Sing Books with Emily, the Blog

Archive for the ‘Singable Picture Book Video’ Category

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nightmare song g&s sage - Copy
The Nightmare Song
From Iolanthe
Words and Music by W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan
Illustrated by Angie Sage

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A couple performances of “The Nightmare Song” (also called “Lord Chancellor’s Nightmare”) online:

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=71BXaf0x5hA

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pLppcXRMXY

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA93YkOq7sk

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcf6k5QjSRI

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THE NIGHTMARE SONG
(Also called “The Lord Chancellor’s Nightmare”)
From Iolanthe
Words and Music by W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan

(Love unrequited, robs me of me rest
Love, hopeless love, my ardent soul encumbers
Love, nightmare like, lies heavy on me chest
And weaves itself into my midnight slumbers)

When you’re lying awake with a dismal headache
And repose is taboo’d by anxiety
I conceive you may use any language
You choose to indulge in, without impropriety

For your brain is on fire, the bed-clothes conspire
Of usual slumber to plunder you
First your counter pane goes and uncovers your toes
And your sheet slips demurely from under you

Then the blanketing tickles, you feel like mixed pickles
So terribly sharp is the pricking
And you’re hot and you’re cross and you tumble and toss
‘Til there’s nothing ‘twixt you and the ticking

Then the bed clothes all creep to the ground in a heap
And you pick ‘em all up in a tangle
Next your pillow resigns and politely declines
To remain at its usual angle

Well, you get some repose in the form of a doze
With hot eye balls and head ever aching
But your slumbering teems with such horrible dreams
That you’d very much better be waking

For you dream you are crossing the Channel and tossing
About in a steamer from Harwich
Which is something between a large bathing machine
And a very small second class carriage

And you’re giving a treat (penny ice and cold meat)
To a party of friends and relations
They’re a ravenous horde and they all come on board
At Sloane Square and South Kensington Stations

And bound on that journey you find your attorney
Who started this morning from Devon
He’s a bit undersie’d and you don’t feel surprised
When he tells you he’s only eleven

Well you’re driving like mad with this singular lad
By the bye the ship’s now a four wheeler
And you’re playing round games, and he calls you bad names
When you tell him that, “ties pay the dealer”

But this you can’t stand so you throw up your hand
And you find you’re as cold as an icicle
In your shirt and your socks (the black silk with gold clocks)
Crossing Salisbury Plain on a bicycle

And he and the crew are on bicycles too
Which they’ve somehow or other invested in
And he’s telling the tars all the particulars
Of a company he’s interested in

It’s a scheme of devices, to get at low prices
All good from cough mixtures to cables
(Which tickled the sailors) by treating retailers
As though they were all vegetables

You get a good spadesman to plant a small tradesman
(First take off his boots with a boot-tree)
And his legs will take root, and his fingers will shoot
And they’ll blossom and bud like a fruit-tree

From the green grocer tree you get grapes And green pea,
Cauliflower, pine apple and cranberries
While the pastry cook plant cherry brandy will grant
Apple puffs and three corners and Banburys

The shares are a penny and ever so many
Are taken by Rothschild and Baring
And just as a few are allotted to you
You awake and with a shudder despairing

You’re a regular wreck, with a crick in your neck
And no wonder you snore, for your head’s on the floor
And you’ve needles and pins from your soles to your shins
And your flesh is acreep, for your left leg’s asleep

And you’ve cramp in your toes and a fly on your nose
And some fluff in your lung and a feverish tongue
And a thirst that’s intense and a general sense
That you haven’t been sleeping in clover

But the darkness has pass’d, and it’s daylight at last
And the night has been long, ditto, ditto my song
And thank goodness they’re both of them over

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Wiki about Gilbert & Sullivan’s Iolanthe
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iolanthe

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I quite enjoy that this is an example of a “Patter Song”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patter_song

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Vocabulary (to help you understand what’s going on!)

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Related Posts

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THE SINGABLE PICTURE BOOKS OF GILBERT AND SULLIVAN

Here’s a cute one I learned (and adapted a little to make a counting song) from my daughter’s Brownie Troop:

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down by the banks of the hanky panky
Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky (Counting Song or Circle Game)
Traditional Words and Tune
To view or print this song sheet, click here:
down by the banks of the hanky panky

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DOWN BY THE BANKS OF THE HANKY PANKY
Traditional Words and Tune

Down by the banks of the Hanky Panky
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
With an eeps, ipes, opes, opps
One fell in and went kerplops.

