, but clearly the singer is coming by way of Virginia travelling from East to West, going through the Blue Ridge Mountains and over the Shenandoah River, both of which reside in the western parts of the state of Virginia.  You can see West Virginia, Virginia, the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah River all marked on this map.  I keep this map with the book and point these things out before we sing the song.  A little geography, a little singing…It’s all go to know!

va color
http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/usstates/printpage/valarge.htm

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Related Post

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JOHN DENVER
The Singable Picture Books of John Denver
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/04/16/the-singable-picture-books-of-john-denver/

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EDUCATIONAL CONTENT

A list of SPBs with fun and sneakily educational content.  The kids won’t even know they’re learning!
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/singable-picture-books-with-sneaky-educational-content/

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Childcraft, Volume 1, The Poems of Early Childhood (1954)

Published by Field Enterprises Educational Corporation
Edited by J. Morris Jones
Words and Music by Various Artists
Illustrated by Various Artists

This fabulous, vintage poetry compilation, is filled with poetry and rhyme that can be sung.  The illustrations now appear wonderfully vintage, by numerous artists.  If you can find a copy of this book, you will not be disappointed in its contents.

Singable Poetry in Childcraft includes:

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Open Library page for this book:
http://openlibrary.org/books/OL24370978M/Childcraft

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A blog post about this set (with pictures of some pages) here:
http://goldcountrygirls.blogspot.com/2010/08/childcraft-poems-of-early-childhood.html

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Another nice blog about the volume, here:
http://honey.delobi.us/2009/08/childcraft-poems-and-artwork/

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Related Posts

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A. A. MILNE

Almost all Pooh and Poetry by A. A. Milne and Illustrated by E. H. Shepard is Singable!
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/05/04/a-few-favorite-singable-books-the-world-of-a-a-milne/

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CHILD’S GARDEN OF VERSES

Most Robert Louis Stevenson’s book of poetry for children have been set to music
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/03/28/a-childs-garden-of-verses-singable-poems-by-robert-louis-stevenson/

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LITTLE SONGS, A NOTEBOOK OF SWEET LITTLE SONGS (MOSTLY SINGABLE POETRY) FOR TO SING WHEN YOUR BRAIN FEELS FUZZY
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/little-songs-a-notebook-of-sweet-little-songs-mostly-singable-poetry-for-to-sing-when-your-brain-feels-fuzzy/

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POETRY SINGABLE POETRY IN COMPILATIONS

An list of  singable poems from compilations of poetry for children
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/04/17/singable-poetry-a-list-of-poems-that-can-be-sung-from-illustrated-compilations-of-poetry-and-singable-picture-books/

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POETRY, SINGABLE POETRY IN INDIVIDUALLY ILLUSTRATED SINGABLE PICTURE BOOKS
A list of individually illustrated poems that have been set to music and can be sung
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/poems-individually-illustrated-spb/

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CHILDCRAFT
The singable poems in Childcraft, Volume 1, The Poems of Early Childhood (1954)
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2013/04/13/childcraft-poems-of-early-childhood-a-singable-collection-of-poetry/

I was browsing the picture book collection at Tuckahoe Elementary School library (Arlington, VA) and noticed two unfamiliar music related picture book titles by Lloyd Moss next to Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin (with which I’m quite familiar as Zin is one of my favorite SPBs).  I’m glad to have picked them up and gave them a read because they are delightful…and easily fit for singing with familiar tunes.

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music is lloyd moss
Music Is
Text by Lloyd Moss
Illustrated by Phillipe Petit-Roulet
Sing to the tune of ODE TO JOY

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our marching band lloyd moss
Our Marching Band
Text by Lloyd Moss
Illustrated by Diana Cain Bluthenthal
Sing to the tune of ANTS GO MARCHING (aka WHEN JOHNNY COMES MARCHING HOME)

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Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin

Words by Lloyd Moss
Illustrated by Marjorie Priceman
(You can sing “Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin” to the tune of REUBEN REUBEN)

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Related Posts

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EDUCATIONAL CONTENT

A list of SPBs with fun and sneakily educational content.  The kids won’t even know they’re learning!
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/singable-picture-books-with-sneaky-educational-content/

