Punk Farm is a fantastic read by Jarrett J. Krosoczka! What do you think farm animals do when the farmer goes to sleep at night? Well, on Farmer Joe’s farm the end of the day is only the beginning of the fun for his animals. They have to get ready for their concert! Pig plugs in his guitar, Cow sets up her drums, Chicken gets her keyboard, Goat tunes his bass, and Sheep checks the microphone. The other animals are waiting outside to buy tickets, and soon the barn is packed! The crowd goes wild as the band leads them in a punk rock rendition of “Old MacDonald.” Thank you Wisconsin! And don’t miss the sequel Punk Farm On Tour.
Music
The Library Doors
Toni Buzzeo offers us The Library Doors, a playful media-centric reinterpretation of the popular children’s sing-along chant, “The Wheels on the Bus” with the help of illustrator Nadine Bernard Westcott. Join some elementary school students on a trip to their library. There’s a lot of fun things to do there, but you have to be quiet! You can go to story time, look up books in the catalog, browse the shelves for things you like, and of course read read read! There’s also computers to help you do your homework or find information you’re interested in. When you go to check your books out, be sure to wave goodbye to the librarian, and let her know you’ll be sure to come back “all through the year!” This is a fun book to recite with your child, or if you’re feeling up to it, sing! You know you know the tune…
He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands
Inspired by the well-known spiritual by the same name, Kadir Nelson brings us He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands, a wonderful book, filled with beautiful images of vast landscapes and multicultural faces. The lyrics of the song are complimented by illustrations of rainbows, sunrises, clear nights, blue skies, clean oceans, and one special boy enjoying them all with his loving family. Try singing it to your child! Children retain messages better with music. That’s why the alphabet is a song! If you like this book consider others you could sing, like Hush Little Alien by Daniel Kirk, or more stories featuring Nelson’s art like Please, Puppy, Please by Spike Lee.