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Circle Game Instructions

This song is sung (and game played) by the Brownies of Troop 2740 by sitting in a circle and hands extended round in the circle.  Each girl sits with right palm resting under the hand of the girl to her right and left hand resting on top of the hand to her left.  When the song begins, one girl is designated to begin and on the first beat of the song she gently slaps the hand of the girl to her right with her left hand.  Then, in turn, one at a time going around the circle (this would be counter-clockwise) when a girl’s left hand is gently slapped, she uses her left hand to gently slap the upturned palm of the girl to her right.  The girl whose hand is slapped on the word “kerplop” is out and the game/song begins again and is played until the last girl/frog goes “kerplop.”

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Counting Game Instructions

To make this a counting song, replace “Where the” with 5 (or number for however many times you’re willing to sing the song), and in each subsequent verse, reduce the number by 1. When the group reaches zero, sing “No bullfrogs jump” and “Not one fell in and went kerplops.”

It would go like this:

DOWN BY THE BANKS OF THE HANKY PANKY (COUNTING SONG)
Traditional Words and Tune

Down by the banks of the Hanky Panky
Five bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
With an eeps, ipes, opes, opps
One fell in and went kerplops.

Down by the banks of the Hanky Panky
Four bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
With an eeps, ipes, opes, opps
One fell in and went kerplops.

Etc…

Last verse:
Down by the banks of the Hanky Panky
No bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
With an eeps, ipes, opes, opps
Not one fell in and went kerplops.

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Very similar tune to the one the girls use, a 19 second song so you can hear the whole tune by previewing the track, here (very cute),
http://www.amazon.com/Down-By-Banks-Hanky-Panky/dp/B003EYA7JS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1368622270&s=dmusic&sr=1-2

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This video includes extended lyrics and a hand-clapping game, but a similar tune:

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Kids in Indonesia play the song, too (slightly different lyrics, but same tune!)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zoMAvwKGfk

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This is not a circle game, but an alternative with movements (good exercise!)
King County Library System webpage for this song, includes slightly different lyrics and tune and a video with movements for a little exercise:
http://wiki.kcls.org/tellmeastory/index.php/Down_by_the_Banks_of_the_Hanky_Panky

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Slightly different lyrics but good circle game (they call it a clapping game, but the instructions are for the circle game),
http://kiboomukidssongs.com/down-by-the-banks-of-the-hanky-panky-song/

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Related Posts

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Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky, a Girl Scout Song for Troop 2740
http://brownietroop2740.wordpress.com/2013/05/19/down-by-the-banks-of-the-hanky-panky-a-girl-scout-song-for-troop-2740/

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MOVEMENTS, FINGER PLAYS AND DANCES
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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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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COUNTING

Counting (and math) in Singable Picture Books
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/counting-and-math-in-singable-picture-books/

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PINTEREST
SING WITH ME SONGBOOK FOR SINGBOOKS WITH EMILY (ON PINTEREST)
http://pinterest.com/singbooksemily/sing-with-me-songbook-sing-books-with-emily/

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chimpanzoo

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chimpanzoo 2
http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/The_Chimpanzoo?file=TheChimpanzoo.jpg

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9eVfo4XBOo

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Richard Sherman tells the story of the song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPcECuFJ6Is

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CHIMPANZOO
Words and Music by  Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
Song written for, but cut from, the movie MARY POPPINS

In Timbuktu, there’s a Chimpanzoo
That’s run by a chimpanzee.
It’s an oddish place where the human race
Is under lock and key.

And on their backs, they wear small plaques
For the animals to view.
Which specify the reasons why
They’re locked in the Chimpanzoo.

If you’re boisterous and bumptious,
you’re grist for the Chimpanzoo!
If you’re overly rambunctious,
You’re whisked to Timbukto.

Laughs, laughs, nothing but laughs
But you know who’s laughing at who?
It’s the animals there who giggle and stare
At you in the Chimpanzoo!

(Instrumental / Kazoo break)

You may never play the music halls
In all your wildest dreams.
But billow and blast in the Chimpanzoo
And the animals burst their seams.

It takes a lot of talent and time
To become a West End attraction.
But in this place, one rude grim-ace
Gets a marvelous reaction.

