Singing with Young Children

(Book & CD)

Singing with Young Children is a song book and CD with a collection of 45 fun and easy-to-sing songs that encourage language, participation, creativity and pre-reading skills. It was written for teachers and those who like to sing with kids ages 2½ through 7. It also has suggestions for language activities with many of the songs. Even those people who have a hard time finding new songs because they “know all the good ones” will find that this book delivers!

Reviews

OK, we’ll admit it. This isn’t really a review per se, but like other features in this box, it highlights a product that made a special impact on us. That is certainly the case with Bonnie Phipps’s new collection Singing With Young Children. Actually, we would have bought it just because it features Bonnie, who does more with an autoharp than any three players we know.

“But this collection is much more than that. Consisting of a well-designed book and a CD, this set features 45 (count ’em 45) songs for ages 4 through 8. Most of the songs are right on the money, too, with some add-on songs, some old favorites, some great songs for language development and creativity, and lots of pure silliness. What more could you ask for? It’s even reasonably priced for the book/CD set. On the CD you will hear Bonnie’s pure folk singer’s voice, blending nicely with her autoharp, an acoustic guitar, folk percussion (spoons and a cardboard box), and occasionally a group of younger children who are obviously having a good time. To top it all off, there are many suggested activities, a nice discography and cute illustrations.”

Music K-8, Vol. 2, No. 3

Denver recording artist Bonnie Phipps has our family caroling some different tunes this holiday season. Phipps’s CD, Singing With Young Children has all the necessary ingredients for kid appeal: bananas, bears, cookies, peanut butter, puppies, kitties, rainbows, frogs, worms and more. And our kindergarten triplets are gobbling them up. Yep, from breakfast till bedtime, the famous Askren Sisters sing Phipps’s versions of ‘Rainbow Round Me’ — a ‘zipper’ song structured so kids can make up new verses and ‘zip’ them in, and ‘Apples and Bananas’ — an old folk song that teaches vowel sounds and tickles funny bones. The 45 kiddie classics encourage language development, group participation and pre-reading skills. An accompanying songbook provides hand movements, lyrics, instrumental arrangements, historical data and even lesson ideas.”

Carry Askren, Boulder Daily Camera, Dec. 16, 1991

$17