Inspired by the little musical board books she grew up with in Paris, Sarah Breitenother was inspired to replicate those here in the US after moving here and having children of her own.  The result of that dream are these sweet little board books with sound bytes that give kids just a little taste of various genres of music.  These little books are small enough to tuck in a purse or diaper bag, durable for little hands and full of music that will create bonding experiences for kids and their significant adults.  Get one or get them all!  They make great baby shower gifts and young birthdays. Give the gift of a book and music all wrapped up in one little gem of a boardbook.

Parent Hub from Pirouette
​Pinterest Board full of Resources
YouTube playlist with related resources

Click the images below to access links.  Author's image for website  Book image for access to books.

If you would like to own your own copy of one of these sweet little sound byte board books, leave a comment below to be entered in the PBJamz giveaway by 11:59 PM on Sunday, January 25, 2026.  I'll randomly choose a winner after the entry period. You can choose your favorite book to receive if you win!
​

• Please remember there are great ways to support authors:​​​

​Request their books from the library
Buy their book(s) -- for yourself or as a gift
Leave reviews for their books
Follow them on socials
​Share their books with others who will enjoy them

This book is a lovely introduction to orchestral instruments and attending a concert along with various musical concepts!  It's perfect for our youngest musicians!  The illustrations are absolutely adorable -- and integral to the story!  The text is one that caregivers, parents, and teachers will enjoy reading on repeat! You and your kiddos/students will love this one!

This is a fun little ditty that also introduces some of the instruments of the orchestra.  If this one isn't your jam, there are quite a few more on the playlist below in the links section.

Since this book is for our youngest musicians in training (toddlers - preschool), my tips will focus on that. Of course, if you are in a primary grade, the book would work equally well there as there are some fun literary devices and comprehension activities you could do. And the musical content would still be appropriate -- especially if it's a rural school or high poverty level where kids don't have a lot of access to instruments and these concepts may be new.  Having said that, the illustrations will definitely have a lot of appeal for toddlers/preschool age and the draw will lessen as children age.

First of all, it is important to note that repeat readings are key for kids of this age.  Also, as those of you teaching/working with them know well, their attention span is very short.  So, keep that in mind.  I would read aloud and focus on probably one of these things. The next reading I would focus on a different activity.  You could easily do daily lessons for a week on this book for this age.

If you are a parent/caregiver wanting to use this book and get some extra educational mileage out of it, I would suggest similarly that you choose one - two concepts to focus on with subsequent readings. 

I also have to say that this book in particular lends itself to a gift-giving set/basket/etc.-- Think of pairing this book with a little blanket stuffie, a fun magic wand/conductor's baton and perhaps one of the other toys in the book. What an absolutely precious gift that would make!

Layers and tips/follow-up activities.
Alliteration: Some of the spreads have lots of alliterative activities. These are fun to read aloud, fun to identify the repeated sound. You could even chant them, adding rhythm, etc.  

Rhyme: Read, listen for the rhyming words. Play around with the rhymes -- find new words that rhyme.  If your child is writing-ready, then have them copy the write the words.  There are some fun word family activities on Pinterest that you could download, create, and use to go along as well.

Onomatopoeia: Kids love onomatopoeia!  Play around with this idea of words for sounds. If you focus on this, you might pull out the old See'n'Say or play the song, "What Does the Fox Say" or "Who Let the Dogs Out" or "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" etc.

For music teachers (in the preschool/daycare/early homeschool/kindergarten space mostly)

As the book beautifully introduces each instrument, be sure to use and focus on the embedded vocabulary.  Call-and-response is effective.
Ie. "This is a conductor. What is it?" -- (students: conductor) or something like that works well.  Playing little matching games (two pictures of same instrument or if kids are reading, the instrument and name matching)  If you have access to these instruments or someone could come in to play, that would be ideal.  But either way, be sure to use Janna's playlist in the links section to reinforce the sounds.
Musical vocabulary: 
Conductor
Baton
Violin
Strings
Bow
Viola
Cello
Trumpet
Tuba
Flute
Clarinet
Keys
Kettledrums (Tympani)
Cymbals

Conductor
In the interview, Janna and I talk a lot about conducting and how kids perceive that. It would be fun to give each student their own conducting baton (chopstick or craft stick with a star on the end [to match the one in the book].) Practice counting 1,2,3,4 and teach littles that 1=downbeat (bottom). then left-right for 2-3 and top for 4; repeat.  You're reinforcing math/counting skills, one-one correspondence and crossing the midline, as well as improving large motor skills. This is also a repeating pattern, so you're getting a lot of bang for your buck with the conducting piece too.

Names/verbs-to-nouns
Whether you do this in spoken form (or written for more advanced students), one thing students struggle with is different forms of words.  Ie.  She is a conductOR She conductS. Now you can conduct. We are conducting. etc.
Violin-violinist
Cello- cellist
Trumpet -- trumpeter
etc. 
Play around with the various forms of the vocabulary words and help kids get used to hearing (and saying) different forms of the word and that they are relative.

