Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Folk musician Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary fame) offers an appealing addition to his Peter Yarrow Songbook series (Favorite Folk Songs; Sleepytime Songs). The lyrics of 12 folk songs, rooted in several cultural traditions, are illustrated in Widener's simple yet resonant folk art style, which creatively mingles conventional, earth-toned scenarios (a cowboy on horseback gazes on grazing buffalo in the painting accompanying "Home on the Range") with images featuring vividly hued, fanciful flourishes (John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt sports yellow trousers and a red blazer and waves a feathered purple top hat). The songs likewise vary from the melancholy of "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean" to the tenacity of "We Shall Not Be Moved" to the playfulness of "Hey, Lolly, Lolly." The author provides guitar chords, historical notes and personal anecdotes for each song. On the included CD, Yarrow sings each song, accompanied by his talented daughter Bethany Yarrow and a quartet of children. An energetic and uplifting package. Ages 5-up. (Aug.) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS Up-Identical in format to Yarrow's Favorite Folk Songs and Sleepytime Songs, both Sterling, 2008), this book and CD set presents 12 songs, first on colorful, individual spreads and then in a section of "Lyrics with Chords." The final section, "About the Songs," gives a brief history of each selection and sometimes a personal anecdote about its significance. Widener accompanies each song with a dramatic, occasionally whimsical, acrylic painting. The CD features Yarrow on lead vocals and guitar accompanied by his daughter Bethany, also on lead vocals. Longtime Peter, Paul, and Mary accompanist Dick Kniss provides a familiar-sounding back-up bass, while banjo, mandolin, and other acoustic folk instruments are played by virtuoso instrumentalist Paul Prestopino. Children singing background vocals help to make this an irresistible sing-along experience. Occasionally, thoughtful alterations make the lyrics gentler for young audiences or present a subtle political or ecological message. For example, in "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain," we will "get" rather than "kill" "the old red rooster (even though we will all have chicken and dumplings in the next verse), while "Oh, You Can't Get to Heaven" cautions listeners that you can't get there "on fossil fuel, cause the Lord's gone green cause he knows it's cool." Let's Sing Together is sure to be greeted with enthusiasm in storyhours, classrooms, and family singing sessions.-Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
This musical celebration meant for a family car trip, an evening at home or a campfire sing-along include some of Yarrow's (of Peter, Paul, Mary fame) family favorites. Organized in three sectionsillustrated lyrics, lyrics with chords and song historiesthe collection begins with the spiritual "This Little Light of Mine" and ends with "Oh, You Can't Get to Heaven." In between are ten well-known historic, silly or protest songs, with Widener's acrylic illustrations evoking a down-home optimism that suggests persistence and solidarity. The accompanying CD features a pleasant combination of voice types: The singer's rich tone anchors each song, and his daughter's light, lyric voice dances around his crystal-clear enunciation, all backed up by children's enthusiastic voices. Notable is "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt" for joy and humor. The illustrated format will draw in younger children, ideally prompting them to ask for a group sing, and the author's notes and messages will both encourage young musicians' creativity and add insight into the songs' history. This volume is the third in the Peter Yarrow Songbook series. (Nonfiction. 7-11) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
