Too Many Tricks or Treats? The Twelve Days of Halloween by Jenna Lattice

ON THE FIRST DAY OF HALLOWEEN
WHAT SHOWED UP AT OUR DOOR?

ONE VERY EAGER
TRICK OR TREATER!

When most kids think of counting on Halloween, they think of toting up the candy bars in the loot piled in their plastic pumpkin.

But Jenna Lattice's The 12 Days of Halloween (Pictureback(R)) (Random House, 2017) offers youngsters a chance to count along as the usual articles of Halloween count up (or down) to the big day! First, we need to decorate the front porch--

Two stuffed scarecrows, three grinning pumpkins....

And how about creeping spiders? Black cats yowling? Haunts a'haunting? And to anchor the count, a line to repeat: (Two times! But who's counting?)

FIVE BAGS OF CANDY!

One by one, day by day, the Halloween icons appear in the scene, trailed by that one poor misinformed trick-or-treater, still sadly unsatisfied, hopefully following the red devils, screechy witches, and toothy vampires to the doorbell, until he at last he gets his long-anticipated reward.

Children who know the tune to "The Twelve Days of Christmas" will get a pre-tricking treat out of singing along with this one, and if they don't already know how to count to twelve, they will after all the incidental learning as they sing this repetitive rhyming and rhythmic song. And for that October holiday, enjoy the fun of the proceedings portrayed in jolly holiday style by illustrator Colleen Madden.

And for a little reader treats, there are 30 comic stickers in the back of the book. And at the very end everyone gets to shout out, "HAPPY HALLOWEEN!"

For more fun singing famous recycled folk tunes, read this one along with Lucille Colandro's lilting holiday countdown, There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat! (A Board Book) (Read my review here).

Sing Me to Sleep! Goodnight Songs: A Celebration of the Seasons by Margaret Wise Brown

BUNNY JIG

Big and little, little and big,
A little bunny and big fat pig.

Give that poem to award-winning illustrator David Smalls and you know what happens next is going to funny and fun.

And in the this lovely compilation of poems by the inimitable Margaret Wise Brown, each one has its season and its charming animal spokesperson, and each one has the talents of a famous picture book artist featuring the joys of the season.

Molly Idle illustrates Brown's "Advice to Bunnies," beginning with "Don't go to sleep in the afternoon sun..." and Frank Viva, known for his on-the-move style, gets to portray the still of a new "Snowfall:"

Slow, slow. In the soft mysterious fall of the snow.
Walking in wonder.
The children go.

Home from school, their laughter low.
Catching falling flakes
Of snow.

And Ellie McKay portrays a girl making snow angels under her favorite "Cherry Tree," who instead is torn between the fun and the sadness of the season:

... My dear tree,

Where the cherries were red
Is frozen and gray,
The birds are all fled.

With twelve poems, one for each month of the year, and artwork by twelve award-winning illustrators, the included classic children's rhymes offer a variety of styles and emotions to celebrate the transit of the seasons through another year. In this second collection of Margaret Wise Brown's timeless children's poems, A Celebration of the Seasons: Goodnight Songs: Illustrated by Twelve Award-Winning Picture Book Artists (Sterling Books, 2016), the editors include an unusual appendix featuring thumbnail illustrations from each poem and the artist's reflections on each. Included also is a CD by Tom Proutt and Emily Gary of their original songs for each poem.

Says Publishers Weekly, ... The spectrum of artistic styles provides a rich accompaniment to Brown’s mix of playfulness and subtle contemplation." And School Library Journal adds, "Whether read or sung aloud, this essential collection is made to be shared."

Cuddly Creatures: Mommy Loves Baby by Troy Muilenburg

... AND BABY LOVES MOMMY.

Mommy love (and Daddy love, too) is the simple theme of Troy Muilenburg's Mommy Loves Baby (Curtis Christine Press, 2015).