 Concert etiquette
Several places the book mentions etiquette for listening to live music, so this is a great conversation for littles (and olders)
When do we clap?
How do we listen?
Should we talk or play during the music?
etc.
​Why do they bow?

Pitch (Concept of high/low)
​It's mentioned several times in the text, so this is a great time to introduce littles to the concepts of high and low. Play the instrument snippets and whether they sound high or low. If kids are ready you can talk about the characteristics of each instrument that makes them sound low or high.

1) READ, READ, READ books in the genre you want to write--picture book, middle grade, poetry, YA. Use the ones you love as "mentor texts," studying them to learn how they do it successfully. Then write, revise, receive critiques...REPEAT! 

2) Scour the most recent CHILDREN'S WRITER'S AND ILLUSTRATOR'S MARKET guide book, in print or digitally, to better understand the industry, your genre, the craft of writing, what editors and agents are looking for, how to find an agent, how to submit queries. It includes indexes by subject matter at the rear, full of publishing info. 

3) Join the SCBWI (pro organization for the children's publishing industry). Read the website thoroughly and find a local critique group via your region's chapter. SCBWI conferences offer great learning and networking, chances to meet agents and editors and to register in advance for a paid critique.

4) Regarding finding an agent, check out manuscript wish lists on twitter at #MSWL as well as www.manuscriptwishlist.com, where editors and agents show what they want in general. ​

YouTube playlist full of songs and informational videos, as well as orchestral pieces perfect for little ears, and more!

Spotify playlist that Janna curated to accompany the book (mentioned in the interview.)

Pinterest board with teaching activities, other book and music recommendations, crafts, and more!

If you, like me, already have Christmas music playing and are counting down the days, already doing your shopping, etc., this episode is for you!  If you have a little one who loves Santa and loves trucks, this one is for you, too.  If you're a country music fan, this one is for you as well!  So much fun, so many layers, and a great conversation awaits!  Climb up in the big rig and let's have a chat!  Breaker, breaker 19; Out.

This is a fun take on "What would happen if the reindeer couldn't pull Santa's sleigh?"  In Brandon's version, Santa cranks up the big rig to deliver gifts around the world!  The illustrations are bright and fun and full of music and energy.  It is a country-rocking Christmas tale that blends trucker fun with country music, a little geography, and a whole lot of Santa and his reindeer. Every truck-loving kid will also love this book, and the song that accompanies it!  It's the perfect gift to go under the tree or read in the weeks leading up to Christmas -- or really, any time to keep the fun and magic of the holidays rollicking all year long!

To hear the song that started it all, click the photo below.  It will take you to the website where you can give it a listen, sing along, and get your own copy of the book!  Country-rock fans will be ready to create their own boogie to go along with this fun take on a Christmas story, told in a song.  With a strong beat, it would be fun to use in the music classroom, or anywhere Santa's 18 wheeler might fit!

Check out these layers and how you can use them at home with your kids or in the classroom:

Country music (Check out the music teacher section!)

Trucking!​
Preschool/Kinder ideas:

• Trucker play
• Sensory bin
• Pretend CB radio 
• Truck crafts

Primary/Elementary ideas:

• Truck matching
• Parts of a truck
• Vocabulary/trucking language
• Conversation/using quotation marks (w/CB radio)
• How goods travel (Use in conjunction with I TRUCK by Kelly Rice Schmitt)

Santa/Reindeer
Preschool/Kinder ideas:

• Santa/reindeer crafts (See Pinterest board below)
• Other stories and songs about Santa and/or reindeer alternatives
• Sensory play

Primary/Elementary ideas:

• Writing activities
• Other holiday stories surrounding Santa's travels
• Letters to Santa

Around the World with Santa
Preschool/Kinder ideas:

• Introduce globe/map
• World floor puzzles/foam puzzles, simple puzzles
• Ways to travel/transportation
• Play with globe inflatable balls
• Christmas Around the World songs/dances/stories
• ​Christmas traditions around the world

Primary/Elementary ideas:

• Plot the locations mentioned in the book on a world map
• Learn the 7 continents
• Christmas Around the World songs/dances/stories
• More challenging puzzles
• We Wish You a Merry Christmas in different languages
• Christmas traditions around the world

Hey there everybody, this is Brandon Boron- Thank you all for taking a few moments to
get to know a bit about my latest project, “Santa’s 18-Wheel Chrome-and-Steel Sleigh”.
A special shout-out to Tonnye Fletcher here at PBJamz for sharing this post! I’m so
happy to have brought this song to life as a children’s picture book and I sure hope you
and the little truckers in your life get a kick out of the story and illustrations!

As a writer, I am often asked about my process and if I have any routines that I follow
while writing. Conversely, I also enjoy hearing from other folks about their own creative
process. So I am happy to share with you a few tips that help me bring my ideas to life
and please feel free to add your tips in the comments section (which will also enter you
in a chance to win one or more of the Christmas Give-away Prizes).

Tip One: Write Even When You Aren’t “Feeling It”.