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REUBEN REUBEN A USEFUL TUNE
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/09/09/reuben-reuben-a-useful-tune/

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USEFUL TUNES IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/07/15/useful-tunes-in-the-public-domain/

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LLOYD MOSS
3 by Lloyd Moss, Music Appreciation in Singable Verse
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2013/04/11/3-by-lloyd-moss-music-appreciation-in-singable-verse/

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circle game mitchell deines
The Circle Game
Words and Music by Joni Mitchell
Illustrated by Brian Deines

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THE CIRCLE GAME
Words and Music by Joni Mitchell

Yesterday a child came out to wonder
Caught a dragonfly inside a jar
Fearful when the sky was full of thunder
And tearful at the falling of a star

Then the child moved ten times round the seasons
Skated over ten clear frozen streams
Words like when you’re older must appease him
And promises of someday make his dreams

And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We’re captive on the carousel of time
We can’t return we can only look
Behind from where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game

Sixteen springs and sixteen summers gone now
Cartwheels turn to car wheels thru the town
And they tell him take your time it won’t be long now
Till you drag your feet to slow the circles down

And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We’re captive on the carousel of time
We can’t return we can only look
Behind from where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game

So the years spin by and now the boy is twenty
Though his dreams have lost some grandeur coming true
There’ll be new dreams maybe better dreams and plenty
Before the last revolving year is through

And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We’re captive on the carousel of time
We can’t return we can only look
Behind from where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game

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This Singable Picture Book has snagged a piece of my heart that it will keep forever.  It’s the kind of song that once I have the tools to sing it, I NEED to sing it.  The words are so beautiful, poignant  and universal. The words are universal in a way that I feel the song tells my story and captures wisdom I hope to convey to my children.  The pictures by Brian Deines are gorgeous (those colors!) and perfectly compliment the lyrics.

I also can’t help but respond to the carousel, the lyric and the pictures.  I’ve written before about my experience running the carousel at the Children’s Museum in Indianapolis and ever since then have strong emotional feeling for and what I can only describe as a rapport with carousels and I have a strong, positive emotional response to the beautiful pictures in this book, especially in tandem with the lyrics and music.

This book does not seem to be widely available in the US, just in Canada.  I ordered it from Amazon Canada.  This is surprising to me since the book and song are so lovely.

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Addendum 4/20/2013

I have been introducing this song to the children by saying that THE CIRCLE GAME is a song about growing up.  The boy in the song grows up and he seems to always be looking forward.  Wishing, hoping, dreaming for what subsequent years will allow him to do.  But the song suggests that “we are captive on the carousel of time,” and the time is going to keep on moving regardless of our wishes, hopes and dreams.  Especially in light of the recent events in Boston, I take this all to suggest that we LIVE FOR THE MOMENT and enjoy every moment we have for what it is.  I clearly remember someone telling me as a child that I should enjoy, relish and revel in BEING a child.  When book comes out of the Sing Bag, I try to deliver the same message.  Enjoy being a kid while you’re a kid.  This, NOW, is what you get.

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Joni Mitchell sings THE CIRCLE GAME on her album LADIES OF THE CANYON:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9VoLCO-d6U

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CIRCLE GAME with interviews:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FcgPLCtYwM

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circle game mitchell ill DEINES-Brian 2

Two page spread of artwork for CIRCLE GAME by illustrator Brian Deines

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indy children's museum carousel

The carousel at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum

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I read that Joni Mitchell wrote THE CIRCLE GAME after meeting Neil Young and hearing his song SUGAR MOUNTAIN:


www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVajUY-hBVI

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Joni Mitchell’s webpage for this song, includes lyrics and song history:
http://jonimitchell.com/music/song.cfm?id=39

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Publisher’s press-release PDF webpage for this book (includes images of two-page spreads artwork, link to video interview, and bios)
http://www.dancingcatbooks.com/downloads/pressreleases/The%20Circle%20Game%20Online%20Media%20Package.pdf

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Publisher’s webpage for this book:
http://www.dancingcatbooks.com/titles/thecirclegame.shtml

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Related Posts

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TEDDY BEAR’S PICNIC, A SINGABLE PICTURE BOOK
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/04/12/teddy-bears-picnic-a-singable-picture-book/

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JONI MITCHELL
SINGABLE PICTURE BOOKS OF JONI MITCHELL
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2013/04/07/joni-mitchell-in-singable-picture-books/

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FOLK POP

Fun songs, great arrangements and fantastic vocals combine to create a get-up-on-your-feet-to-dance-and-play Singable Picture Book delight!

