Sing-Along Song Illustration copyright © LeUyen Pham 2004. I started writing Sing-Along Song on one of those glorious spring mornings when every living thing seems to be singing its own song--robins, bees, squirrels, dogs, cats, and people. On a day like that, the only thing to do is sing along! LeUyen Pham's joyful illustrations capture that feeling perfectly. The Texas Library Association has chosen Sing-Along Song for the 2005 Texas 2 x 2 Reading List. Twenty titles are chosen that are appropriate for children from age 2 to grade 2. Those who wish to sing always find a song. --Swedish proverb He who sings scares away his woes. --Miguel de Cervantes, novelist (1547-1616) From The New York Times:September 19, 2004 SING-ALONG SONG By JoAnn Early Macken. Illustrated by LeUyen Pham Viking "An ebullient toddler, inspired by the robin outside his window, serenades the pleasures and delights of a long, busy summer day. Bubbling, high-spirited illustrations." From School Library Journal:(June 1, 2004; 0-670-05890-4) PreS-Gr 1-From early morning, when he awakens to the chirping of a robin, to evening, when he finally stills his own voice to listen to the moon's soft good night, an exuberant African-American boy joins in the song of the animals and people in his world. "I burst out singin'! I just gotta sing along," he cries each time he hears a bee's "honey-buzzin' song," a squirrel's "chitter-chat song," or his cat's "yowl-meowlin' song." The rhyming language reads like a chant, and the different ditties the little boy sings are presented in large, dark print, inviting readers to chime in. Such melodies as, "Whuffle-snuff, woofle-whiff!/ --Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk Community College, CT Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information. From Kirkus Reviews:SING-ALONG SONG Author: Macken, JoAnn Early Review Date: MAY 01, 2004 Publisher:Viking Pages: 32 Price (hardback): $15.99 ISBN (hardback): 0-670-05890-4 This bubbly tribute to the joys of music is narrated by an African-American boy who lives in an old Victorian house with his parents and baby sister. The likable narrator is only three or four years old, but he is definitely a musically oriented child, finding rhythm and musical influences throughout his day from sun-up to bedtime. He describes the sounds of his neighborhood (a robin, bees, a squirrel, his dog, his cat) as well as the cooing of his little sister and actual songs from his parents, followed by the refrain of "I burst out singin'! I just gotta sing along." The bouncy, rhyming text invites a creative read-aloud interpretation with lots of sound effects on the animal sounds, which are emphasized with a creative type treatment. Pham's illustrations bring the cheerful little boy to life, a happy child marching to his own drummer wherever he goes. (Picture book. 3-5) From Booklist: PreS. Maybe you can't base a whole book on good cheer, but this makes a run at it. The narrator, an exuberant African American child, loves to greet the day, attuned to the ways the animals are doing the same. In a rhyming text that begins with the phrase “Cheery day! Mornin' Sun! / --Ilene Cooper. From Miami Family:Sing-Along Song (Viking, $15.99, 32 pp., Ages 3-6) is a rollicking morning-to-night melody of a picture book, whose illustrations both feed the words and are nourished by the words. Author JoAnn Early Macken's rhythm and rhyme delight young children and their parents, beginning with robin and the rising sun. As a young boy skips into the new day, LeUyen Pham's illustrations follow him, and the creatures he greets, all day long. Later, Daddy gets home from work, Mama sets out the delicious dinner, and baby sister snuggles into bed, while big brother, in the closing pages, wishes on the stars. The reader can hardly wait for the next day, along with the singing child. Macken and Pham's combined talents confirm the sharp eye of a discerning editor and make this charmer a pleasure to sing along with, over and over. --Meribeth C. Shank Please do not copy without permission. |
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