Laughs, laughs, nothing but laughs
But you know who’s laughing at who?
It’s the animals there who giggle and stare
Gate with glee incredulously
At the boisterous bumptious rowdy crew
At you in the Chimpanzoo.

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Info about the song in here:
http://www.dvdizzy.com/marypoppins.html

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Related Post

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SINGABLE PICTURE BOOK WISHES 1 (PICTURE BOOKS THAT NEED SONGS)

Like Pinocchio wished to become a real boy, I imagine that these books wish to become Singable.
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/02/28/singable-picture-book-wishes-books-that-wish-to-become-singable-and-songs-that-wish-to-be-illustrated/

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SINGABLE PICTURE BOOK WISHES 2 (SONGS THAT WISH TO BE ILLUSTRATED)

There songs are BEGGING to become Singable Picture Books
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/03/06/singable-picture-book-wishes-2-songs-that-wish-to-be-illustrated/

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SHERMAN BROTHERS

The Singable Picture Books of Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/11/07/singable-picture-books-of-richard-m-sherman-and-robert-b-sherman/

Singable Picture Book-wise, it doesn’t get much better than this.  BEETHOVEN’S WIG combines humor, delightful illustration and classical music.  The text is saturated with robust vocabulary.  We are introduced to one of the great characters and composers ever to have lived.  We will all be enriched by spending some time traipsing around Beethoven’s wig…

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beethoven's wig (read along symphony)
Beethoven’s Wig
Music by Ludwig van Beethoven (Symphony No. 5)
Words by Richard Perlmutter
Illustrated by Maria Rosetti

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Video for the song (matches the book exactly)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdRZl9g_5tw

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Beethoven Symphony Number 5 wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._5_(Beethoven)

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Website for the whole Beethoven’s Wig series:
http://www.beethovenswig.com/

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YouTube with full performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z4KK7RWjmk

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BEETHOVEN’S WIG
Music by Ludwig van Beethoven
Music based on Beethoven’s Sympony No. 5

Words by Richard Perlmutter

Beethoven’s Wig is very big.
Beethoven’s wig is long and curly and it’s white.
Beethoven takes his wig off when he sleeps at night.
Because it’s big.
It’s very big.
Beethoven’s wig is big.
It’s really big.

Beethoven’s wig is heavy when he takes a walk.
His wig is even bigger than the wig of Bach.
It is tremendous.
It is stupendous.
It is gigantic and titanic.
Monumental and colossal.
And enormous and humongous.
Cause it’s big.
It’s really big.
It’s very big.
It’s mighty big.

Beethoven’s Wig is oh so wide
You’ll need a guide
To see each side.
It’s really big.
It’s grandiose.
Don’t get too close you’ll overdose
Because it’s big. Big!
Beethoven’s Wig is big!

It’s stylish and it’s handsome.
It costs a small king’s ransom -
Five hundred bucks and then some.
But the hair’s so long and flowing
That the wig seems like it’s growing.
And it keeps his face from showing.
Poor Beethoven’s wig needs mowing.

Cause Beethoven’s wig is big.
Beethoven’s wig is very big.
It’s oh so big
It’s filled with goo,
It’s such a problem to shampoo.
It’s really very, very big.
Beethoven’s wig is very big.
It’s awful big.
It’s such a mess it even has it’s own address.

Beethoven’s wig is such a mop.
He should stop at the barber shop.
It’s way too big.
His mother called.
She said he would look better bald.
Because it’s big.
It’s very big.
Beethoven’s wig!

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THE SONG IS FUNNY BUT THERE WASN’T REALLY A WIG

This song is a terrific opportunity to have some fun with classical music and introduce children to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.

Though Beethoven was painted with, and is frequently depicted as having, a large mane of wild hair
(As in Karl Stieler’s famous 1820 portrait of Beethoven)…

Beethoven by Joseph Karl Stieler 1820

…and though this song is all about Beethoven’s wig, my research has revealed that Beethoven never wore a wig.  The notion of such makes for a funny song, but the kids should know the song’s wig  is for humor (and maybe can be thought of as a tribute to his wild hair, or just as a joke in the picture book) and that the great composer didn’t wear one.