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Lisa Loeb Cover_ Movin and Shakin - Copy
Lisa Loeb’s Songs for Movin’ and Shakin’ (the Air Band Song and Ohter Toe-Tapping Tunes)
Words and Tunes by Lisa Loeb, Various Artists, and Traditional
Songs Performed by Lisa Loeb
Illustrated by Ryan O’Rourke
Published by  Sterling Publishing
ISBN: 9781402769160

Songs include, listed in book order:

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Thoughts from Emily (and Eloise, too)
This book is great fun and so well produced.

I love the illustrations by Ryan O’Rourke, including the jewel-toned rainbow color palate and whimsical typography.

Lisa Loeb’s vocals are fantastic.  She never over-sings or yells and delivers effortless sounding, intimate performances in the upbeat and slower numbers.  Lisa Loeb sings the songs and tells the stories with a sense of fun, but with honesty and authenticity.  She never sings down to the children.  And, she can be funny, too, like in “Father Abraham” when introducing new movements, letting a little “Oh, Brother!” creep into her voice.  Instrument choices are wonderful throughout.  I particularly loved the funny sounds chosen for the “blank” spots in “Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes.”  I found myself laughing right out loud.

It’s also sweet to add in a breather with the yoga in the sweet, sunny song “Hello, Today,” which is a nice break to remind everyone to slow down a little and take a deep breath and enjoy the day.

This book would make a fun basis for a kid’s party.  Use the pictures as cues for decorations, invite kids over, gather ‘em ’round and go through the book.   Everyone will have fun for sure!

A few fleeting thoughts about the songs:

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TURN IT DOWN! The Air Band Song

Adorable song!

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FATHER ABRAHAM

My daughter Eloise had a fun time demonstrating for me the crazy (and physically challenging) things you find yourself doing as the END of this song!

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MISS MARY MACK

I remember playing this clapping game, which a friend of mine taught me, on my elementary school playground in Indianapolis, IN.  It was fun to discover that my daughter Eloise learned this clapping game, which a friend of hers taught her, on her elementary school playground in Arlington, VA.  It’s like a playground meme that crosses barriers of time and space.

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MONSTER STOMP
If you were going to have a party with this book, you could pair MONSTER STOMP with Monster Mash

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GOING AWAY
I particularly loved the blue-grassy feel of this song.  It reminded me of Woody Guthrie’s song Riding in My Car

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DO YOUR EARS HANG LOW
I never knew this song had movements and just love that Lisa added them in the book!

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EVERYBODY WAKE UP
This song made me think of Steve Martin’s Late for School

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HELLO, TODAY
I just loved the breather this song allowed and a reminder that exercise can also be relaxing.  I found myself thinking about John Denver’s Sunshine on My Shoulders and The Beatles’ (George Harrison’s) “Here Comes the Sun” (if only someone would illustrate THAT for a picture book!).  I also really love Dan Zane’s song HELLO HELLO (also a sweet Singable Picture Book, illustrated by Donald Saaf)

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PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY

Another fun song to remember from being a kid at camp.  Lisa Loeb uses a slightly different rhythm than the one I remember.  But I still love Peanut Butter and Jelly!

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HEAD, SHOULDERS, & TOES
I used to have “oh not that again” kind of mom dread hearing a song like this in an anthology of songs for kids.  Some songs in the public domain, and taken up by acts like Barney (I’m sorry, but it’s true), give me shivers of unhappiness…especially when there are so many wonderful songs out there!  These “public domain” songs are low hanging fruit, they are free to produce and often bore me to pieces.

BUT IN THE CREATIVE HANDS OF LISA LOEB, this song has become a funny circus of sounds and a fun way to get a little exercise and have some fun to boot!  Wait until you hear the sounds she and her creative team came up with for when the body parts stop dropping out.  I went from “oh darn” to OH WOW!  I hope she makes a video for this one so kids can see them making some of these zippy sounds.