Parent and child together--from the roly-poly pandas on the cover, the s-l-o-o-w-l-y snuggling sloths in the treetops, to the emperor penguin papa protecting his chick from the chill between his feathered feet-- all are shown in fond familial poses. A gorilla father offers a young one a juicy leaf, and Mama Elephant gently touches her trunk to her baby's in a shared kiss.

Author Troy Muilenburg's easily repeated refrains are set off in facing pages with illustrator Andrea Dickkut's soft but realistic portraits of mothers and fathers separately or together nurturing their little ones. This sturdy board book also teaches little ones the names and a bit about the habitat of animals from tiger to koala, rhinoceros to hippopotamus. The notes and chords for an accompanying song are printed at the bottom of each page of text, providing a bonus lullaby for little humans at bedtime.

Sing along with Ziggy: I Love You, Too! by Ziggy Marley

FROM THE FIRST TIME THAT I SAW YOU

I KNEW THAT IT WAS TRUE.

THERE'LL BE A LIFELONG TIME TO SPEND

AROUND THE CORNER, AROUND THE BEND.

If your dad is Ziggy Marley, Emmy and Grammy Award winner, and he starts improvising a song in the kitchen, just for you, you'd probably do what Ziggy's three-year-old daughter did--sing right back at him!

I LOVE, YOU TOO, I LOVE YOU, TOO!

I LOVE YOU, TOO, I LOVE YOU, TOO!

I LOVE YOU!

From that little dinette duet grew a song, a bouncy, happy song about love between parent and child, grandparent and child, and between anyone and everyone.

With Ziggy's eight verses and his daughter's easy refrain, a song was born, and from that song comes the book, illustrated by Ag Jatkowska. with a variety of kids, family members, neighbors, and anyone who comes by, with lizards climbing trees, fish swimming through the seas, hives of bees, and worms who don't do much but dig, all in happy scenes of all sorts of folks enjoying each other's company. All that Marley's I Love You Too! (Tuff Gong, 2014), requires is a big red heart on the cover to qualify for the theme song of this year's Valentine's Day parade.

Just in case you can't improvise the rest of the lyrics on your own, you can turn to YouTube to get you singing along with the Marleys (Ziggy, Rita, and Cedella), live to a catchy Caribbean beat, right here.

Oh, What Joy! Octopus's Garden by Ringo Starr and Ben Cort

I'D LIKE TO BE
UNDER THE SEA
IN AN OCTOPUS'S GARDEN
IN THE SHADE....

With the fiftieth anniversary of the Beatle's beginning of the "British Invasion" of American music comes a chance for a third generation of youngsters to experience the joy of their music, starting with a swim beneath the waves in that fantastical garden under the sea.

Best-selling artist Ben Cort (for Aliens Love Underpants and the rest of  Claire Freedman's  The Underpants Books) makes good use of Starr's lyrics, evoking what children crave most--movement, novelty, adventure,  security from the storm above, and yes, "no one there to tell us what to do!" His little protagonist looks longingly at his goldfish swimming irresistibly in his fishbowl and follows the fish's leap into a magical sea.   With a page turn, the goldfish leads him deep down under the ocean and the boy and the other children who appear play follow the leader, swimming and dancing among the coral and sea creatures they meet,  and then his goldfish leads him back home, more worldly and wise than he was.

Who wouldn't feel good...

"... KNOWING THEY'RE HAPPY AND THEY'RE SAFE."

Ringo Starr's lyrics are as nimble as George Harrison's familiar intro to this jolly little poem-song, illustrated by the vivid art of fellow Brit Ben Cort in big, bright curvaceous lines and and glowing colors in the just-published Octopus's Garden (Aladdin, 2014).

Along with the book, the included CD of the Beatles' original recording and Starr's own reading of the story are a fine way to introduce the music of the Fab Four to new listeners of all ages.

Gonna Be All Right! : Every Little Thing by Bob and Cedella Marley

RISE UP IN THE MORNING, SMILE WITH THE RISING SUN.

A big smile goes a long way in this world, and this kid has that! He bounces up and into his day with exuberant energy, and with three little birds to follow him wherever he goes, it’s easy to sing.

