Gettin' Loose with Mother Goose and Some of Her Silly Friends

PreS-Gr 3—These 20 fun, original songs and adaptations of traditional tunes by Mary Jo Huff have enough variety to hold the interest of listeners. Huff, the primary vocalist, has a deep voice that suits the bluegrass/country style. The music by James Coffey incorporates a variety of instruments that add to the bluegrass flavor. There is variety to the musical style. Some of the slower ballads, such as "Scarf Dance" and "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," combine piano and bells to add a soft, calming effect suitable for lullabies. The songs' lyrics are well-suited for story times. For instance, the adaptation of "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" introduces colors and counting and leaves room for participants to add their own suggestions. The adaptation of "Little Boy Blue" introduces the sounds of many instruments. Storytelling leaders will be able to create obvious motions to go with most of the songs; Huff includes instructions for the hand movements for "Mr. Wiggle and Mr. Waggle." On some of the songs, Huff is joined by three pleasant children's voices, such as in the responses to "Hello Children." Even if your story time music collection is full, you should consider purchasing this album to add variety.—Cynthia Grabke, Halifax Elementary School, MA