My daughter Eloise says that the chorus of this song was her favorite part of the whole book!

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Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Author and mom Lisa Loeb:

LISA_BW9

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Illustrator Ryan O’Rourke’s webpage for LISA LOEB’S SONGS FOR MOVIN’ & SHANKIN’ includes views of two page spreads for 3 of the songs:
http://ryanorourke.com/Lisa-Loeb-s-Songs-for-Movin-and-Shakin-1

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Monster Stomp2 Copy
Monster Stomp from Lisa Loeb’s Songs for Movin’ and Shakin’
Words and Music by Lisa Loeb
Illustration by Ryan O’Rourke

See larger and more two page spreads of Ryan O’Rouke’s Illustrations for Lisa Loeb’s Songs for Movin’ and Shakin’, here:
http://ryanorourke.com/Lisa-Loeb-s-Songs-for-Movin-and-Shakin-1

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ONLINE INFO FOR LISA LOEB’S SONGS FOR MOVIN’ AND SHANKIN’

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Wired.com GeekMom interviews Lisa Loeb about her “Movin’ and Shakin’” project:
http://www.wired.com/geekmom/2013/03/lisa-loeb/

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A Parents Magazine interview with Lisa Loeb about her new book Lisa Loeb’s Songs for Movin’ and Shakin’
http://www.parents.com/parenting/celebrity-parents/moms-dads/lisa-loeb-interview/

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Buy Lisa Loeb’s Songs for Movin’ and Shakin’ for great price at AMAZON.COM

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Lisa Loeb’s Songs for Movin’ and Shakin’ is also available at online retailers like BARNES&NOBLE.COM

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A big thanks to Sterling Publishing for a copy of the book so I could share my thoughts and info!

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 Sterling Publishing‘s webpage for Lisa Loeb’s Songs for Movin’ and Shakin’
http://www.sterlingpublishing.com/catalog?isbn=9781402769160

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Note to those who might be new to my blog:

I like to think of each one of my posts as evolving exhibits about the song, Singable Picture Book, artists, or subject depicted in the post.  So when I find new information or have a new experience, I will add that to the post.  That is to say, this is the information, impressions, and experiences I’ve gathered so far.  Lisa Loeb’s SONG FOR MOVIN’ AND SHAKIN’ is the kind of book I’m sure will be used many times when I visit classrooms and enjoy the songs, pictures and movements with children and there will likely be much more to share as time goes along.

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Related Posts

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LISA LOEB IN SINGABLE PICTURE BOOKS
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2013/03/31/lisa-loeb-in-singable-picture-books/

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Lisa Loeb’s Silly Sing-Along (The Disappointing Pancake and Other Zany Songs)
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/11/02/lisa-loebs-silly-sing-along/

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Get Movin’!  MOVEMENTS, FINGER PLAYS AND DANCES in Singable Picture Books
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2013/04/02/get-movin-movements-finger-plays-and-dances-in-singable-picture-books/

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Do Your Ears Hang Low, a Singable Picture Book
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/07/13/do-your-ears-hang-low-a-singable-picture-book/

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Peanut Butter and Jelly, a Singable Picture Book
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/08/16/peanut-butter-and-jelly-a-play-rhyme-a-singable-picture-book/

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FOOD

Food Glorious Food, a List of Singable Picture Books about Food
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/11/23/food-glorious-food-a-list-of-singable-picture-books-about-food/

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Miss Mary Mack, a Singable Picture Book
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2013/04/01/miss-mary-mack-a-singable-picture-book/

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Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, a Singable Picture Book
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2013/04/04/head-shoulders-knees-and-toes-a-singable-picture-book/

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REALLY ROSIE AND NUTSHELL KIDS, SONGS BY CAROLE KING IN SINGABLE PICTURE BOOKS:
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/01/11/a-few-favorite-singable-books-part-24-nutshell-library/

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CAMP SONGS

I’ve been singing the wonderful song A-You’re Adorable for quite a while now with a book I made myself.  There was a delightful illustration of the song, but it only came in a small board-book size which was not big enough, so I had to take matters into my own hands.  Speaking of hand!  As the years have gone by, I began slowly incorporating the American Sign Language (ASL) Alphabet into my performance (inviting the children to sign along with me) to give the kids a fun activity to perform while singing with me, simultaneously giving them a second skill that can be useful in understanding letters as symbols and a handy way to communicate with others over the length of a crowded room.