“EVERY LITTLE THING
WILL BE ALL RIGHT!”

Not that everything goes just like he wants it! He sets out to bake a cake, with messy results. His soccer game has its ups and down, but with hugs from his parents and empathy from his friends, it all turns out well, and as he waves to the setting sun, his mom and dad assure him everything is all right with them.

SETTLE DOWN, SWEET CHILD, AND GO TO SLEEP.

Cedella Marley, Bob Marley’s oldest child, adds to the picture books based on her father’s songs, with the help of artist Vanessa Brantley-Newton’s spritely illustrations of her eternally optimistic main character in her latest tribute, Every Little Thing: Based on the song 'Three Little Birds' by Bob Marley Chronicle Books, 2012). Cedella’s earlier top-selling adaptation of one of Bob Marley’s songs, is One Love.

BRUM, BRUMM, BRUMMMM! Woodie Guthrie's Riding in My Car, designed by Scott Menchin

TAKE ME RIDING IN YOUR CAR, CAR,
TAKE ME RIDING IN YOUR CAR, CAR.

I'LL TAKE YOU FOR A RIDE, TAKE YOU FOR A RIDE,
TAKE YOU FOR A RIDE IN MY CAR, CAR.

A rubber-necking family of dogs sets out to see the U.S.A., fittingly making the tour in a three-dimensional "woody" convertible, as they take in such iconic scenes as Mt. Rushmore, the Stature of Liberty, The White House, the Golden Gate Bridge, and even Guthrie's hometown in Oklahoma.

The award-winning Scott Menchin has designed this "movable" book with winsome drawings, pull-tab and lift-the-flap action, and concealed historical and geographical notes (e.g., Route 66) of each landmark as the car rolls cross country, accompanied by part of the text of Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land." Little fingers can turn wheels to make desert critters cross the road, move the car through a cloverleaf exchange, pull in a catch on the Mississippi, and make a bronco buck a buckaroo in a corral on the Western plain. All along, Woody's rhythmic text keeps everything rolling merrily along:

I'M GONNA LET YOU BLOW THE HORN,
I'M GONNA LET YOU BLOW THE HORN.

HONK, HONK, HONK! BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!
TAKING A RIDE IN MY CAR, CAR.

Scott Menchin's latest, Riding In My Car (lb-kids,, 2012) is the way to see the U.S.A, with never a whine of "Are we there yet?" An appendix provides a link to the Smithsonian and a playback of Woody Guthrie performing this song as the soundtrack for this delightful and joyful trip of a book.

Sing, Sing a Song...: Peter Yarrow Song Book: Songs for Little Folks

Peter Yarrow, of Peter, Paul, and Mary fame, has remained true to the work of handing down America's traditional music to succeeding generations. His fourth Songbook, The Peter Yarrow Songbook: Songs for Little Folks (Sterling) is dedicated to his own granddaughter Valentine, as he says, "who one day might sing these same songs to her daughter--what a lovely thought!"

In this volume, Yarrow's focus is on songs for the very young, including such stalwarts as "Polly Wolly Doodle," "Old MacDonald," "This Old Man," "Lavender Blue," and "Pop Goes the Weasel." "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" offers the opportunity to teach preschoolers that precursor to harmony, the round, and "The Green Grass Grows All Around," which gives youngsters an experience with the cumulative verse form and the chance to join in with lines repeated over and over. Yarrow slips a few sly updates into the traditional lyrics, as in one line in "This Old Man:"

This old man, he played five.
He played folk and jazz and jive.

In addition to the twelve familiar songs, Yarrow's text includes the complete lyrics, with many verses, guitar chord charts by name and diagram, historical notes on the origin of each song, and if you're not practiced in musical skills, there is an enclosed CD with the songs performed by Yarrow and his own daughter Bethany, mother of the aforementioned Valentine. Illustrations by Terry Weaver add to the general attractiveness of this well-designed songbook.

