Hosted by TQ Townsend and Chloë Townsend
Enough of you expressed interest in a sing along, so let’s do it! Here’s how you can participate:
And here is the backing track video to help you sing along:
Downloads:
Lead sheet for “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”
MP3 download of the backing track
A fight over picture books happened in the highest court of the United States. Government run schools in Montgomery County, Maryland, made nine LGBTQ+ picture books a mandatory part of the English curriculum for preschoolers and elementary aged children. Hundreds of parents objected, as they previously had the right to be notified about these books and choose whether or not their children could be opted out during those lessons.
So what’s even in these books? I examined them for their literary and artistic quality, their effectiveness at spreading their messages, and whether or not I think they belong on the English curriculum, which requires books of high artistic and academic quality.
HBO has announced the actors playing the three leads of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger in its new adaptation of the Harry Potter book series by J.K. Rowling. I had big problems with their casting choice for Snape, as it deviates too far from the text, changing the character and introducing themes to the plot that just don’t belong. But I am very happy with the casting choices for these kids, and I hope they have a great time making the show — without having to deal with weirdo adults.
Not all picture books are for children. Joke books for grownups are a lot of fun, but some authors use “children’s books” to fight political and cultural battles. While I support the rights of authors to publish anything they like so long as no laws are broken, I don’t approve of using children or children’s literature as political props, and grownups should think twice before pushing these books — and a bunch of adult burdens — onto children.
I asked you to share what it was like for you when you found out that Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker’s father, and you did NOT disappoint! The fact that so many strangers were able to share similar experiences is proof of the staying power of Star Wars as a great story — mediocre modern additions aside. This is a perfect test to find out if a story counts as “great literature” — can people come together and talk about how it affected them? Do they share the story down the generations? Can we laugh, reminisce, debate, and fall in love with the story all over again?
This was so much fun and I hope to do it more with all of you in the future.
Double feature! In this fireside fairy tale, I share the (relatively) modern first printed versions of The Three Little Pigs, which started out as a tale about Pixies. Later on, it’s a wolf who goes after the pigs, but the cleverest of the three definitely comes off better in the end.
Writer Jenna Schroeder and illustrator Yamerpro (aka Mandy Ecenbarger) were given the task of transforming the popular card game Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza. Their collaboration has resulted in the first book in a series of graphic novels — The Case of the Missing Hat!
This book is colorful, fun, and accessible. Fans of the game will enjoy how the simple characters were transformed into a well-rounded and dynamic group of friends. But at the same time, no familiarity with the game is required to enjoy this book, which has the same delightfully zany sense of humor as Saturday Morning Cartoons.
As with all of the books featured on this show, this is NOT a paid review. All books discussed on the Children’s Literature Podcast are chosen because they are high quality and have a lot to offer children, not because we have been paid. Hosts T.Q. Townsend and Chloë Townsend give Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza and the Case of the Missing Hat a VERY enthusiastic endorsement and recommend it for ALL ages! This is a great family read and is good for bookworms as well as those who are struggling to read!
To learn more about Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza (the game AND the book) visit: https://dolphinhat.com/
Author Jenna Schroeder can be found at https://www.jennaaschroeder.com/
Illustrator Yamerpro can be found at https://yamerpro.com/
Here’s a cranky mommy rant about how standardized testing can stress out kids for no good reason. I KNOW teachers and schools are under a lot of pressure, but adults should never dump their anxieties onto children. Especially when the cause of so much worry is so unimportant compared to the big picture of life.
“Take Me Out to the Ball Game” by Albert von Tilzer and Jack Norworth is America’s second national anthem. Many Americans don’t even remember learning it because it is such a natural part of childhood. But worldwide it’s not known very well, and even the biggest baseball fans may not know that this song has verses, which are all about a girl who is the biggest baseball fan ever.
“Take Me Out to the Ball Game” is in the public domain. I have arranged the song for intermediate and beginner piano players, shifting the key down to C to make it easier to play and sing. If enough people are interested I can do a full transcription of the original sheet music in its key of D. This original version would be for advanced piano players.
“Take Me Out to the Ball Game” for beginner piano or vocal in the key of C
“Take Me Out to the Ball Game” for intermediate piano, vocal, guitar, or ukulele in the key of C
Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman perfectly expresses how little children feel sometimes — I want my mom, and I want to go home. But it also has a sweet and subtle message about how the modern world can exist with nature if only we remember to show a little compassion to the little birds in our lives.
Happy Mother’s Day! I hope you moms out there are enjoying a nice day off in which you don’t have to go hunting for worms for your brood.