I figured since I’ve been signing the letters with the children, it would be fun to incorprate the signs into the book.  I found a terrific “hand sign” font and went to town:

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A-You're Adorable­_ABCs Book w ASL cover only
A-You’re Adorable with ASL Alphabet
Words and Music by Buddy Kaye, Fred Wise and Sidney Lippman
Illustrated by Emily Leatha Everson Gleichenhaus
This item is for classroom, home, or library use only.

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Original cover:

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A-You’re Adorable
Words and Music by Buddy Kaye, Fred Wise and Sidney Lippman
Illustrated by Emily Leatha Everson Gleichenhaus
This item is for classroom, home, or library use only.

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Adorable, but small, published picture book:

A-You’re Adorable
Words and Music by Buddy Kaye, Fred Wise and Sidney Lippman
Illustrated by Martha Alexander

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Related Posts

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EDUCATIONAL CONTENT

A list of SPBs with fun and sneakily educational content.  The kids won’t even know they’re learning!
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/singable-picture-books-with-sneaky-educational-content/

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SING ALONG RESOURCES AND PRINTABLE MATERIALS BY SING BOOKS WITH EMILY
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/sing-along-resources-2/

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OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY: SING BOOKS WITH EMILY, THE CABARET
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/sing-books-with-emily-the-cabaret/

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VALENTINE’S DAY
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with this collection of Singable Picture Books which express one person’s love for another.

http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/02/14/singable-picture-books-celebrating-love-for-valentines-day/

It is fun to have little songs in one’s pocket for singing when one might be feeling a little blue (or when, like Pooh, your brain feels fuzzy).  It’s also fun to have these songs when a little interlude between longer more expansive songs. So, I decided it was high time to make a poster for singing one of my favorite little songs:

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COTTLESTON PIE little song sheet sbwe
COTTLESTON PIE
Poem by A. A. Milne
Music by Harold Fraser-Simson
Poster Illustration Assembled by Emily Leatha Everson Gleichenhaus

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Rowlf the Dog sings “Cottleston Pie” (poem by A. A. Milne)  The Muppet Show, Season One, Episode 7 , with guest star Florence Henderson.

Here is a link to a synopsis/guide of The Muppet Show, Season 1, Episode 7 (including information about Rowlf the Dog singing “Cottleston Pie”):
http://www.muppetcentral.com/guides/episodes/tms/season1/7_henderson.shtml

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For the full post about the poem and song  COTTLESTON PIEvisit:
COTTLESTON PIE, A SINGABLE ILLUSTRATED POEM
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/08/22/cottleston-pie-a-illustrated-poem-and-singable-too/

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Cottleston Pie,” in

Winnie-the-Pooh
Written by A. A. Milne
Illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard

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Related Posts

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COTTLESTON PIE, A SINGABLE ILLUSTRATED POEM
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/08/22/cottleston-pie-a-illustrated-poem-and-singable-too/

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SING-ALONG RESOURCES AND PRINTABLE MATERIALS
This is the place to find Print Materials Created by Emily, Service Providers, Vendors, Audio and Video to help you SING-ALONG!
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/sing-along-resources-2/

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A. A. MILNE

Almost all Pooh and Poetry by A. A. Milne and Illustrated by E. H. Shepard is Singable!
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/05/04/a-few-favorite-singable-books-the-world-of-a-a-milne/

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POETRY SINGABLE POETRY IN COMPILATIONS

An list of  singable poems from compilations of poetry for children
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/04/17/singable-poetry-a-list-of-poems-that-can-be-sung-from-illustrated-compilations-of-poetry-and-singable-picture-books/

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POETRY, SINGABLE POETRY IN INDIVIDUALLY ILLUSTRATED SINGABLE PICTURE BOOKS
A list of individually illustrated poems that have been set to music and can be sung
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/poems-individually-illustrated-spb/

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EDUCATIONAL CONTENT

A list of SPBs with fun and sneakily educational content.  The kids won’t even know they’re learning!
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/singable-picture-books-with-sneaky-educational-content/

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Cottleston Pie (with extra happy birthday verse for a friend)
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/12/01/cottleston-pie-with-extra-happy-birthday-verse-for-a-friend/

For a comprehensive historical survey of presidential campaign songs, this is your book!

