JANE YOLEN'S OLD MACDONALD SONG BOOK
Musical arrangements by Adam Stemple
Illustrations by Rosekranz Hoffman
Boyds Mills 1994
ISBN# 1-56397-281-6 Boyds Mills hardcover

The third of four music books I did for Boyds Mills. Adam was wonderful to work with, shipping me off the simple arrangements which I then played on the piano. We figured if I could sight read them, ANYONE could! Many were animal songs I'd taught him when he was a child. I picked the songs, wrote the historical notes. Adam did all the musical arrangements. Rosekranz Hoffman was my first choice for artist, and I persuaded Boyds Mill to use her. Her quirky, cranky illustrations are perfect for the book. I wish my name weren't so prominent in the title, however. That was the publisher's choice.

       Available in hardcover.

What reviewers have said: "... Yolen delivers a lively collection of 43 songs featuring animals from the farm. ... At the beginning of each selection is a word or phrase describing the manner in which the song should be sung--"wistfully," or "jauntily," for example. Parents and teachers may find these directives helpful for building vocabulary and for teaching the importance of mood and expression in singing." -- Booklist

"The selections emphasize the playful, occasionally irreverent, aspects of the tunes with spirited but easy piano arrangements and guitar chords." -- Horn Book

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