Writing after being struck with inspiration is wonderful, and often leads to exciting,
inspired stories and songs, but if you are like me, that can be inconsistent and often
comes at inconvenient times or not at all.
In the often hectic, scattered world of a multi-job, hustling Creative, having a routine is
challenging (and maybe even contradictive), but committing to a block of time,
consistently, is probably the most important step to creating “product”. I understand that
we are talking about creating art, but as a “commercial artist” we are also talking about
creating products. And nothing puts a business out-of-business faster than not
producing anything.

Writing and creating art is a great hobby, but can also be a rewarding profession, both
financially and personally. Acting and treating yourself as a professional is a great way
to help manifest those traits and manifest pro-level product and art.

Tip Two: Find Your Happy Place.

Having your place to create that is inspiring and allows you to work is important. For
some that may be an office or studio, the kitchen table, the front porch, or the coffee
shop (I love my “music room”). Some people thrive on stimulation; others need less
distraction (that’s me). The key is to have your place always at the ready. If it’s
unavailable when the muse strikes (or see Tip One, it’s your designated time to write)
you will be more likely to skip that session (and the next, and the next, and so on).

Tip Three: Write Down All of Your Writing Ideas, ASAP.

Getting started is the hardest part, and nothing makes getting started harder than
having nothing to write about. Having an idea that you’re sure will lead to a Pulitzer is
wonderful, but sometimes writing about the mundane or what seems to be the simplest
of topics can lead to great creativity.

Having an extensive list of random thoughts and topics and using those as simple
exercises to get started can be freeing and push you to think outside the box about a
subject or look at something from a different angle. Play with the words, over-use
adjectives and punctuation, don’t take yourself too seriously. Have fun. That mental
exercise with topics you may not feel worthy of extensive investment will still certainly
enhance your writing (and maybe even land you that Pulitzer Prize after-all).

Tip Four: Use Outlines, Maybe.

This may be a contentious tip, after all, there are “plotters” and “pantsers” (Google it).
Diving into a writing session or project without a plot, theme, or character arcs may work
for some (i.e., Stephen King), but not so much for others (i.e., J.K. Rowling). I have no
desire to tell anyone what to do (I cringe at the idea), and where you fall on the
spectrum is your business, but again this is a business and having a plan makes good
business sense.

For me, having an outline is a great way to start broadly and then begin filling in the
spaces in-between. While others may find this ridged or restrictive, I find it the opposite.
I feel it’s more liberating to have a structure that I can then allow myself to be free and
expressive within without losing cohesion or direction. And there is no harm in altering

the outline, plot, characters, or any other elements should your imagination steer you
there- It’s your ship!
If you’re new to writing or simply enjoy the conversation, I hope that these writing tips
may be helpful or reinforce what works for you. More than anything, I hope you enjoy
yourself and the process and thank you for sharing your gift and stories with us all!
Please share your tips and comments below (and enter to win Christmas Give-away
Prizes)!

YouTube list of "Best Trucking Songs" (*Some may not be appropriate for young children. Please preview before sharing.)

Curated YouTube playlist of songs and activities to go with SANTA'S 18-WHEEL CHROME AND STEEL SLEIGH 

Pinterest board with activities to go along with SANTA'S 18-WHEEL CHROME AND STEEL SLEIGH

What do you do when your dream is a little out of reach?  You improvise!  That's what Sally learns, but what a fun journey getting there!  SALLY'S MUSICAL TALE is inspirational, fun, funny, and full of great heart, along with understated messages of perseverance, tenacity, originality, creative problem-solving and more!  

There are some fabulous videos in the YouTube playlist -- including several tutorials for playing snake songs on the piano, but I love this fun little dance where kids get to emulate a slithery snake.  But if you don't like this one, check out the links section for lots more musical connections.

Layers: Piano, snakes, problem-solving, teamwork, perseverance/tenacity, creative thinking, musical puns/wordplay

Piano (See Music Teacher section)

Snakes -- This book would make a fun kick-off for a snake unit or a chunk in a snake unit. There are so many ways you could branch out with snakes depending on the age of your students/children. I will list a few here, but there are tons of crafts and lessons and activities in the Pinterest board in the links section as well.

• Snakes and Ladders (could be used with all kinds of content
• Snake life cycles
• Snake body parts
• Snakes as a larger part of a reptile unit
• -ake word family/rhyming words
• Different types of snakes
• Values, benefits and dangers of snakes
• Snake conservation
• Pair with nf snake text or snake poems for literacy

Problem-solving
Teamwork
Perseverance/tenacity
Creative thinking -- These all tend to lend themselves to social-emotional learning, growth mindset, etc.  This book would make an excellent example for any of those areas or to use as a jumping off place for diving into some of those topics. 