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songs america voted by
Songs America Voted By
Words and Music by Various Artists
Text by Irwin Silber
Cover Illustration Pat Topper
ISBN0-8117-2275-9

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presidential campaign songs cover oscar brand
Presidential Campaign Songs 1789-1996 (CD Recording)
Sung by Oscar Brand
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
*Click here for Smithsonian Folkways page about this amazing CD:
http://www.folkways.si.edu/oscar-brand/presidential-campaign-songs-1789-1996/childrens-historical/music/album/smithsonian
*This CD includes Oscar Brand’s recording of his song SONG OF THE PRESIDENTS

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election songs oscar brand
Election Songs of the United States (CD Recording)
Sung by Oscar Brand
Notes by Irwin Silber
Recorded in 1960
For more information about this CD, click here for its page on the Smithsonian Folkways Label website:
http://www.folkways.si.edu/oscar-brand/election-songs-of-the-united-states/american-folk-historical-song/music/album/smithsonian

*
I read somewhere that the liner-notes Irwin Silber wrote for this album in 1960 were eventually expanded to create the book SONGS AMERICA VOTED BY which was published origionally in 1971.  It was in the late 1990′s that Oscar Brand recorded a new CD of campaign songs with a different song list.

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SONG OF THE PRESIDENTS BY OSCAR BRAND, A SINGABLE PICTURE BOOK
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2013/02/15/song-of-the-presidents-by-oscar-brand-a-singable-picture-book/

*
WHEN I FIRST  CAME TO THIS LAND, A SINGABLE PICTURE BOOK WITH WORDS AND MUSIC BY OSCAR BRAND
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2013/02/05/when-i-first-came-to-this-land-a-singable-picture-book/

*
YANKEE DOODLE IN SINGABLE PICTURE BOOKS

http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2013/01/30/little-house-songs-yankee-doodle/

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FOURTH OF JULY AND OTHER HOLIDAYS CELEBRATING THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND HER CITIZENS AND HISTORY
A list of Patriotic Singable Picture Books
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/a-patriotic-list-of-singable-books-for-july-4th/

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EDUCATIONAL CONTENT

A list of SPBs with fun and sneakily educational content.  The kids won’t even know they’re learning!
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/singable-picture-books-with-sneaky-educational-content/

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PRESIDENTS’ DAY
A list of Singable Picture Books to Celebrate President’s Day
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/presidents-day-singable-picture-books-to-celebrate-presidents-day-and-other-founding-fathers/

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PRESIDENT’S NAME SONG, A SINGABLE PICTURE BOOK
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/the-presidents-name-song-a-singable-picture-book/

*
SONG OF THE PRESIDENTS, A SINGABLE PICTURE BOOK
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2013/02/15/song-of-the-presidents-by-oscar-brand-a-singable-picture-book/

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ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Abraham Lincoln in Singable Picture Books
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/02/01/abraham-lincoln-in-singable-picture-books/

*
Stories of Our American Patriotic Songs (by Dr. John Henry Lyons), a Singable Picture Book

An exciting find at the bookstore today!

Though I’ve enjoyed singing this poem from compilations of Children’s Poetry, this is the first edition of the song I’ve ever found in its own book…and wonderful pictures they are, too.

