Archive for the ‘Song History’ Category
Friends for Sparrow
Posted on: May 24, 2013
Addendum to THE SPARROW (by Jill Leger), 5/23/2013
I’ve recently found a few books to further enhance the joy of THE SPARROW. Each of these books chronicle animal grouping names. I’ve been reading through ZEAL OF ZEBRAS with the kids and will soon have my vintage copies of Brian Wildsmith’s books ready to go. Since they are vintage, I want to scan some of the pages since they would be hard to replace after the wear and tear of use!
I tell the children that if they are interested in expanding vocabulary, a great place to start is with the words used for animal groupings:
- An AMBUSH of tigers
- A SHREWDNESS of apes.
- A WEDGE of swans.
- An OSTENTATION of peacocks.
- A TROUBLING of hummingbirds.
- A SHIVER of sharks.
Marvelous words in these books by Woop Studios, Jill Leger and Brian Wildsmith!
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Zeal of Zebras
Words and Art by Woop Studios
When we sing The Sparrow we talk about the names of animal groups (and how exploring the names of animal groups is a great way to enhance your vocabulary) this artful book explores an alphabet full of animal group names (like “an ostentation of peacocks” or “an embarrassment of pandas”)
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Brian Wildsmith’s BIRDS
Text by Brian Wildsmith
Illustrated by Brian Wildsmith
When we sing The Sparrow we talk about the names of animal groups and how exploring the names of animal groups is a great way to enhance your vocabulary). This artful book explores bird group names like “a stare of owls.”
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Brian Wildsmith’s WILD ANIMALS
Text by Brian Wildsmith
Illustrated by Brian Wildsmith
When we sing The Sparrow we talk about the names of animal groups and how exploring the names of animal groups is a great way to enhance your vocabulary). This artful book explores bird group names like “an ambush of tigers.”
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The Sparrow
Words and Music by Jill Léger
Illustrated by Jill Leger
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Related Articles
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THE SPARROW, A SINGABLE PICTURE BOOK
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/03/09/the-sparrow-a-singable-book-an-interview-and-a-karaoke-sing-along-by-jill-leger/
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Murmuration, starlings and the sparrow…
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/11/16/murmuration-starlings-and-the-sparrow/
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BIRDS
For the love of birds!
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/06/25/for-the-birds-a-list-of-singable-picture-books-to-celebrate-our-tuneful-feathered-friends/
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BRIAN WILDSMITH
The Singable Picture Books of Brian Wildsmith
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/07/29/the-singable-picture-books-of-brian-wildsmith/
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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
My dear friend Ms. Anctil gave me a gift of a new FARMER IN THE DELL:
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The Farmer in the Dell
Traditional Words and Tune
Illustrated by Wendy Straw
Turns out, there’s quite a few FARMERS IN THE DELL!
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The Farmer in the Dell
Traditional Words and Tune
Illustrated by Ilse Plume
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This was sitting on Mr. Mitchell’s bookshelf, so we sang it!
The Farmer in the Dell (A Singing Game)
Traditional Words and Music
Illustrated by Mary Maki Rae
This book features a description of the circle game which can be played when singing this song as well as printed music.
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Farmer in the Dell (Classic Books with Holes)
Traditional Words and Tune
Illustrated by Pam Adams
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The Farmer in the Dell
Traditional Words and Tune
Illustrated by Alexandra Wallner
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Wiki has lyrics and song history info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Farmer_in_the_Dell
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A YouTube to help you with the tune:
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THE FARMER IN THE DELL
Traditional Words and Tune
The farmer in the dell
The farmer in the dell
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The farmer in the dell
The farmer takes a wife
The farmer takes a wife
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The farmer takes a wife
The wife takes a child
The wife takes a child
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The wife takes a child
The child takes a nurse
The child takes a nurse
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The child takes a nurse
The nurse takes a cow
The nurse takes a cow
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The nurse takes a cow
The cow takes a dog
The cow takes a dog
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The cow takes a dog
The dog takes a cat
The dog takes a cat
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The dog takes a cat
The cat takes a rat
The cat takes a rat
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The cat takes a rat
The rat takes the cheese
The rat takes the cheese
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The rat takes the cheese
The cheese stands alone
The cheese stands alone
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The cheese stands alone
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This looks like a very cool vintage toy:
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It is fun to sing this song along with accompaniment from the Fisher Price TV Radio that winds up and plays a music box version of “The Farmer in the Dell,”
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FARMER IN THE DELL
Circle Game Instructions from Ilse Plume’s Illustration:
HOW TO PLAY THE FARMER IN THE DELL
The Farmer in the Dell begins with a group of children forming a circle around a single child who is designated ”the farmer.” As the children begin to sing the song, they hold hands and dance in a circle around the farmer. When the children sing “The farmer takes a wife, the farmer takes a wife, high-ho the derry-o, the farmer takes a wife,” the child in the center of the circle chooses another child to come into the center with him, and she is designated ”the wife.”
