Blog written by Rebecca Szalay
If you are the parent of a young child, chances are you have a CD or playlist of young children’s songs that you listen to everywhere, especially in the car. You may also find yourself singing “Baby Shark” in the grocery store because you just don’t listen to “your music” anymore. Children learn from repetition but as a parent, this can sometimes be maddening as you hear the songs of their favorite Disney movie for the thousandth time.
So, what can we do?
Try out Sandra Boyton’s collection of albums based on her children’s books. Her collaboration with Michael Ford has created fun children’s songs, based on her beloved board books, in the styles of more modern music.
- You’ll be “Singing in the Shower” to songs in the style of the 50’s and 60’s,
- Singing the blues with BB King or Meryl Streep to “One Shoe Blues” and “Nobody Understands Me”,
- Rocking out to Blues Traveler’s “Dog Train” or
- Singing a “Silly Lullaby” with Natasha Richardson.
- If country music is more your style, try out “Frog Trouble”!
As a parent, these albums saved my sanity and were simply fun to sing over and over with my own children. The accompanying books include Ms. Boynton’s wonderful and whimsical animal artwork and, for musicians, sheet music in the back of the book. You can even find official videos on YouTube of her songs such as The Bacon Brothers (Yes, Kevin Bacon and his brother Michael!) singing the Big Band tune “Philadelphia Chickens” and “Be Like a Duck” sung by Keith Boynton.
There is a musical style that’s sure to fit everyone’s fancy and you won’t mind hearing these songs over and over again.
Where can you find these wonderful albums?
Try your local bookstore or search “Sandra Boynton’s Music Books” on Amazon for:
You can even pair your favorite songs with Ms. Boynton’s board books that you may already have. What’s your favorite Sandra Boynton book? Check out YouTube and see if there’s a song to match!