There’s the lyric, “His wig is ever bigger than the wig of Bach,” extra funny because Johann Sebastian Bach (another great German composer who lived 1685-1750), see in this 1746 portrait by Elias Haussmann, really DID wear a wig:
Johann_Sebastian_Bach

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Visuals are always helpful!
So, to help explain to the kids how Beethoven did not actually wear a wig, but Bach did, I put this together (the portraits above plus a short Beethoven bio),

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beethoven wig poster port only
Beethoven’s Wig (Beethoven and Bach) Composers Poster and Beethoven Bio
To view or print this packet, click here:
 beethoven’s wig poster

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1959 Ludwig_van_Beethoven German stamp
1959 German Stamp depicting Liwig van Beethoven

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A little info on Beethoven, gathered mostly from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_van_Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven
1770 -1827
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. He remains one of the most famous and influential of all composers. His best known compositions include 9 symphonies, 5 concertos for piano, 32 piano sonatas, and 16 string quartets. He also composed other chamber music, choral works, and songs.

Born in Bonn, Germany, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of the Holy Roman Empire, Beethoven displayed his musical talents at an early age. Beethoven moved to Vienna in 1792 and began studying with Haydn, quickly gaining a reputation as a virtuoso pianist. He lived in Vienna until his death. In about 1800 his hearing began to deteriorate, and by the last decade of his life he was almost totally deaf. He gave up conducting and performing in public but continued to compose; many of his most admired works come from this period.

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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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Beethoven’s Wig, Musical Parodies of Symphonies and Piano Classics

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Ants Go Marching (Classic Books with Holes)

Traditional Words and Tune (sing to the tune of, When Johnny Comes Marching Home)
Illustrated by Dan Crisp

I’ve had this book for quite a long time and just let it sit there, honestly, thinking that this was a boring book for a boring song.  HOW WRONG I WAS!  Not sure what compelled me to finally pick it up, but I did pick up this delightful, oversized Classic Book with Holes and was so glad I did.  the pictures are funny and when the song multiplies the ants, the ants multiply in the pictures.  The multiplication equation depicted for each photo spread is printed in the corner so the kids can see what 4 X 4 (read “The ants go marching four by four”) ants looks like.  This book is well layed out with holes die cute in each page to reveal some of the ants on the following pages.  And, like ants in real life, these ants are all busy doing something with happy “whistle while you work,” or “just a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down” expressions on their faces.

What ties it all together  though, is the well produced, delightfully arranged music CD which comes with the book.  The CD has a vocal track for singing along, but (yipee!) the instrumental is also included, so you can sing along by yourself!

To my surprise, this book went from what I thought to be something boring to one of the most requested Singable Picture Books in the Sing Books Repertoire.

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I haven’t tried these yet, they might be wonderful and I imagine one could use the recording above to sing these as well:

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ants go marching d'antonio
Ants Go Marching (Traditional Songs from Picture Window Books)
Traditional Words and Tune (sing to the tune of, When Johnny Comes Marching Home)
Edited by Ann Own
Illustrated by Sandra D’Antonio

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ants go marching gruetzke
Ants Go Marching (Sing and Read Storybook)
Traditional Words and Tune (sing to the tune of, When Johnny Comes Marching Home)
Illustrated by Jeffrey Scherer

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Two for the AUNTS:

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aunts come marching
The Aunts Come Marching
Traditional Words and Tune (sing to the tune of, When Johnny Comes Marching Home)
Words Adapted by Bill Richardson
Illustrated by Cynthia Nugent

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aunts go marching
The Aunts Go Marching
Traditional Words and Tune (sing to the tune of, When Johnny Comes Marching Home)
Words Adapted by Maurie J. Manning
Illustrated by Maurie J. Manning

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For the Animals Who Went in the Ark

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animals went in two by two
Animals Went in Two by Two
Traditional Words and Tune (sing to the tune of, When Johnny Comes Marching Home)
Illustrated by Wendy Straw
This book seems to be currently available only in Australia.

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Animals Went in Two by Two (a Noah’s Ark Pop-Up Book)
Traditional Words and Tune (sing to the tune of, When Johnny Comes Marching Home)
Illustrated by Jan Pienkowski

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuQjR2lsYl0

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Related Posts

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WHEN JOHNNY COMES MARCHING HOME, A SINGABLE PICTURE BOOK
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/10/22/when-johnny-comes-marching-home-a-singable-picture-book/

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CLASSIC BOOKS WITH HOLES
The Singable Picture Books of Classic Books with Holes
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/the-singable-picture-books-of-classic-books-with-holes/

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COUNTING

Counting (and math) in Singable Picture Books
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/counting-and-math-in-singable-picture-books/