The farmer can select a wife either by spinning around with his eyes closed and choosing the child to hem he randomly points, or he can actively choose a specific child. The game continues in the same manner with the wife picking a “child,” then the child picking a “nurse,” and so on until the seventh child becomes “the rat.”
When all of the children in the circle sing “The rat takes the cheese, the rat takes the cheese, high-ho the derry-o, the rat takes the cheese,” the eights child is chosen and as she enters the circle the other players go back into the circle, join hands with the other children , and sing along: “The cheese stands alone, the cheese stands alone, heigh-ho the derry-o, the cheese stands alone.”
To begin the next round of the game, the cheese is designated the farmer and she chooses the next wife.
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To find a good definition, I Googled “What is a dell?” and this is what came up:
dell:
/del/
Noun
A small valley, usually among trees.
Synonyms
glen – valley
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Related Posts
Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night, an addition to my collection by Wendy Watson
Posted on: May 13, 2013
I wanted my own copy of FOX WENT OUT ON A CHILLY NIGHT, as illustrated by Wendy Watson, for a long time. It just arrived. I bought a very good ex-library hardcover edition from Amazon and it is as sweet and delightful an illustration as one would expect from Wendy Watson.
Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night
Traditional Words and Music
Illustrated by Wendy Watson
ISBN 0-688-10766-4
As with any old folks song, the lyrics will often vary from one printed version to another (and among the many people who sing and perform it) and that is the case here. I’ve been singing this for kids with Peter Spier’s illustration (which I also adore) and the lyrics within are slightly different than that, but the differences are wonderful and it will be lots of fun to sing both. For example, in Peter Spier’s illustration, the woman who discovers the fox and sticks her head out of the window is “Old Mother Giggle-Gaggle,” but in Wendy Watson’s illustration, the woman is “Old Mother Slipper-Slopper,” who Ms. Watson adorably draws wearing sloppy slippers.
The inside cover book flap for Wendy Watson’s illustration offers this info:
This classic folk song of a fox in pursuit of his dinner was first published in the 1810 edition of Gammer Gurton’s Garland. It has been a childhood favorite ever since…
It’s hilarious to me, that, in the text mentioned above from Gammer Gurton’s Garland, the woman is called “Old Mother Widdle Waddle.”
In the 1810 Gammer Gurton’s Garland, this is all there is of what was to become the song FOX WENT OUT ON A CHILLY NIGHT:
DAME WIDDLE WADDLE.
Old Mother Widdle Waddle jumpt out of bed,
And out at the casement she popt out her head:
Crying the house is on fire, the grey goose is dead,
And the fox he is come to the town, oh!
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Related Posts
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FOX WENT OUT ON A CHILLY NIGHT
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/the-fox-went-out-on-a-chilly-night-an-old-folk-song-and-a-singable-picture-book/
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WATSON FAMILY
Singable Picture Books from Nancy Dingman, Aldren A., Clyde and Wendy Watson
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/08/25/singable-picture-books-by-the-watsons-nancy-dingman-aldren-a-clyde-and-wendy/
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FAVORITE SINGABLES ON PINTEREST
Of the hundreds (maybe thousands) of choices, this list onPinterest displays the top blockbuster favorite Singable Picture Books that we warble together at Sing Books visits:
http://pinterest.com/singbooksemily/
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FATHER FOX’S PENNYRHYMES AND FATHER FOX’S FEAST OF SONGS, SINGABLE PICTURE BOOKS AND PRINTED MUSIC, TOO!
