Over the River and Through the Woods Illus by Emma Randall

ANNNNND the final contender! 

This book wins the cutest endpapers competition! 

In general, this book is very cute. 

Pretty though too!

One of those books where small children are doing things their parents should never let them do by themselves. 

And here is grandmother's farm. This one is definitely for a younger crowd. There aren't too many verses, so it gets down quite quickly and the illustrations with the bright colors and rounded shapes are ideal for young children. 

Over the River and Through the Woods by Matt Tavares

Students love singing books, so I decided to get a copy of Over the River to sing to them. While searching for a copy, I found several different versions with very different illustrations. So I had to get them all. Because, who did it best? 

We must know. 

The first one I found, up in the top left has the most conventional illustrations. 

Period appropriate and attention to detail

We will not stop for doll or top 

For 'tis Thanksgiving Day

Conventional or not, I enjoy these illustrations! 

This is the only copy that had this particular stanza in it

Over the river, and through the wood, 

With a clear blue winter sky

The dogs do bark,

And children hark,

As we go jingling by. 

This is definitely an idealized version of a New England back in the day, but hey, I am not one to argue with a dollop of nostalgia. 

So I like this one. 

Bears are Sleeping by Yulya & Illus by Nonny Hogragian

This is simply the most charming wee little book I have seen in ages. 

It was in the little book section of the Lake Placid Library. I love the little book section. Every time I go, I check out half the books. 

Delicate and airy illustrations

And this isn't even a story! It is a song. The whole entire book is music notes. 

I played it on the piano, because duh... how else will I know how to sing it? And it is a wandery, slightly minor tune that seems so gentle and yearning. 

And do you see that fancy castle in the background? It is a Russian castle of course. Because look at the words--"I will sing for you my russian lullaby."

How adorable is a tiny little watercolor singing book? 

The lyrics are not too complex--bears and many other animals are sleeping. 

Snow is piling high

And there is the Russian castle again. 

Such a quirky little book! Totally made my week. 

The 12 Days of Christmas by Robert Sabuda

Robert Sabuda is an amazing pop up book artist. 

Because this is a pop up book, the binding was pretty thick already. So instead of a two page spread for each day, they had this little tiny flap over on the side to see the pop up for the next day of Christmas.

Very intricate work.

Four calling birds

Five Golden Rings

I have been singing a different version of this in my library with students this week and this particular phrase is the one they can ALL sing. They might not remember the six geese a-laying, but by golly, they remember the rings part!

Not sure what pie had to do with six geese a laying, but it looks cool! 

Oh for goodness sakes

I don't even know how pop up books work, to be honest. Which means I am perpetually amazed by the fact that they DO work. 

And then, the last page, a light up Christmas tree with decorations from all the different days. 

So not just a pop up, but a light-up pop up. Woah. 

Very fun version of this book! 

Favorite Nursery Songs by Phyllis Brown Ohanian & Illus by Marjorie Torrey

This is a book that has been loved to pieces. 

Literally. 

I don't know where the cover went to. 

Gilbert has a thing for song books. He used to get piano books and ask people to sing them to him. 

And this book not only has familiar, lovely songs that I can sing to him without making up a random tune that always peters out about the third verse, but it also has adorable little illustrations. 

Isn't this a sweet little woodland scene? 

Lazy Mary--I wouldn't want to get out of a bed that had such a cute quilt either. 

Every other page has minimal, black and white illustrations.

Bobby Shafto

I love these little geese!

Appalachia

This was one of my favorite pictures! Isn't it too impossibly sweet? I think my mom and dad used an illustration like this to announce one of our births. I seem to remember seeing it at some point. 

Jingle Bells

I love all of these busy little girls! 

America the Beautiful by Woodie Guthrie & Illus by Kathy Jakobsen

We have been roaming and rambling, which is why I haven't been on here very much this past month. It was a lovely month, packed full with all kinds of good things. And now we are back home, getting back to normal summer laziness. The girls are binge listening to the Anne of Green Gables books. Gilbert and Elsie have been outside getting wet more often than not. And I am contemplating the mountains of laundry that a month of merrymaking produces. 

I meant to do this book for the fourth of July, but clearly, I didn't. And since we drove all the way to California (but didn't get to see the redwoods) and back to New York, it seems like a good book to start with after a month of absenteeism. 

I love this song. And I love America and seeing the country and.... I just really like this book. 

It lives at my school library. I just happened to see it one day this spring and glommed onto it. Must. Read. Kids love song books. Totally going to sing this one with kids this fall. 

Woody Guthrie wrote this song in the Grapes of Wrath era, so it is appropriate to have a little nod to the exodus to California. 

I think the art works well here. Definitely a fold art sort of feel to it!

As I was walking that ribbon of highway, 

I saw above me that endless skyway. 

I saw below me that golden valley,

This land was made for you and me

California to New York. 

When we travel we aren't too big on landmarks. My husband dislikes cities in general (mostly this has to do with traffic and noise) so we don't generally hang out in or around cities. (I was just reading something about The Mixed Up Files turning fifty--Claudia's voice just came to me as I read that over. "...hang out in?! What kind of English is that?") The only exception we make is Las Vegas, since family lives there. 

So we have never seen the Golden Gate or the Statue of Liberty. It does strike me as funny that we live in New York and have all been to California, Washington, and Oregon, but never New York City.  Hmmm.....

Redwoods!

Apparently Woody wrote this in a sarcastic response to Irving Berlin's "God Bless America." Woody thought everyone's America wasn't quite as blessed as Berlin was portraying. 

On the chorus pages, the edges have additional pictures as well as Woody Guthrie lyrics in the corner squares. 

This lyric isn't quite as common, but I get a good kick out of it. 

As I went walking, I saw a sign there,

And on the it said "No Trespassing."

But on the other side it didn't say nothing. 

That side was made for you and me.

This verse is equally uncommon--

In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people,

By the relief office I saw my people

As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking

Is this land made for you and me?

Clearly, these lyrics are slightly more challenging to the capitalist nature of America. Questioning the concept of private property and then discussing the poor and destitute. Since this song was written in 1940 and recorded in 1944 (Woody sort of forgot about it for four years), you can see why artists might not have been anxious to record a song that may have sounded like it had communist leanings. 

Woody and his co-horts

Nobody living can ever stop me,

As I go walking that freedom highway;

Nobody living can ever make me turn back

This land was made for you and me.

Love this verse!

Fold out! I enjoy a good fold out.