- Babies on the Bus by Karen Katz, Holt (unpaged) $17
KAREN Katz is the author of many books for babies and most parents find her signature bright pastel coloured illustrations and adorable roundheaded infants instantly recognizable.
This offering is similar with simple stylized shapes and happy children frolicking through the well-known activities of the familiar song. There are a few extra touches as they sing La-la-la as well as wah-wah-wah. The action is extended by having the motor on the bus go zoom, zoom, zoom. The babies are clearly the stars and even the bus driver is a baby who falls asleep with the others on the appropriate page. This is a cheerful book that will have parents and children warbling the tune even after the last page has been shared. A perfect title for baby storytimes as well as one-onone sharing.
Another enjoyable title is Driving my Tractor by Jan Dobbins and David Sim. This will please all those toddlers who like farm animals and even more the particular noises they make. As the farmer drives his tractor along the country road through the seasons of the year he collects an entire farmyard of noisy animals. All is well until the tractor hits a stone and they all fall out and run away. However, the farmer drives home again and guess who he finds waiting back at the farm. The accompanying CD provides the catchy tune and lyrics for added enjoyment.
I guarantee anyone listening to the CD will be humming the tune for the rest of the day. Like the Katz title, the illustrations are stylized and colourful and resemble a child's painting. Two double-page spreads at the end show the various machines used by farmers and some of the crops they grow. Lyrics and musical notation are included at the end of the book.
Some other picture books of illustrated songs (some with CDs) are as follows:
- Baby Beluga by Raffi
- Down by the Station by Jennifer Riggs Vetter
- Fiddle-I-Fee by Will Hillenbrand
- Five Little Ducks by Raffi - Hush Little Baby by Margot Zemach
- I Know an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly by Nadine Bernard Westcott
- If you're Happy and you Know it by Jane Cabrera
- Itsy-bitsy Spider by Rosemary Wells
- Over in the Meadow by Jill McDonald (includes CD)
- Puff the Magic Dragon by Peter Yarrow (includes CD)
Fran Ashdown is the children's librarian at the Capilano branch of the North Vancouver District Library. She loves to sing at storytime even when she is not so sure of the tune. For more library information, check out www.nvdpl.ca.