The research of current brain science has pointed to the very significant importance of music to the development of the young mind, and Yarrow's song books are a great tool in introducing music and language skills to the preschool mind in its most adaptable stage. Other musical books by Yarrow include The Peter Yarrow Songbook: Sleepytime Songs, and The Peter Yarrow Songbook: Favorite Folk Songs, The Peter Yarrow Sing-Along Special, Day Is Done (Peter Yarrow Songbook). and the classic Puff, the Magic Dragon.

Words Make Meaning: Man Gave Names to All the Animals by Bob Dyland and Jim Arnovsky

He saw an animal that liked to growl,
Big furry paws and he liked to howl,
Great big furry back and furry hair.
‘Ah, think I'll call it a bear.'

Noted nature artist Jim Arnovsky, known for his highly accurate, yet individualistic representations of animals and plants, has taken a somewhat surprising author, Bob Dylan, as partner for the text in his newest, Man Gave Names to All the Animals (Sterling, 2011). From a song in his 1979 album "Slow Train Coming," the artist takes Dylan's wry and witty text as his narrative, but does not settle for a predictable two-page spread for each animal named. Instead, Arnovsky's pages swarm with animals in a Garden of Eden world.

Arnovsky's beasta crawl, dash, climb, slither, leap, soar and swim across the pages in a profusion of grace and beauty which celebrates the diversity of life. He does not hesitate to let the lion lie down with the lamb, so to speak, as he juxtaposes whales and crocs, lambs and lemurs, wild pigs and cockatoos, over 170 in all, in a lush sub-tropical forest with both mountains and shores for their habitat, giving the reader the fun of spying out the animal featured amidst the throng in the rhyming text.

The illustrator also provides an appendix listing all the animals shown, so that readers are drawn to continue the task of "naming" the animals depicted. Dylan's playful, sly, and sweet song is also provided as a CD within the book which will allow children to follow along with the pages, act out the verses, or sing along as they go. A different turn on the bestiary picture book, one with one foot in poetry and one in nonfiction, this one gives the reader the chance to become the final master of nomenclature by naming the last animal

I saw an animal as smooth as glass,
Slithering his way through the grass.
I saw him disappear by a tree near a lake.
I think I'll call him a ....

School Library Journal gives this one an unqualified thumbs up: "With its broad appeal to spiritual, scientific, and just plain animal-loving audiences, this book is a winner."

The Beastie Bunch: Ten Little Beasties by Rebecca and Ed Emberley

Up to ten and back again is the premise of this latest collaboration between father-and-daughter duo Ed and Rebecca Emberley. In the familiar cadence and set to the well-known tune for "Ten Little Indians," the text simply counts up and down the weird and wacky beasties, but the illustrations are something else.

Using bright page backgrounds in glowing colors--turquoise, gold, lemon yellow, chartreuse, violet, and orange, to name a few--in their newest, Ten Little Beasties (Roaring Brook Press, 2011) the Emberleys come up with highly original critters, executed primarily in black and white, with a few color accents here and there. These accents are not necessary to differentiate the monsters, however, because each is unique in shape, size, and details, one with a central horn, several with tails, with varying numbers of eyes, and most with indescribable protuberances from different body parts. As the count goes up to ten, all cavort across the page, never in the same place, as the pages are turned.

10 LITTLE BEASTIES DANCING!

But what goes up must come down, and as the Emberleys begin the countdown, something seems to be diminishing the beasties' numbers. and there's a bit of a surprise when the last surviving beastie appears on the final page.

Ever since Ed Emberley's creative illustrations copped a Caldecott back in 1968 for Drummer Hoff, his work has consistently continued to be in the avant garde of children's illustration. His popular picture books, such as Go Away, Big Green Monster!, and his recent collaborations with author-illustrator Rebecca, There Was An Old Monster! and last year's If You're A Monster And You Know It, have a rhythmic verve and original use of media that is truly unique. Ten Little Beasties is also a fun preschool counting book and song, and the music for the song, performed by another Emberley, Rebecca's daughter Adrian, is available online.