ELA (English/Language Arts)

• onomatopoeia
• puns/word play
  
• ​Verb tenses/endings
  

While the main focus for this book is (obviously) the piano, there are also tons of other instruments, musical vocabulary and musical puns/wordplay in this story. Some ideas:

• Basic piano knowledge (black and white keys, key names, etc.). There are quite a few piano games in the YouTube playlist and the Pinterest board.
• Listen to piano music (You could extend by focusing on one or more famous pianists or piano composers.)
• Fun challenge:  Try to get 10 kids using one finger to play together on the piano. Talk about the challenges Sally and her siblings would have had learning to play together.
• Scavenger hunt in the book:  Find all the instruments (names and/or pictures)
• Snake songs (Check the YouTube playlist and Pinterest board)
• Songs about problem-solving, teamwork, perseverance, tenacity, and creative thinking.
• Pair with other piano books (MY PIANO by Jen Fier Jasinski, for instance) for a piano unit in the music room.
• Musical vocabulary/language:
  • Pianist/piano
  • keys
  • melody
  • octave
  • concerto
  • technique
  • maestro
  • musician
  • drums
  • harmonica
  • rattle
  • rehearsal
  • perform
  • concert
  • high note
  • audience
  
  

YouTube playlist full of musical connections!  You'll find songs, dances, tutorials, etc.

Pinterest board with lots of crafts, snake facts and activities, teaching ideas, and all sorts of fun things to do with SALLY'S MUSICAL TALE.

**Free poster with cool snake facts!!! ​https://www.rosiejpova.com/books.html (Look for the green arrow!)

Join us for a vivacious discussion of Alice's new and delightful book, I GOTTA SING. As we chat about modernizing old hymns, spirituals, and gospel songs for a new generation, the power of a setting, the value of an amazing illustrator and so much more! It's always a pleasure to talk to Alice and this book is so fun and absolutely full of joy. Like the book, our conversation had many layers, so jump in and join us! ​

This is a beautiful book full of joy, song, color, and just -- life!  I love that it modernizes an old spiritual song in such a fun and upbeat way!  The characters (human and animal) jump off the page, and while they have a certain vintage charm, they are beautifully contemporary, too.  Alice places this song in a fun and relatable context for kids and caregivers.  Dreaded bath time!  However auntie and uncle gently guide little Hezekiah to bath time with minimal fussing by singing their way through the situation, which, is a perfectly-suited strategy to many of the things we deal with inlife. The caregivers are loving and patient, while holding Baby accountable, which I, as an educator, really appreciate.  And, there's excellent back matter on writing your own lyrics, with an opportunity to do just that.  A perfect gift for the budding writer or lyricist, but equally appropriate for families, for teachers, for caregivers -- for farm families -- just grab a few copies to have on hand, because it's perfect for someone on your list for sure!

I love this version of this song!  It's a little jazzy and super fun!  It would be great for some movement in your classroom or for family time. Great little piano riffs and a natural segue into a character education lesson about love and what it really means.  It has a strong steady beat for use in the music classroom if you wanted to use some percussion instruments to keep the beat.  If this one doesn't bring you joy, then check out the playlist in the links section, as there are several different versions there!

BIG Ideas in This Book

1. Bathtime
2. Setting -- Farm
3. Singing/rhythm/moving
4. "I Gotta Sing" -- contemporized spiritual
5. Intergenerational relationships

Be sure to check out the Pinterest board for even more fun ideas/activities to go along with the book at home or in the classroom.

Because of the content, I'm shooting for preschool - K in these tips, but you could choose the song element or the intergenerational relationships and use it with primary kids.

1. Bathtime
   1. Bathtime sensory bin
   2. Bathtub "reading" area with pillows
   3. Sequencing activities related to bath time
   4. Other bathtime books
   5. Handwashing activities
   6. Bathtime songs
   7. Reward charts
2. Setting -- Farm
   1. Farm Animals
      1. Puppets
      2. Life cycles
      3. Crafts
      4. Animal sounds/onomatopoeia (That topic could also translate up for older kids)
      5. Farm songs
   2. Other farm tips/topics
      1. Tractor
         1. Art --
            1. Directed drawing
            2. color-by-number
            3. Use tractor tires to paint
            4. Design-a-tractor (use simple template)
         2. Music
            1. The Wheels on the Tractor
            2. Old McDonald
            3. BINGO
            4. Poems with rhythm
            5. Tapping out farm syllables (tractor =2 eighth notes; farm = quarter note, etc)
         3. Sensory bin/tractor play
         4. Literacy 
            1. Read other books about tractors and farms 
            2. Poems
            3. Song lyrics
3. Singing/rhythm/movement
   1. ​Just SING!
   2. Talk about the importance of singing
   3. Listen for rhythm/music wherever you are
   4. Make up little songs about whatever you're doing together
   5. Find fun ways to move from one place to another
      1. Can you hop to the next stop?
      2. Run?
      3. Jump?
      4. Skip?
4. "I Gotta Sing"
   1. Sing different versions
   2. Make up additional moves/sounds
   3. Use the template in the back of the book to write additional verses
5. Intergenerational stories
   1. Read more stories about grandparents and great-grands, great aunts/uncles, etc.
   2. Have students draw pictures of elderly people who are important to them
   3. Ditto above, but write a letter or poem, etc.

