The All Animal Band

Rating:
Summary: Very Entertaining Book!!
Review: Being a father of two and an educator, I realize the importance of keeping children active. Physical and mental stimulation are vital to the development of a child. A big part of this is reading and imagination. So, I was thrilled to read Jim Moore's The All Animal Band. The story introduced my daughter to a variety of animals and musical instruments, while keeping her interest focused on the outcome of the story.

Like Squirrel in the story, my daughter enjoys listening to music and when the music stops she likes to make her own. It is this experimentation by the animals in the story that makes it OK for my daughter to try new things. The imagination of the animals spills over to our family. Like the Dan the Dog, Fred the Frog and Squirrel, we look around to make instruments out of everyday items. We have made drums from cans, tambourines from bottle tops and rattles using plastic cups and rice. We may not be The All Animal Band, but we make beautiful music to our ears.

In addition to the imagery created by words, colorful artwork by Norris Hall keeps readers old and young alike glued to each page. We enjoyed looking for "hidden" pictures in every magical scene. The All Animal Band is an interactive reading experience. With so much attention given to television and the internet these days, it is refreshing to find a book that can keep a child's focus from beginning to end. It is a book and story that keep my children begging me to "read it again daddy."



Rating:
Summary: The All Animal Band
Review: Bursting with bold and bodacious color, The All Animal Band is an eye-popping delight of a book about a group of animal friends who decide they want to make music and form their own band. Written by award-winning songwriter and recording artist Jim Moore, and whimsically illustrated with such strong color and lines that the visuals almost appear 3-D, this enchanting book, geared towards children (and adults) of all ages, celebrates the joys of making music with the animal characters that make up the All Animal Band; including Fredi the Frog and Dan the Dog on vocals, Ollie the Owl on bass, Slick the Snake on drums, and Willie the Squirrel on guitar.

It all begins when Willie the Squirrel spots some humans playing instruments and making great music together. But when Willie tries to play the instruments, it sounds like an awful clatter. Still, he can't help but dream about making sweet-sounding music like the humans, and his passion and desire lead him to gather up his pals and form a band of their own.

With plenty of practice and encouragement, the All Animal Band members finally master their instruments enough to put on their first big show, and attract the attention of a human, namely a talent agent who wants to sign the animal band and turn them into big stars.

Based upon the song All Animal Band from the author's CD, Are We There Yet? by the Animal Band, this hilarious and creative story leaves the story wide open for more books to come. Imagine, the All Animal Band on the Road, the All Animal Band Break-up, and then maybe even the All Animal Band Reunion! Even a VH-1 special, and a spot hosting MTV!!!

Kids will love this big, splashy adventure about friendship, determination, dedication, having fun and using music to express yourself. And as a 42-year-old, I can tell you without a doubt that adults will love it, too.



Rating:
Summary: Does this guy's talent ever end? Now a wonderful book...
Review: I was privileged the other day to hear Jim Moore read his latest creation to the children at our school. Not only is he exceedingly talented musically (his band came to our school last year), he now shows us another side of his talent in his wonderful book, The All Animal Band. We were fascinated to learn that his entire career started with a little animal song he wrote 15 years ago. He has gone on to the band, CDs, movies, and a prestigious award he received at the White House. His book tells the cute story of a group of animals who decided to form a band. It emphasizes teamwork and working hard to achieve a goal. The illustrations are bright and captivating. The children loved the book. I guess that's the proof of the pudding for any children's book!