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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/

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/

My friend Doug told me about another song that mentions pie: BILLY BOY

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billy boy richard chase glen rounds
Billy Boy
Traditional Words and Music
Verses Selected by Richard Chase
Illustrated by Glen Rounds

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Billy Boy is featured on pgs. 10-11 of:

A Treasury of Children’s Songs: Forty Favorites to Sing and Play
Illustrated with Art from the Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City
Music Arranged and Edited by Dan Fox

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Billy Boy is featured on p. 42-43 of:

Jim Along, Josie

A Collection of Folk Songs and Singing Games for Young Children
Compiled by Nancy & John Langstaff
Illustrated by Jan Pienkowski

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I like Jan Pietkowski’s silhouette illustration for Billy Boy from “Jim Along Josie”

Billy Boy Jan Pienkowski - Copy

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Interesting exceprt from website regarding Richard Chase’s book for the song (his own selection of lyrics), found here:
http://www2.ferrum.edu/applit/bibs/Folkbib.htm#CF

Chase, Richard. Billy Boy. Illus. Glen Rounds. San Carlos, Calif.: Golden Gate Junior Books, 1966. A picture book adaptation of the folk song about Billy reporting to his mother on the qualities of the wife he has just found. Music is given at the end. Chase observed in letters and lectures that this song is said to be “a parody of an old miserable murder ballad” from England, “Lord Randall” (see a version in AppLit at this link). Chase sang verses he collected from children that are not in print, such as “She can wear a wedding gown/But she wears it upside down./She can fix a wedding cake/That will give you the belly ache” (from audio cassette of a 1975 visit to a class). In a letter dated 4/25/68, Chase wrote, “I got $400 royalties from that disgraceful ‘hillbilly’ Billy Boy,” and as others have noted, Chase did not like the illustrations published with his song. (Letter and cassette are in Richard Chase Papers 1928-1988, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Appalachian State University.) Other versions of lyrics to this song are available at The Bluegrass Messengers Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes. Only positive attributes of the young woman are described in the Appalachian version in Kidd, Ronald (comp.), On Top of Old Smoky–see Appalachian Folktale Collections. 

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I like how the introductions to Richard Chase’s selected verses of Billy Boy (illustrated by Glen Rounds) talks about the song as being subject to The Folks Process.  Richard Chase does not call the changing of the song by people who sing it over time, “The Folk Process,” I got the name for that idea from Peter Yarrow.  I also like that Richard Chase ends the  introduction with, “…Billy always has his cherry pie.”

Here is Billy Boy, mostly as folks sing it in the southern Appalachian mountains.  That is why our pictures show Billy as a mountain boy.

Billy Boy is an “old” song.  It has been loved and laughed at and sung for more than 200 years.  Wherever English is spoken, country folk and city folk, kids and grown-ups have known and sung the story the song tells.  From New England to the southern mountains to California children know about Billy.

There are many versions of Billy Boy.  The selection of verses here is my own, collected from many sources, oral and printed, over the past thirty years.  You make know some verses not included in this book.  But that makes it all the more fun, for many a child or adult who sings the song adds or changes something until, in a way, it becomes a “new” song.  Billy Boy has even been sung as a sea chanty!

Some learned people say that the song is a parody of the old tragic ballad, Lord Randall.  If so, then it has changed a lot!  But one thing about Billy Boy - wherever it goes, Bill always has his cherry pie.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKRJuLHU3Qo

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Billy Boy wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Boy

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These lyrics match the ones sung in the video above:

BILLY BOY
Traditional Words and Tune

Oh, where have you been,
Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Oh, where have you been,
Charming Billy?
I have been to seek a wife,
She’s the joy of my life,
She’s a young thing
And cannot leave her mother.

Did she ask you to come in,
Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Did she ask you to come in,
Charming Billy?
Yes, she asked me to come in,
There’s a dimple in her chin.
She’s a young thing
And cannot leave her mother.

Can she make a cherry pie,
Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she make a cherry pie,
Charming Billy?
She can make a cherry pie,
Quick as a cat can wink an eye,
She’s a young thing
And cannot leave her mother.

How old is she,
Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
How old is she,
Charming Billy?
Three times six and four times seven,
Twenty-eight and eleven,
She’s a young thing
And cannot leave her mother.