View above tips and topics and include songs about those topics:
farms/farm animals
grandparents/elderly friends
bath time, etc.

Obviously, the strongest music content comes from the song "Gotta Sing When the Spirit Says Sing".

• Learn the words and sing
• Use versions with strong  steady beat and do body percussion to keep the beat or 
• Have kids make up a body percussion routine to the song.

This is where I think you could definitely bring in older kids too.

• Compare 2 or more versions of the song
  • Different instruments?
  • Different styles or genres?
  • Different vocalists?
  • Different tempo?
  • What else is the same or different.
• Talk about the history of the song
  • Black spiritual
  • Civil rights
• Write their own verses to the song and perform them.

YouTube playlist with lots of different versions of the song, a history and some other fun tidbits as well.

Pinterest board with lots of farm animal crafts, sound activities, puppets to act out the story/song, information about the spiritual, and lots of info about singing + more!

Alice's website (Check it out for upcoming books, resources to go with her books and more!)
PRH link for I GOTTA SING
FB
IG

Goodreads (Check here for all the ways to purchase Alice's books -- or visit her website)

To be entered to win a free copy of I GOTTA SING, simply leave a comment below by 11:59 PM EST on Nov. 5, 2025.

Ways you can help authors:
Follow them on Amazon
Request their books at local libraries and bookstores
Leave positive reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble
Follow them on Goodreads and social media accounts
Share their books with people you think would enjoy them.
Buy their books. They make great gifts!

What a delightful conversation with not 1, not 2, but 3 creators!  Join in to hear their thoughts about their individual contributions, the amazing collaboration and how it all came together to create an unrivaled musical, artistic story that is full of conflict, tempo changes and more!

This is the trailer for the project.  I love this one because it's the actual reader and has the music, so you get a real taste for what it's like.  Even this small clip you could use in your music class for these particular tempos. For more resources, be sure to check out the YouTube playlist in the links section.

ELA

• Rhyme
  • Allegro --Rhyming couplets
  • Adagio -- Quatrains (ABAB rhyme pattern)
  • Andante -- Tercet (AAA rhyme pattern)
  • Scherzo -- Rhyming couplets
  • Allegretto --Quatrains (ABAB rhyme pattern)
• Onomatopoeia
• Alliteration
• Strong verbs
• Conflict in stories
• Problem/solution
• Vocabulary!! (Consider teaching kids to create a word bank for stories. For instance in this story, a good word bank would be various words about movement, how animals move. Go through and find all the words that relate to movement. Then maybe categorize them.  Then have students create their own word bank and write a story using their word bank.)

SCIENCE

• Forest/woodland habitat
• Food chain

DANCE

• Tie in with music
• Move to various tempos
• Choreograph a dance move for each animal's motif

ART

• Draw to the music
• Create puppets for the animals

THEATER

• Use puppets to act out story
• Act out story
• Assign students to be characters; create a voice for each character, mannerisms, etc.

Tempo
This one seems like the most obvious. The whole book is designed to teach about tempo and their Italian terminology, so for sure I would lean into that.  Here are the tempos that are featured in the book.

• Allegro
• Adagio
• Andante
• Scherzo
• allegretto

There are many ways you could teach these. Check out the links section for ideas. I love the idea of using puppets (see below) and movement to help cement this terminology and these concepts.
Featured instruments
If you listen to the music carefully (or listen to the interview), the composer features several instruments in the musical accompaniment to the story. Musical scavenger hunt (discovering the instruments for each character) would be fun as well as other activities featuring these instruments (and characters)

• Mouse -- Oboe
• Cat -- Viola
• Owl -- Harp/French horn
• Dog -- Trombone

Discuss "motifs" and how the composer used them in this composition.
​
In addition to highlighting these in the book, it's a great time to introduce them to these instruments in very intentional ways as well.  Sound samples, videos, demonstrations, visiting artists, allowing kids to see, touch and encounter these instruments in whatever ways possible would be great!

Beyond these two obvious ways to use the book in the music room, two other ideas that come to mind are:

1. Using music as accompaniment to stories.
   1. Creating their own accompaniment to a favorite story
   2. Exploring other accompaniments to stories
2. Acting out the story with puppets (check out the Pinterest board for lots of easy puppets to make and utilize with the story.). This idea could easily attach to tempo as you would have the puppet animals move at the tempo of the music.

1. Find and join your tribe  
Taking your book idea all the way through to publication is almost always a long journey full of hills and valleys. The best piece of advice I can give is to find good companions. By joining the right Facebook groups and following helpful authors in your space on Instagram and TikTok, you'll save yourself so much time by learning as many things as possible through their successes and failures in addition to your own. 

2. Seek and embrace expert feedback 
I've attended perhaps a dozen SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) conferences, received paid critiques on my manuscripts from editors and agents, and worked with five different self-publishing and marketing coaches. What I've learned from them all hasn't been cheap, but compared to how long it would've taken me to gain their wisdom on my own, their input has been invaluable.  

