Music and literacy go hand in hand. Rhythm, rhyme, meter, melody and
wordplay are easily melded together in songs that are tons of fun, while
almost secretly encouraging reading skills such as phonemic awareness,
pronunciation, vocalization and listening. Throw in a little jazz or polka,
flip your flapjacks and sing your way across all 50 States with ease.
In "Scat Like That: A Musical Word Odyssey," the latest family album
from veteran duo Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer, wordplay becomes big fun.
“Scat” is defined as “Jazz singing in which improvised, meaningless
syllables are sung to a melody.” And as a verb it is defined, “To sing
Scat.” This big band call-and-response encourages skills in listening,
repetition and articulation as children emulate the scat sounds. Using scat
and other wordplay techniques including tongue twisters, limericks,
yodeling, and Pig Latin, listeners sing along while learning about vowels
and consonants, homonyms and synonyms, and a host of other language
skills.
Listen to the music. Sing along. Then follow up with a book. Maria
Salvadore, M. Ed., M.L.S., former head of Children’s Services, Washington
D.C. Public Libraries, chose these titles to build on some of the ideas
presented in the music, to encourage further learning, spark additional
interests but mostly to continue the fun.
So, sit back, turn on the music and open a book. A world of listening,
sharing, reading, talking, learning and fun is close at hand!
1. Scat Like That
Charlie Parker Plays Bebop
By Chris Raschka (Orchard, 1992)
Charlie Parker’s saxophone comes alive with the syncopation of words and
music in this rhythmic, jazzy and irresistible book.
Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa
By Andrea Davis
Pinkney Illustrated by Brian Pinkney (Jump at the
Sun/Hyperion, 2002)
The Queen of Scat is introduced here in lively language and swirling,
color-filled images to create a memorable picture of the woman and the
music with which she is identified.
Hip Cat
By Jonathan London Illustrated by Woodleigh Hubbard
(Chronicle, 1993)
A cool cat follows his dream to become a saxophone-playing jazz musician.
Vivid illustrations take the musical text to new heights.
I See the Rhythm
By Toyomi Igus Illustrated by
Michele Wood (Children’s Book Press, 1998)
African American music from spirituals to bebop, R&B to hip hop and
more are introduced in energetic words (including select lyrics) and
vibrant paintings.
2. Flip Flapjacks
It’s Raining Pigs & Noodles
By Jack
Prelutsky Illustrated by James Stevenson. (Greenwillow,
2000)
Master of wordplay, puckish poet Prelutsky tries to tangle tongues and
create pictures with words in these sometimes irreverent and very funny
rhymes.
Six Sick Sheep: 101 Tongue Twisters
By
Johanna Cole & Stephanie Calmenson Illustrated by
Alan Tiegreen. (HarperCollins, 1993)
The challenge is in the words (and the line illustrations are fun; too):
try to say these lines aloud more than once! The tongue twisters are sure
to tangle, tie and tickle tongues.
Tasty Poems
By Jill Bennett Illustrated by Nick
Sharratt (Oxford University Press, 1998, c1992)
Poems about food using lots of alliteration may tangle tongues while
whetting appetites for more. Silly poems are humorously (and colorfully)
illustrated.
A Twister of Twists, A Tangler of Tongues: Tongue
Twisters
Collected by Alvin Schwartz Illustrated
by Glen Rounds (Lippincott, 1972)
Tongue twisters are traditional – and here, tongue twisters old and new
have been playfully collected, presented and illustrated.
3. I Love Pie
Cherry Pies and Lullabies
By Lynn Reiser (Greenwillow, 1998)
Cherry pies and a lullaby connect girls and women across four generations
in this handsomely illustrated story. Tortilla &
Lullabies/Tortillas y cancioncitas (also by Lynn Reiser, illustrated
by Corazone Valientes, 1998) is a bilingual companion volume, in which
Hispanic daughters and mothers are unified across generations. And each
time they engage in the activity, whether making tortillas or cherry pies,
“..it was the same, but different.”
Children’s Step-by-Step Cookbook
By Angela Wilkes (DK, 2001)
Follow the directions, choose a dish, put together delicious recipes and
make cooking a tradition in your family!
Gathering the Sun: An Alphabet in English & Spanish
By Alma
Flor Ada Illustrated by Simon Silva (Rayo, 1997)
The 28 letters of the Spanish alphabet are used as the device to present
poems in English and Spanish about agricultural experiences. Vibrant
paintings and lyrical language convey the natural beauty.