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PIE
Pie, Pie, Pie! A Celebration of Pie in my Hoosier Family Heritage and in Singable Picture Books
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2013/04/13/pie-pie-pie-a-celebration-of-pie-in-my-hoosier-family-heritage-and-in-singable-picture-books/

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a little nonsense relished
A Little Nonsense Relished
Phrase by Roald Dahl
From the book CHARLIE AND THE GREAT GLASS ELEVATOR
From the movie WILLY WONKA  AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
Sing to an Adaptation of Twinkle Little Star
Sing this little tune with Emily:
https://soundcloud.com/singbookswithemily/a-little-nonsense-now-and-then
To view or print this song sheet, click here:
a little nonsense relished

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“A little nonsense now and then
is relished by the wisest men.”

Roald Dahl via Willy Wonka
From CHARLIE AND THE GREAT GLASS ELEVATOR, by Roald Dahl, Chapter 12, Willy Wonka says this to Grandma Josephine.
Also from the movie WILLY WONKA  AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, screenplay by Roald Dahl, Willy Wonka sings this to Mr. Salt.

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I always loved how Gene Wilder (as Willy Wonka in the Movie) turned this quote into a little song, to the tune of “Twinkle Little Star.”  This seems altogether fitting, since the Mad Hatter sings “Twinkle Little Bat,” an adaptation of ”Twinkle Little Star,” at the tea party in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and Willy Wonka (at least in the movie) is so Mad-Hatter-like!

*

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNzbWMl0bFM

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This poem is an example of a COUPLET.

A couplet is one of the shortest forms of poetry, consisting of two successive lines of verse that usually rhyme, have the same meter, and often form a complete thought.

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Related Posts

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

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SONG/BOOK SETS

http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/songbook-sets/

*
TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR

http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/09/14/twinkle-little-star-the-song-the-list/

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TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE BAT

http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/01/04/twinkle-twinkle-little-bat-a-singable-poem-with-pictures-and-a-play-on-a-classic/

*
ALICE IN WONDERLAND

http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/06/26/alices-adventures-in-wonderland-and-through-the-looking-glass-singable/

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SING BOOKS WITH EMILY VIDEO SERIES

http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/video-series/

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PINTEREST
SING WITH ME SONGBOOK FOR SINGBOOKS WITH EMILY (ON PINTEREST)
http://pinterest.com/singbooksemily/sing-with-me-songbook-sing-books-with-emily/

*
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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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/

My friend George told me once that singing is difficult for some because the act of singing is expressing emotion on pitch.  That might also be why long notes are often applauded, because it is not only a physical and musical achievement people marvel at, but also the emotional courage of honestly and brazenly bearing one’s soul.  Overwhelming emotional situations always make me WANT to sing.  This overflow of emotion is the stimulus to sing when people gather and a commonly known song breaks out.

These emotional days of big terrible events and tumultuous changes in society are causing examples to emerge of gathered people breaking out in song.  One of these has been around for a long time, but the other two, recent examples come from the same emotional need to sing and the uniting quality of song.

THE POWER OF SONG

*
National Anthem Sung at Boston Bruins Game the Night after Boston Marathon Bomb Attack.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbHMRpdk3_4
I do so love the Boston accents so evident in this singing of the National Anthem!

*
Gay Marriage Bill Is Passed in New Zealand

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilMBLV3A6ug
The reading of the vote, cheering, then singing begin about 40 seconds into the video.

*
The Who’s Sing Together in Whoville After the Grinch Failed to Steal Christmas

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqOOUJFv1n0

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Related Posts

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INFO AND THINKING ABOUT SINGABLE PICTURE BOOKS
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/resources-for-inspiration-and-information/

robert frost portrait

I just found the Robert Frost poem THE SECRET SITS in POEMS TO LEARN BY HEART, a collection of poetry compiled by Caroline Kennedy and gorgeously illustrated with watercolor paintings by Jon J Muth.  A tune came to me for this little verse.  I’m sorry to remember reading somewhere that Robert Frost did not particularly like his poetry being set to music.  I’m not a composer, but little tunes do come to me sometimes and I can’t help it.  When something comes, I’ve a compulsion to share. I hope Mr. Frost will forgive me for sharing the little tune (found below).

Then I realized that I’ve amassed a sweet little collection of Frost poems, illustrated and set to music.  I hope he won’t mind all these, either, most gorgeously set to music by masters.