3. Clarify and follow your goals
What does success look like to you? Do you really want to land your book with a traditional publisher, or are you fine to self-publish? Is your project a labor of love that you won't mind only your family and friends supporting, or do you really want to reach a wider market? Being clear about your goals, and *especially* about the ability of your manuscript to get you there, can save you lots of time, money, and frustration. Again, it's extremely helpful to get advice from agents and editors who publish what you're writing. You may have written a beautifully crafted story, but agents and editors will know whether or not its subject matter and audience is sellable at the moment. Again, it's typically a long road from idea to print, and I wish you all the courage, conviction, and good companionship you can muster! 

​- Never stop striving for excellence in your craft, seeking out qualified peers to learn from and take solid critiques from. 
- Only about 25% of the job is making art, the rest is building a business, marketing, making connections, and fostering positive relationships everywhere you go. 
- Draw what you love, and your passion will show! 

YouTube Playlist with read-alouds, trailers, interviews, additional music activities and lessons and more!

Pinterest board with lots of activities related to the characters in the book, the instruments highlighted in the music, the featured tempos 

Kevin's Connections:
Email: [email protected]

Web: www.showdownsymphony.com
 - Contains free and paid resources for elementary music and ELA instruction 

YouTube (videos created with a fellow 6th grade teacher): Sixth Grade Support

The Book Video Trailer on YouTube

IG: kevin.klein.writing

Emmaline's Connections:
Website: https://www.emmalinemusic.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmaline__music/

Sarah's Connections:
Website: https://www.sarahnewellillustration.com/

Join Philip and me for a fun conversation about all kinds of journeys and learn a lot about samba along the way -- did you know samba isn't just the dance?  Dig in with us to find out more about samba, more about Ailton Nunes, more about music and percussion and. . . well, just dig in and find out more!

A beautiful story of persistence, lessons learned and then passed along, and  . . .music!  SAMBA beautifully captures the heart of Ailton Nunes and his community and their love for salsa.  There are so many nuggets here -- even in his dedication, where Philip honors his own elementary music teacher -- the value of a good teacher is definitely a present theme, along with resilience, persistence and tenacity.  Valuing and honoring your roots is an underlying theme as well.  The story follows Ailton from his childhood in an impoverished community, through his discovery of his love for music, his own musical education, and how he helped his community redeem their winning status.  Hoelzel's respect for Ailton is palpable.  The back matter is full of helpful definitions, musical instruments of samba and a concise biography of Nunes and a brief history of samba music.

Check out Ailton and his mad samba percussion skills for this celebration. So fun and a perfect piece to use in your music classroom or your regular classroom or anywhere that needs a little music and a little joy and a big beat! If this one isn't your jam for whatever reason, check out the YouTube playlist in the links section for more musical selections to accompany this book.

SAMBA

• Music
  
• Dance
  
• Culture (Carnaval, etc.)
  
• Samba Schools
  

​PERCUSSION!
MUSICAL VOCABULARY

• Check the back matter for glossary and musical instruments
  

BIOGRAPHY of Ailton Nunes
CREATING INSTRUMENTS FROM AVAILABLE MATERIALS
"FOUND" MUSIC

PARTNER BOOKS:
BUILDING AN ORCHESTRA OF HOPE by Carmen Oliver
Delia Ruiz's board book series on Latin dances​

YouTube playlist has  examples of samba music, information about Ailton, exercises for the music classroom and more!

Pinterest board full of samba music, activities for the music classroom, and more!

Philip's website

Philip's Instagram

Philip's Goodreads page for SAMBA (for purchase information, to read and leave reviews)


Philip has generously offered a virtual classroom visit to one lucky winner!  If you'd like to be eligible to win a classroom visit, simply leave a comment below! (If you are not a teacher, I'm sure Philip will honor the visit to a school or teacher of your choice.  What a lovely gift to give a teacher!)

This beautiful book gives some of the backstory of two of the most iconic jazz performers of the mid-twentieth century, and then details how their twisty, twining, challenging paths eventually brought them together where they experienced even more success.  The language of this book takes the journey too -- twisting dance words into melodies and song into movement. Rekha does such a lovely job of creating music with her words all the way through this text in so many ways  --from rich similes to fun scat sections to simply beautiful combinations that sing and play their way through the book.  The art also sings and swings its way from page to page and cover to cover.  What a beautiful book about a beautiful duo that made beautiful music that makes all our lives more beautiful!

Choosing this was hard!  There is so much amazing music by Louis and Ella!  I chose this one for a couple of reasons:  It has them singing separately and together. Louis plays his horn. It's appropriate for kids (I try to choose pieces without a lot of heavy romance, ie kissing, etc.).  If it had them scatting it would be absolutely perfect, and if it was a live performance video, it would be even more perfect. Sigh. We can dream.  I can tell you this -- I cannot listen to Louis without smiling and Ella's voice often makes me just close my eyes.  This music -- pretty much anything by this duo is absolutely sublime!  If this one isn't your jam, there are plenty more on the YouTube playlist, along with play-along videos, body percussion, sing-alongs and more. Check it out in the links section.

