CHILDREN'S LITERATURE - BOOKS TO SING

Ten Sly Piranhas
Written by William Wise
Illustrated by Victoria Chess
ISBN: 978-0-14240-074-6

This wonderful waterland of reverse counting opens a waterway of creatures that children may find in a river.  Each poem is 4-lines that can be sung to the tune of the familiar folk melody "Sweet Betsy from Pike." Read through the poems once before sharing with the class as the rhythm of words may need to be slightly adjusted to fit the familiar tune. Use each stanza individually or all together for a full springtime musical experience.

After singing each verse, invite the children to create a poem about either the piranhas or the creatures in the water.  This poem can be spoken as a B section.  Create additional ostinati parts to be performed on various non-pitch percussion instruments.

Enjoy the story and keep singing. :)

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE - BOOKS TO SING

The Very Funny Frog
Written and Illustrated by Jack Tickle
ISBN: 978-1-84506-947-6

This pop-up book is a collection of fun spring-time poems about the many creatures and critters that children may find in their garden. Poems include butterflies, frogs, birds, rabbits, ladybugs, and spiders. There is even a mole! Could this be the same mole that grows up to become a musician (Mole Music by David McPhail) or even Gustav Mole (by Michael Twinn)?

Each poem is 4-lines that can be sung to the tune of the familiar folk melody "Cindy." Read through the poems once before sharing with the class as the rhythm of words may need to be slightly adjusted to fit the familiar tune. Use each poem individually or all together for a full springtime musical experience.

In the traditional refrain, "Get along home, Cindy, Cindy," invite the children to sing the beginning poem, "In my garden, in my garden, in my garden, so come and take a look. "

Extension: Divide the children into groups and have each group choose a favorite poem from the book. Invite one child to read each line of the poem. Have children improvise pentatonic melodies corresponding to the rhythm of the words in each line of the poem as it is read.

Example:
Read Line 1 / Have a child read Line 1
Children improvise a pentatonic melody based upon the rhythm of the words from line 1.
Read Line 2 / Have a child read Line 2
Children improvise a pentatonic melody based upon the rhythm of the words from line 2.
Read Line 3 / Have a child read Line 3
Children improvise a pentatonic melody based upon the rhythm of the words from line 3.
Read Line 4 / Have a child read Line 4
Children improvise a pentatonic melody based upon the rhythm of the words from line 4.

Sing the refrain mentioned above to create a verse/refrain selection.

Enjoy the story and keep singing. :)

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE - BOOKS TO SING

The Night Before St. Patrick's Day
Written by Natasha Wing
Illustrated by Amy Wummer
ISBN: 978-0-545-14969-3

It’s the night before St. Patrick’s Day, and the children can't sleep. They are hoping to catch a leprechaun! They wake to the sound of bagpipes and the smell of green eggs cooking in the kitchen. And above all else, they’ve caught a leprechaun -- but can they find his pot of gold?

In the style of Clement Moore's traditional tale, each page includes a 4-line verse that can be adaptedly sung to the tune of the familiar folk melody "Cindy." Read through the story once before sharing with the class as the rhythm of words may need to be slightly adjusted to fit the familiar tune.

In the traditional refrain, "Get along home, Cindy, Cindy," invite the children to sing the following holiday refrain: Leprechaun! Leprechaun! Leprechaun! Please share your pot of gold!

Enjoy the story and keep singing. :)

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE - BOOKS TO SING

The Night Before Valentine's Day
Written by Natasha Wing
Illustrated by Heidi Petach
ISBN: 0-448-42188-7

This book is a wonderful Valentine's story about the excitement of the sweetest holiday. The story introduces the reader to many of the wonderful traditions associated with Valentine's Day. Each page includes a 4-line verse that can be adaptedly sung to the tune of the familiar folk melody "Cindy." Read through the story once before sharing with the class as the rhythm of words may need to be slightly adjusted to fit the familiar tune.

In the traditional refrain, "Get along home, Cindy, Cindy," invite the children to sing the following holiday refrain:
Valentine! Valentine!
Valentine! Please be my Valentine!

Enjoy the story and keep singing. :)

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE - BOOKS TO SING

Winter Waits
Written by Lynn Plourde
Illustrated by Greg Couch
ISBN: 978-0-689-83268-0

This story is the tale of Winter, the child of Mother Earth and Father Time. Winter must find a way to occupy his time during the day while waiting for Father Time to finish working. There is a repeating pattern as Winter waits an hour or two, an hour or three, an hour or four for his father.

The story is told in rhyme and can be sung to the melody of either Twinkle, Twinkle or London Bridge. If sung to London Bridge, you'll need to repeat the words of the second phrase of the poem just as you do with London Bridge (i.e. falling down, falling down). Read through the book a few times as there are a few adjustments in the rhythm pattern of the words that will be needed to sing to the familiar melody.

Extension: Sing the book to either song in minor. It brings a wonderful new musical feeling to the storyline.

Enjoy the story and keep singing. :)

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE - BOOKS TO SING

Say Hello to the Snowy Animals!Written by Ian Whybrow
Illustrated by Ed Eaves
ISBN: 978-0-7607-9675-7

This book is currently available (and on a sale shelf) at Barnes and Noble Booksellers. The story introduces the reader to many wonderful winter animals that are presented on each page as a "touch and feel" picture. Each page includes a 2-line verse that can be adaptedly sung to "Oh, Won't You Sit Down."

An additional activity includes animal responses on each page (i.e. the polar bear response is "grrr, grrr, grrr"; the snowy owl response is "hoo-hoo, hoo-hoo"; and the artic hare response is "thump, thump, thump."

Enjoy the story and keep singing. :)

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE - BOOKS TO SING

The House in the NightWritten by Susan Marie Swanson
Illustrated by Beth Krommes
ISBN: 978-0-618-86244-7

“In the house / burns a light. / In that light / rests a bed. On that bed / waits a book.” The journey detailed beyond describes a fantastical bird which spirits away the child on a song into the starry sky. While the cumulative tale may seem familiar, the pictures (mostly black and white) lead the reader into mystical night-time adventures. The book can be adaptedly sung to "The Green Grass Grew All Around."

Enjoy the story and keep singing. :)