Snake Alley Band

Rating:
Summary: Great way to expose kids to vocal harmonization!
Review: From the first "Chew-up, Chew-up" to the last "Shh-Boom", this book gets kids involved. They can't wait for the next character to pop in with the line "Did someone say band?", because they know the next cool sound is coming up. (The fish's "Pop-Pop-Doo-Wop" is a favorite with four year olds.) The hidden subtext teaches that it takes all kinds of sounds to make a band - everyone makes their own specal contribution. A nice way to teach about harmony, both musical and otherwise - the book teaches without preaching. This is a book that even parents will look forward to reading night after night - book fatugue has not set in after reading Snake Alley Band for a solid month!

Rating:
Summary: Language as music
Review: I cannot believe that this fabulous book is not on the kids' best-seller list.

The words and story formulate a veritable concert, matched by sumptuous illustrations.

At the edge of Fox Woods, not far from Skunk Lake, Raccoon Trail crossed Possum Path, and a hop away was a skinny bit of land sticking into Lake Minneolo that everyone called Snake Alley. This was where, in the summer, the snake bands hung around, hissing, "Shhhh, shhhh, shhh," and bopping their tails, "BOOM, BOOM, BOOM; Shhh, BOOM Shhhh-boom, Shhhh-boom."

The littlest snake was tired of his Boom, which sounded to him more like a "plup." When spring awoke him again, Snake was ready to "Shhh-BOOM.," and squeezed out of his hole and slithered to join his band. The cricket, hearing the word "band," chirped "Chew-up, chew-up," and then frog chimed in with his "Cha-Bop, Cha-BOP, Cha-Bob." And fish joined the concert with their "Pop-Pop-Doo-Wop." And so on. The instrumentalists soon included a bird and a turtle too. Still, something was missing from the musical fun, and Snake went in search of it. What or whom do you suppose he found?

This book is 30 pages of pure musical joy. Alyssa A. Lappen

Rating:
Summary: It is an awesome story.
Review: The story has a wonderful fun rythum. When you read the story aloud, you can almout hear the music the animals make.