YouTube playlist with so much Louis/Ella music, along with karaoke versions of some of their music, commentary, music class activities, biographies and more!

​Pinterest board full of jazz info and activities, scat singing, biographical info, coloring sheets and other things related to Louis and Ella.

Check out Rekha's links, visit her website, order her books (Review them and request them from your library as well!!). Visit and follow her on socials and see how and where you can connect!  Make sure you leave a comment below so you're eligible for her giveaways!

Rekha's website
​
Rekha's Twitter/X
​Rehka's Amazon page (with all her books)
Rehka's Goodreads page

Goodreads page for THAT SWINGIN' SOUND (due out October 14, 2025!). Pre-orders are available! Read reviews, find out where to purchase, write your own review!

Rekha is offering a Winner's Choice Giveaway!  Leave a comment below to enter and IF you win, you can choose one of the following:

• A copy of THAT SWINGIN' SOUND
• A virtual school visit
• PB critique

Join Sabrina and me as we have a lovely writerly chat about music, culture, picture books and more! We talk about using picture books in the classroom and how they can serve as windows and sliding glass doors for students, as well as benefits picture books provide to adults as well as children. Listen in and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.

MUSIC OF THE MOUNTAINS, written by Sabrina Shah, with art by Minal Mirza is lush in its culture, its language and its art.  It is a story of courage and perseverance.  Roohi is learning from her Neeka Baba (grandfather) to play the rabab, but she isn't feeling confident and ready to play for her school's Eid celebration.  When Neeka Baba falls ill, it makes it even more difficult for Roohi to practice.  This book is beautiful in theme as well as words and pictures.  It honors our ancestors and what they taught us. It honors those who empower us to find our own voice and make our own music.

I chose to highlight this piece of music for a couple of reasons: 1.  Some beautiful close-ups of the rabob and 2. gorgeous mountainous scenery of Pakistan that ties in so well with the title of the book.  There are additional rabab selections in the links section on the YouTube playlist. You can also find a QR code in the back of the book which will lead to some authentic rabab music as well.

Social Studies!

• Pakistan
  • Geography/map skills
  • Culture
  • Virtual tour
  • Eid
• ELA (English/Language Arts)
  • Onomatopoeia
    • Scavenger hunt (in the book or see if you can find real life examples of the onomatopoeia that are mentioned in the book)
    • Charades/Act it out/Guess the onomatopoeia
    • Onomatopoeia poems
    • Check Pinterest board in the links section
  • Alliteration
    • Search and find
    • Write you own alliterative phrases/sentences
    • Check Pinterest board in the links section
  • Other poetic/figurative language
    • Metaphor
    • Personification
    • Simile
• SEL (Social Emotional Learning)
  • Bravery/courage
  • Persistence/Tenacity
  • Stage fright/nervousness/anxiety
• Art integration
  • Henna "tattoo" hands art projects
  • Check Pinterest board for other artistic connections

Cultural music from Pakistan

• Rabab
  • Listen to examples
  • Explore a rabab in person if practical or use images or videos to show close-ups
  • Learn more about how rababs are made and/or played
• Compare music of rabab and other string instruments
  • String instruments from around the world
  • String family
  • Compare rabab with guitar
• Rhythm patterns from the book (Clap them, use notation, use "clap" [quarter note] and "de" [eighth note] to create additional patterns)
  • clap de clap clap
  • clap de clap de de
• Rhythm vs. beat
• Musical vocabulary
  • rhythm
  • beat
  • harmonious
  • rabab
  • concert
  • pegs
  • strings
  • chords
  • strums
  • stage
  • note
  • melody
  • audience
  • pluck 
  • strum
• Check out the back matter of the book for more musical ideas!
• The Pinterest board and YouTube playlist have additional ideas

YouTube playlist with rabab music, videos about Pakistan culture, Eid celebrations, and activities for the classroom.

Pinterest board with crafts, Pakistani information for kids, classroom activities, pictures of rababs, etc.

Sabrina's socials and links:
www.sabrinashahauthor.com
Instagram | X | Facebook | Bluesky

​MUSIC OF THE MOUNTAINS Goodreads page (check out reviews, find links for purchasing, leave a review and more!)

​Sabrina is offering a picture book critique to one lucky winner!  To be eligible to win, simply leave a comment below

What a treat to have a fun and candid conversation about collaboration between author and illustrator, when self-publishing might be best, the importance of platform, transforming a song into a picture book, what kids love, and much, much more!

What a fun little song that turned into a fun little book!  A fantastic collaboration between singer/songwriter/children's musician, Laura Doherty and illustrator, Jane Smith.  Laura is based in Chicago, but travels the country sharing her super-fun music for kids in performances.  Jane is author and illustrator. In this case, she's the illustrator for this sing-along picture book.  The book highlights all the fun that can come in spring on the farm when the rain falls and muddy puddles appear. Be sure to check out the song wherever you stream music too!

Well, of course, if it's a sing along, what else would we use?  This is Laura's version of Muddy Puddles -- so fun! Spring, bluegrass, farm animals, mud -- full of fun stuff that kids will love!