4. A-E and I-0 and You!
Amazing Grace
By Mary Hoffman Illustrated by
Caroline Binch (Dial, 1991)
When Grace puts her mind to it, she can do anything – including being
Peter Pan in the class play.
McBroom’s Wonderful One-Acre Farm
By Sid
Fleischman Illustrated by Quentin Blake (HarperCollins,
1997 ed.)
Practice long and short vowels as you laugh (ha, ha & hee, hee) your
way through this funny tall tale in which McBroom finds that his many acres
are piled one on top of the other!
Old MacDonald Had a
Farm
Illustrated by Glen Rounds (Holiday House, 1990 ed.)
A crusty old farmer introduces his musical menagerie in this funny
interpretation of a familiar song.
5. 50 States
Celebrate the Fifty States!
By Loreen Leedy (Holiday House,
1999)
This playful hodgepodge is perfect for browsing and learning tidbits about
the United States. Both text and illustration are funny and
informative.
Scrambled States of America
By Laurie Keller (Holt, 1998)
Bored with the same old arrangement, the states decide to visit each other
and so make a scrambled mess of America. This is a quirky and fun way to
travel the states!
Quilt of States
By Adrienne Yorinks (National Geographic,
2005)
Eye-catching quilts combine with stories to engage and inform, revealing
aspects of each state and how it became a part of the union.
Train of States
Parents' Choice Gold Award
By Peter Sis (Greenwillow, 2004)
An elaborately illustrated circus car for each state (with Washington DC
as the caboose) creates the train which introduces each state and its
symbols (bird, flower and more) in the order of admission to the union.
6. The Limerick Song
The Hopeful Trout and Other Limericks
By John
Ciardi Illustrated by Susan Meddaugh (Houghton Mifflin,
1989)
Travel to outer space or into Suge’s room in these engaging limericks
illustrated with a light touch.
Lots of Limericks
Collected by Myra Cohn
Livingston Illustrated by Rebecca Perry (McElderry,
1991)
A wide range of limericks sure to entertain and absorb are presented in
one accessible collection.
There Once Was a Very Odd School and Other
Lunch-Box Limericks
By Stephen Krensky
Illustrated by Tamara Petrosino (Dutton, 2004)
In this zany school, there’s recess all day and lots of limerick
laughs.
7. A Pirate’s Life
Do Pirates Take Baths?
By Kathy Tucker
Illustrated by Nadine Bernard Wescott (Whitman, 1994)
These roughnecks make pirating look like great fun as their adventures
unfold in rhyming text and comic illustrations.
Everything I Know About Pirates
By Tom Lichtenheld (Simon &
Schuster, 2000)
When the author started wondering about the whys of pirates, he came up
with an imaginative, irreverent “reference” book filled with laughs.
How I Became A Pirate
Parents' Choice Gold Award
By Melinda Long Illustrated by David Shannon (Harcourt,
2003)
Jeremy’s fantastic, funny, and ultimately satisfying adventures with
pirates on the high seas begin while he builds a sand castle and his
parents are occupied with other things.
8. Pig Latin Polka
The Cat’s Elbow & Other Secret Languages
Collected by Alvin
Schwartz Illustrated by Margot Zemach (Farrar, 1985
ed)
Kids have always been attracted to secret languages. Learn pig Latin and
other coded ways to talk covertly with friends and family.
Once Upon MacDonald’s Farm
By Stephen Gammell (Simon &
Schuster, 2000, c1981)
Old MacDonald did have a farm but he wasn’t much of a farmer. But this
take off on the well known song is as funny as trying to speak in pig
Latin!
Pig Latin--Not Just for Pigs
By Kate McMullen
Illustrated by Bill Basso (Grossett & Dunlap, 2005)
This latest installment in the Dragon Slayers’ Academy series features a
pig Latin speaking swine, an inept wizard and lots of laughs.
Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook
By Shel Silverstein (HarperCollins,
2005)
Mixing up the beginning of words makes for a funny and interesting way to
communicate as this collection of Silverstein poems posthumously published
proves.
9. Dagnabbit!
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
By
Judith Viorst Illustrated by Ray Cruz (Atheneum,
1972)
Everyone has had a day like Alexander’s rotten day. But things always
improve and it seems that it’s all in how it’s handled!
Angry Dragon
By Thierry Robberceht Illustrated
by Pilippe Goossens (Clarion, 2003)
The young narrator becomes a dragon unable to speak when he gets angry.
Like this boy, however, anger subsides and his parents assure him of their
love.