Sing Along with Spooks: On the Thirteenth Night of Halloween by Guy Vasilovich

ON THE FIRST NIGHT OF HALLOWEEN

MY MOMMY GAVE TO ME

A BRIGHT SHINY SKELETON KEY.

And what does that magical skeleton key open for our little pigtailed gal during those last days of the scary season? Well, all sorts of those costumed critters and and creepy spook house icons to be expected on Halloween night.

There are three "baseball bats," the flying kind, of course, dressed in baseball caps, icky eyeballs, singing skulls and caroling corpses, werewolves wailin', witches witching, and to finish off the countdown of this creepy crew, thirteen thirsty vampires, all ready to par-TAY on the big day. This alliterative counting book comes all ready for a sing-along to the well-known tune to "The 12 Days of Christmas," so most kids can jump right in on the performance.

In his new The 13 Nights of Halloween, veteran animator Guy Vasilovich's quirky illustrations have a bit of the feeling of Gus Grimly's drawings in Neil Gaiman's The Dangerous Alphabet, a good pairing with this new book, both of them just spooky enough for a little frightful fun for those final days of October.

Waah, Waah, Waah!: The Babies on the Bus by Karen Katz

THE BABIES ON THE BUS SING "LA, LA, LA,
LA, LA, LA,

LA, LA, LA."

THE BABIES ON THE BUS SING "LA, LA, LA!"

ALL THROUGH THE TOWN.

These babies are really toddlers, a variety of different round-face tots in bright school clothes, all on their way to nursery school on their very own big yellow bus. This bus has the usual equipment--wheels that go round and round, doors that open and close, wipers that go swish, and a horn that merrily toot-toot-toots as their baby-faced driver toodles them through town. These toddler scholars sing along as they bump, bump, bumpety bounce along, and even lapse into a bit of waah, waah, waah-ing as the ride goes on and they get sleepy.

But with a reassuring "Shush, Shush, Shush" from their driver, the babies on the bus settle down for some quick ZZZZs, and before you know it, the yellow bus bounces up to daycare door, and with a final cheery "Everyone up, Everyone up, Everyone up," their driver hands them off to their smiling, waving teachers, and it's time for the school day to begin.

"BYE, BYE, BYE,

BYE, BYE, BYE,

BYE, BYE, BYE."

And with a last "Bye-bye, Bus!" the toddlers line up and toddle inside.

Karen Katz' happy jellybean colors and signature PlaySkool-style kids smooth and sooth the transition to mounting that big bus for a day away at preschool in her newest, The Babies on the Bus (Henry Holt, 2011) skillfully retools the old bus to suit the toddler crowd with some new rhymes, and the different expressions on the little preschoolers' faces on the bus give little ones plenty to look at as they sing along with the familiar tune. School Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews both give this one a "thumbkins up!"

Tops in Toys: The Marvelous Toy by Tom Paxton

IT WENT ZIP! WHEN IT MOVED.

AND BOP! WHEN IT STOPPED.

AND WHIRR! WHEN IT STOOD STILL.

I NEVER KNEW JUST WHAT IT WAS,

AND I GUESS I NEVER WILL.

Tom Paxton's The Marvelous Toy (Imagine, 2009) is a jolly do-over of his famous folk-style song about the hand-me-down toy with a new life in its second generation of playmates. Illustrated vividly by Steve Cox, this version retells the story of that beloved and inexplicable device, a fascinating toy which never seems to do the same thing twice. Moving in unexpected directions, sprouting a rainbow of indescribable lights and sounds, the thing seems to have a life of its own.

Daddy nonchalantly watches the boy's surprise. It was his toy once, and now he's passing it along, mystery and all. And when the toy seems to vanish from under the chair where it has marched, Daddy just laughs. Not to worry, for...

WHEN I TURNED AROUND, MY MARVELOUS TOY

CAME CHUGGING FROM BEHIND.

With its own CD of this and two other of Paxton's children's songs on board, this beloved tune gets a new life, in this new edition of The Marvelous Toy passed down from one generation to another just like the memorable plaything in the title, reminding us that sometimes a well-loved toy is the best gift.