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cow in apple time frost yeagle
The Cow in Apple Time
Poem by Robert Frost
Musical Settings by Various Artists
Illustrated by Dean Yeagle

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DUST OF SNOW” from the Sing Books with Emily SINGABLE ADVENT CALENDAR

DUST OF SNOW
SBWE SINGABLE ADVENT CALENDAR
Poem by Robert Frost
Musical Setting by Elliott Carter
To view or print this page, click here:
SBWE Advent Calendar Dust of Snow

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Poetry for Young People: American Poetry
Edited by John Hollander
Illustrated by Sally Wern Comport
(Singable Poems include:  “Casey at the Bat” by Ernest Thayer, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost, “O Captain! My Captain!” by Walt Whitman)

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Poetry for Young People: Robert Frost
Words and Music by Various Artists
Edited by Gary D. Schmidt
Illustrated by Henri Sorensen

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Poetry Speaks to Children

Edited by Elise Paschen
Illustrated by Judy Love, Wendy Rasmussen, Paula Zinngrabe Wendland
(Comes with a CD of artists and authors reading the poems)
Letter to Bee” by Emily Dickinson is on p. 3
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is printed on p. 4 and a recording of Robert Frost reading his poem is on Track 3 of the CD
Halfway Down” by A. A. Milne is printed on p. 68

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The Rose Family
Poem by Robert Frost
Musical Setting by Elliott Carter
Pictures Coordinated by Emily Leatha Everson Gleichenhaus
This book is for home, classroom and library use only.

To view or print The Rose Family, click here:
rose family SPB for SBWE

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A page for the Sing Books with Emily SINGABLE ADVENT CALENDARThe Rose Family
SBWE Advent Calendar the rose family
The Rose Family
Poem by Robert Frost
Musical Setting by Elliott Carter
To view or print the SBWE Singable Advent Calendar sheet for “The Rose Family,” click here:
SBWE Advent Calendar the rose family

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the secret sits robert frost sbwe
The Secret Sits
Poem by Robert Frost
Tune by  Emily Leatha Everson Gleichenhaus
Illustration Assembled by  Emily Leatha Everson Gleichenhaus
To view or print this song sheet, click here:
the secret sits robert frost sbwe
Sing the tune with Emily, here:
https://soundcloud.com/singbookswithemily/secret-sits-robert-frost-tune

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A page for the Sing Books with Emily SINGABLE ADVENT CALENDARStopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
SBWE Advent Calendar Stopping by Woods
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
Poem by Robert Frost
Sing to the Tune of Greensleeves
To view or print the SBWE Singable Advent Calendar sheet for “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” click here:
SBWE Advent Calendar Stopping by Woods
Sing along with Emily, here:
https://soundcloud.com/singbookswithemily/stopping-by-woods-eleg-2010

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Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
Poem by Robert Frost
Sing to the Tune of Greensleeves
Illustrated by Susan Jeffers
Sing along with Emily, here:
https://soundcloud.com/singbookswithemily/stopping-by-woods-eleg-2010

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swinger of birches frost koeppen
A Swinger of Birches (Poems of Robert Frost for Young People)
Poems by Robert Frost
Musical Settings by Various Artists
Illustrated by Peter Koeppen
Edited by Barbara Holdrige

*
you come too robert frost
You Come Too (Favorite Poems for Young Readers)
Poems by Robert Frost
Musical Settings by Various Artists
With Wood Engravings by Thomas W. Nason

**********************
FROSTIANA (Seven Country Songs for Men’s, Women’s and Mixed Voices with Piano Accompaniment)
A Song Cycle of Frost Poems by Randall Thompson

*
FROSTINA wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frostiana

*
FROSTIANA songs as performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on their album CHOOSE SOMETHING LIKE A STAR:
choose something like a star
http://www.amazon.com/Choose-Something-Like-a-Star/dp/B00AIGPAYW/ref=tmm_other_meta_binding_title_0

**********************

Robert Frost (1874-1963)

**********************

*
Robert Frost wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Frost

*
Robert Frost on Poets.org:
http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/192

*
Robert Frost on Biography.com
http://www.biography.com/people/robert-frost-20796091

**********************
Related Posts

*
SONGS BY EMILY
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/songs-by-emily/

*
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/

*
ADVENT CALENDAR
Sing Books with Emily Singable Advent Calendar
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/11/29/the-sing-books-with-emily-singable-advent-calendar/

*
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/

*
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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