DOWN BY THE STATION

DOWN BY THE STATION

By Will Hillenbrand

It’s funny how when I see a sing-aloud book for the first time, I instinctively sing the title inside my head rather than read it. And, I rarely stop with the title—I usually “head sing” my way through the rest of the song as I open to the first page. When I opened Down by the Station for the first time, I knew from the first illustration that this would be a fun “train ride!”

What’s unique about this train is that it travels only over the grounds of the zoo. Every morning before the zoo opens, the train conductor makes many stops along the way to pick up baby zoo animals to take them to the petting zoo.

The first on the train is the lady zookeeper and her pet monkey and bird. After that, the “zoo babies” are picked up one by one, and include a baby elephant, flamingo, panda, tiger, seal, and kangaroo. Each time a new baby is introduced in a new verse of the song, the author uses the appropriate name for the animal baby such as calf, cub, joey, etc., which presents a great opportunity for new vocabulary at an early age.

As the train is about to pass the alligator pond, a sign with the word “Danger” alerts the reader and listener that trouble lies ahead. And, that trouble is played out in a wonderfully illustrated and funny segment that depicts problem solving at its best (in the realm of make-believe, of course).

This sing-along ends on a very happy “note” as children who are on a field trip to the zoo are seen playing with all the zoo babies, including the lady zookeeper and teacher who are playing jump-rope with some children and the baby kangaroo.

Great fun!

DANCE BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON

DANCE BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON

By Joanne Ryder

Illustrated by Guy Francis

Trivia Question: What year was the song, "Buffalo Gals" first published?

A. 1804

B. 1844

C. 1904

D. 1944

If you said, "B" you are correct!

Now fast forward 163 years from then and you will find yourself in the year 2007 when the singaloud book Dance by the Light of the Moon was published. Using the chorus of "Buffalo Gals", award-winning author Joanne Ryder, wears the hat of lyricist as she spins a songtale of Farmer Snow's annual barnyard party and dance. Female guests include Buffalo Gal, Flo, and her neighboring friends, Gertie May Goose, Cassie Sue Cat, and Patty Ann Pig, all of which have their own residence that is cleverly depicted by illustrator Guy Francis. The illustrations in this book are hilarious!

When I decided to purchase the book for use in my classroom, my decision was based on the wonderful illustrations and the fact that I already knew the tune from my childhood. After I got it home and began to sing it through, I soon realized that to perform it for my students or grandchildren, I would first need to practice! It's one thing to sing the original version of the song, and another thing to make the rhythm of Ryder's descriptive words fit the rhythm of the tune. I chuckled when I read a review from a grandma who said this was her grandchildren's favorite storybook and they wanted her to sing it again and again. Subscribing to the philosophy that "Practice makes permanent," I can see that singing this one again and again will only make it better and better when performed for little ones who will enjoy this very funny book about animals who "Dance by the Light of the Moon."

THE ITSY BITSY SPIDER

THE ITSY BITSY SPIDER

As told and illustrated by Iza Trapani

I love Iza Trapani's chidren's books!

Iza Trapani is an author and illustrator who was born in Poland and now lives in upstate New York. I first became familiar with her work when I saw some of her children's books displayed at a music workshop last fall. I bought two of her books at that time, and have sinced purchased two others.

The first one I will feature is The Itsy Bitsy Spider. Here, of course, is a tune that we've all known since childhood. Depending on the version we learned as a child, for some of us it was The Itsy Bitsy Spider; for others, The Eency Weency Spider.

In this delightful story told and illustrated by Trapani, the itsy bitsy spider goes on quite a journey! I think we are all familiar with the verse in which the spider climbs into a waterspout and then when the rain comes down, the poor little spider gets washed out of the waterspout. But, being a relentless little spider, when the sun comes out and dries up all the rain, the itsy bitsy spider goes up the spout again. Well, in this book, the journey doesn't end there!

Through a total of six verses, the itsy bitsy spider encounters an electric fan, a scurrying mouse, a pouncing cat and rocking chair, and finally after encountering some slippery dew, makes it to the top of a maple tree to spin her web. With each challenge, the spider never gives up, but patiently forges ahead to reach her destination. Great lesson for adults and kids alike!

As in all her books, Trapani provides beautiful illustrations that enhance the story, making this book a very engaging "singaloud" for young children.