How Are You Peeling? Foods With Moods
By Saxton Freymann &
Joost Elffers (Scholastic, 1999)
Expressive fruits and vegetables illustrate moods and emotions ranging
from anger to elation. After all, once the feeling is identified, it’s much
easier to discuss!
10. A Riddle in the Middle
Funny You Should Ask: Making Up Jokes & Riddles with Wordplay
By Marvin Terban Illustrated by John O’Brien
(Clarion, 1992)
Words can sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. This
book proves that the more you know, the funnier it gets with riddles and
puns and even a riddle in the middle!
Riddles and More Riddles
By Bennett Cerf
Illustrated by Debbie Palen (Random House, 1999 ed.)
Easy to read riddles (but harder to answer) and groaners are presented
here with bubbly, comic illustrations.
Walking the Bridge of Your Nose: Wordplay
Rhymes Poems
Selected by Michael Rosen
Illustrated by Chloe Cheese (Kingfisher, 1999)
Become baffled, bamboozled, bewildered and beguiled with this playful,
illustrated collection of rhymes, tongue twisters, poems and more.
11. Black Socks
Fox in Socks
By Dr. Seuss (Random House, c1993, 1965)
Whose socks? Knox or Fox? What and where kind of socks, did you say?
Predictable, repeating words are used in this humorous saga featuring
Seussain classics, Fox and Knox in, on, and over socks (or sox).
Sock Monkey Boogie Woogie: A Friend is Made
By Cece Bell (Candlewick, 2004)
Sock Monkey needs a partner for the Celebrity Dance but not just anyone
will do. Laugh with the cheeky adventures of this sock guy and his partners
as they dance the night away.
Timothy Cox Will Not Change His Socks
By Robert
Kinerk Illustrated by Stephen Gammell (Simon &
Schuster, 2005)
What, Timothy Cox wonders, would happen if he didn’t change his socks for
a month? The odiferous, chaotic results are presented in rhyme accompanied
by vivacious and hilarious illustrations.
12. Is Not, Is Too
The Golly Sisters Go West
By Betsy Byars
Illustrated by Sue Truesdell (HarperCollins, 1989)
May-May and Rose, sisters and friends, head West in a covered wagon and
entertain folks and readers along the way in this first tale of the silly
sisters.
The Pain and the Great One
By Judy Blume
Illustrated by Irene Trivas (Doubleday, 1984, c1974)
Having a younger brother can be a pain, realistically captured here with
verve and humor.
The Stories Julian Tells
Parents' Choice Gold Award
By Ann Cameron Illustrted by Ann Strugnell (Random House,
1981)
Julian narrates these engaging family stories in which he and his younger
brother Huey sometimes get along well, sometimes not.
13. It Only Takes A Minute
Family Pictures/Cuadros de Familia
Parents' Choice New &
Noteworthy
By Carmen Lopez Garza (Children’s Book Press, 1990)
The author/artist’s recalls the warmth and love of her Mexican American
family. Bilingual text and warm paintings convey the love and joy in the
daily activities.
In Daddy’s Arms I Am Tall
Collected and illustrated by Javaka
Steptoe (Lee & Low, 2001)
Stunning illustrations and short poems celebrate the roles that African
American fathers play and the ways they show love for their children.
Love Is…
From the King James Bible and illustrated by Wendy
Anderson Halperin (Simon & Schuster, 2001)
Highly detailed illustration place Paul’s letter to the Corinthians in a
contemporary setting to demonstrate what love means in this context.
14. IM4U
CDB!
By William Steig (Simon & Schuster, 2000, c1968)
Coded language (CDB = See The Bee) and cartoon illustrations challenge
creative thinking skills while tickling funny bones.
CDC?
By William Steig (Farrar, 1986)
This companion to CDB is similarly formatted, equally funny and just as
engaging with clues provided in the humorous drawings.
I Spy: An Alphabet Book in Art
Parents' Choice Gold
Award
By Lucy Micklethwait (Greenwillow, 1992)
Classic works of art are perfect to create puzzling puzzlers, calling on
readers to find objects that begin with successive letters of the alphabet.
Decoding skills are much needed here!
Contributor note:
Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer are multiple GRAMMY® Award winners whose
children's and family recordings have delighted fans for over 20 years.
They have also received numerous awards from The Parents' Choice
Foundation, The American Library Association, Early Childhood News and
the Washington Area Music Association.
Maria Salvadore, M. Ed., M.L.S. is the former head of Children’s
Services, Washington D.C. Public Libraries.
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