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/08/05/father-foxs-pennyrhymes-and-father-foxs-fest-of-songs-singable-picture-books-and-printed-music-too/
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The Fox, a Crafty Character for Singable Picture Books
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/09/26/the-fox-a-crafty-character/
- In: Art of Singing a Song | Cabaret | Case for Singable Books | Expert Info - First Hand | Girl Scout Song | Heartfelt Musings | Lyrics | Out of the Mouths of Babes | Poetry | Power of Music | Quotes of Note | Sing Along Tracks | Sing Books with Emily Sing-Along Materials | Singable Book Title | Singable Poem | Singable Poetry | Song History | Written by ELEG
- Leave a Comment
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Horse Sang a Song, Song
Words by Eloise Pauline Gleichenhaus
Tune by Eloise’s Mom
Illustrated by Eloise Pauline Gleichenhaus
Sing along with Eloise’s Mom Emily, here:
https://soundcloud.com/singbookswithemily/horse-sang-a-song-song
To view or print this poem poster, click here:
HORSE SANG A SONG SONG EPG POSTER 2013
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Eloise’s handwritten poem:
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THE HORSE SANG A SONG, SONG
Words by Eloise Pauline Gleichenhaus
Tune by Eloise’s Mom
Sing along with Eloise’s Mom Emily, here:
https://soundcloud.com/singbookswithemily/horse-sang-a-song-song
I saw a brown horse.
She sang a song.
A horse of course.
I sang along.
The horse was pretty.
She combed her hair.
The horse was witty.
She not care.
I saw a brown horse.
She sang a song.
A horse of course.
I sang along.
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Related Posts
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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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PINTEREST
FAVORITE SINGABLES ON PINTEREST
Of the hundreds (maybe thousands) of choices, this list on Pinterest displays the top blockbuster favorite Singable Picture Books that we warble together at Sing Books visits:
http://pinterest.com/singbooksemily/
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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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SONGS BY EMILY
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/songs-by-emily/
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GALLERY OF KIDS ARTWORK FOR SBWE
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/praise-portraits-from-friends-of-sbwe/
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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/
My friend Doug posted this article on his Facebook page:
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Why Harry Connick Jr. Couldn’t Sit Idle During ‘Idol’
http://www.nextavenue.org/blog/why-harry-connick-jr-couldnt-sit-idle-during-idol
It makes a great point that’s been on my mind ever since Idol started. I didn’t watch this year, so have no idea who is singing. What I’ve enjoyed so much in previous years is watching a bunch of young kids follow their hearts and dreams to do something they love and to participate in an artistic pursuit.
And it IS a vocal competition.
BUT…
I believe that true art comes from knowledge of the subject and Harry Connick Jr. is right to hold their feet to the fire in Songs from the Great American Songbook. It is important to me as a performer to feel worthy of being listened to…and not just vocally. The “worth” comes from knowing what I am singing, what I am singing about, the song history, the words, the music, the composer and lyricist. I want to know and understand why the song was written, when, and for what reason. And I want to know and understand my own reason for singing the song, what do I personally think it means, what is my vision and perspective. What am I trying to say. What experiences in my life come to play in the song. What does it remind me of and what experiences come along which change or contribute to my experience of the song. What do I have to share and contribute?
This whole blog is about exploring the REASON for singing, to support my effort in being worthy of singing these songs.
Someone said, “Just because you CAN doesn’t mean you SHOULD.”
There is so much more to the art of sharing songs than just standing up and sounding good.
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The Art of Crafting a Song for Performance
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The Art of Singing and Crafting a Song for Performance: Emily’s Song Craft Worksheet
This worksheet details my process for crafting a song for performance.
For Emily’s Song Craft Worksheet, click here:
Emily’s Song Craft Worksheet
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Related Posts
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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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INFO AND THINKING ABOUT SINGABLE PICTURE BOOKS
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/resources-for-inspiration-and-information/
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
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)…
…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:
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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’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 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 (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 (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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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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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
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/
- In: Art of Singing a Song | Book Review by ELEG | Cabaret | Case for Singable Books | Heartfelt Musings | Lyrics | Out of the Mouths of Babes | Power of Music | Quotes of Note | SBWE in Person | Sing Along Tracks | Singable Book Title | Singable Picture Book Video | Song History | Vocal Tracks
- Leave a Comment
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
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!
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/