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swing RLS julie morstad
The Swing
Poem by Robert Lewis Stevenson
Traditional Tune
Illustrated by Julie Morstad
Originally Published in A Child’s Garden of Verses
ISBN 978-1897476482

*
Book trailer for Julie Morstad’s illustration of “The Swing”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUaJhfX1Lk8

*
Full post about the THE SWING (by Robert Louis Stevenson), here:
The Swing, A Singalble Poem…and…Swinging with E.B.W. and R.L.S.
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/07/29/swinging-with-e-b-w-and-r-l-s/

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Related Posts:

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CHILD’S GARDEN OF VERSES, SINGABLE POEMS BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/03/28/a-childs-garden-of-verses-singable-poems-by-robert-louis-stevenson/

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MARK TWAIN ON ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/12/31/mark-twain-on-robert-louis-stevenson/

*
EDUCATIONAL CONTENT

A list of SPBs with fun and sneakily educational content.  The kids won’t even know they’re learning!
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/singable-picture-books-with-sneaky-educational-content/

*
POETRY SINGABLE POETRY IN COMPILATIONS

An list of  singable poems from compilations of poetry for children
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/04/17/singable-poetry-a-list-of-poems-that-can-be-sung-from-illustrated-compilations-of-poetry-and-singable-picture-books/

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POETRY, SINGABLE POETRY IN INDIVIDUALLY ILLUSTRATED SINGABLE PICTURE BOOKS
A list of individually illustrated poems that have been set to music and can be sung
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/poems-individually-illustrated-spb/

The little House books are deeply affecting, especially when read as a set all at once.

I began the project of reading all the books out of a desire to extract the songs, to learn and study them.  But I found myself greedily consuming the books for the stories, to find out what would happen next and to absorb them as a chronicle of one of the iron-willed, strong-shouldered, long-suffering, tough-as-nails families that endured the pioneer hardships and agonies of homesteading and settling the American West.  They made a success of it through grit and hard work.  These people (including the Ingalls and Wilder families) expanded our civilization, created communities and industries and they did so starting with nothing but the muscle in their arms and a few tools they brought along with them in their covered wagons.  They had vision and faith.  They survived and they created something from nothing.  I was enthralled by the descriptions of the cooking of food, home building, town founding, crop planting and harvesting, animal raising and the thought and work that went into sewing dresses, shirts, sheets and curtains.

On top of all of that is the music.  Music in threads of lyrics, instrumental song titles, Pa’s fiddle, church singing, and descriptive language about the music of the land and its creatures is woven all through the books.

This all goes to my mission in undertaking this project.  I wish I’d been able to refer to and hear the music while reading the books, at the moments the music was mentioned: because the music changes everything.  I’ve read the books and marveled at their ability to survive in harsh and harrowing circumstances, but to hear the music is to get a real hint of what gave them the will to go on.   The music is jubilation.  The music is the spirit taken wing.  The music is an expression of emotional love of life and family and what it is to survive and be alive.

In the Ingalls family, most of this music came right on out of Pa’s fiddle.  He may not have known it, but his act of playing those songs not only illuminated the dark days and festooned the happy times, but his fiddle songs planted seeds in his daughter who scattered them further into this present day so we can know and understand the fulfillment of our nations’s promise of life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness…and the cultivation and preservation of our culture and history.

I look forward now to going through the books again and fitting the sounds of  the music to the scenes in which Laura describes them.

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PS:  There are moments of racist expression in the books (towards Native Americans and the description of the black-face minstrel show).  These moments made my heart heavy.  But, as my dad says, “it is what it is.”  I can be disappointed, but without the expression of these thoughts, we would not have a true representation of the lives people led and the opinions people held at that time.  I must take in and digest the good with the bad and be glad that our country has (to whatever degree it is) advanced socially since then.

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LITTLE HOUSE SONGS: LAURA INGALLS WILDER – SONGS OF THE LITTLE HOUSE BOOKS
Songs of the “Little House” books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/11/15/songs-of-the-little-house-books-by-laura-ingalls-wilder/

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FOURTH OF JULY AND OTHER HOLIDAYS CELEBRATING THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND HER CITIZENS AND HISTORY
A list of Patriotic Singable Picture Books
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/a-patriotic-list-of-singable-books-for-july-4th/

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GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK

Singable Picture Books of the Great American Songbook and Michael Feinstein’s Foundation for the Preservation of the Great American Songbook
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/09/10/american-songbook-singable-picture-books-and-michael-feinsteins-foundation-for-the-preservation-of-the-great-american-songbook/

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WHEN I FIRST CAME TO THIS LAND, A SINGABLE PICTURE BOOK


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