Check out these tips for the regular classroom!

Recommended ages/grades:  Preschool - 2nd grade (ages 2- 8+)​

Themes/Topics:  Farm/Mud

• Farm!
  • Farm animals -- Other farm songs, stories, animal sounds and movements, crafts, role play, puppets, sensory experiences, etc.
    • Pigs
      • Fun facts
      • Life cycle
      • Why do they like mud?
    • Cows
      • Fun facts
      • Life cycle
    • Ducks
      • Fun facts
      • Life cycle
    • Chickens
      • Fun facts
      • Life cycle
    • Cats
      • Fun facts
      • Life cycle
    • Mice
      • Fun facts
      • Life cycle
  • Farmers
    • Jobs/tasks
    • Different kinds of farmers
  • Tractors
    • Different sizes
    • Different jobs
• Spring as a season
  • Rain
  • Mud
    • How mud is made
    • What can you do with mud?
  • Puddles
    • Favorite activities with puddles
  • Weather
  • Clothing needed
• Repetition
  • Listen for/find it in the story
  • Discuss -- WHY did the author repeat certain things?
• Onomatopoeia
  • Scavenger hunt. . .
  • What other word sounds could she have included?
  • Can we create a list of 
• Action words (verbs)
  • scavenger hunt in the text
  • movement activity
• General 
  • Have kids TELL the story of what's happening in the book.

**Be sure to check out the Pinterest board and YouTube playlist in the links section for lots of crafts, preschool activities, additional songs and more!

• Perfect sing-along book for preschool and for kindergarten - 2nd grade (maybe)
  • Lyrics for tracking/fluency practice
  • Form (ABABABB; verse, chorus, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, chorus)
• Listening activities 
  • Listen to song for various things
    • Animal sounds
    • "muddy, muddy puddles"
    • Different instruments
    • etc.
  • Bluegrass genre
    • 5-string banjo
    • Genre study
    • Traditional bluegrass instruments
    • Play-alongs, body percussion and other fun activities with bluegrass music.

**Check Pinterest board and YouTube playlist for additional activities and specific exercises, etc.

​**Also check out the last page of the book for the sheet music and movement activities.

1. Write one more verse for MUDDY PUDDLES.
2. Write your own poem or song about mud puddles.
3. Write an adventure story about a pig that swims across a huge mud puddle and discovers something incredible.
4. Write about a mud memory -- jumping or playing in puddles, making mud pies or playing in a mud kitchen, etc.
5. Write a story about the pig named Muddy Puddles.
6. Write a story from the perspective of one of the other farm animals.
7. Write all the facts you've learned about bluegrass music.
8. Make a list of all the instruments in the book and write everything you know about each instrument.
9. Write a recipe from the "Mud Kitchen"
10. Write a story or poem about a chicken, mouse,  dog, cat, duck, cow, etc. sho plays an instrument. Which one? Why? What's hard about it.
11. Write a story about a very unusual farm.
12. Write a poem about mud or farms.
13. What is your favorite bluegrass instrument? Why?
14. Which is your favorite farm animal? Why?
15. Write a letter to the pig.
16. Write a letter to the author and/or illustrator (Tell them  5 things you love and ask a question or make a wish.
17. Write a story or song about these farm animals taking their bluegrass band on the road.
18. Listen to some instrumental bluegrass music and write about how it makes you feel, what you picures.

**While young children may not have a huge grasp on handwriting OR creative writing/organizing and communicating thoughts and ideas, it's important to give "voice" to their ideas. You can have them draw pictures or dictate their story to an older child or adult who can write it down..Or simply do some oral storytelling.  Just get them dreaming, brainstorming, being creative and putting stories together!

Writing and Illustrating Tips from Jane

1. When writing and/or illustrating picture books, keep the final physical product in mind. The way readers interact with a physical book—turning pages to see and read one piece of the story at a time—are opportunities to control pacing, build tension and create climatic surprises.
2. Look for moments where hand-lettering the text can enhance the storytelling and create verbally AND visually dynamic scenes.
3. Read your working picture book manuscripts out loud, and also listen to others reading your manuscript out loud. Hitches in word choice, pacing and flow will instantly be illuminated.

AND. . . Songwriting tips from Laura:

--I often start with a phrase that catches my attention and go from there when writing a song. I wrote a song called "Now I Go to School" and it's based around a friend's son who was nervous about his first day of Kindergarten, and then came home from his first day of school saying "I'm sorry, Mommy, I forgot to miss you because I had so much fun today". I thought that was a great line for a song, so I incorporated into a whole song about all the new things kids experience on their first day of school! Kids say so many great phrases that can be turned into songs!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFLrRKWhsKU

-- Sometimes it takes years for songs to completed. The "voice memo" feature on my phone is my friend! I have snippets of songs on there from years back. It's a great tool for getting ideas down. 


--I love to write songs about animals. Kids love animals and animal puppets. I have lots of puppets and animals stuffies that I've bought or have been gifted to me for classroom use, that often get a song written about them. My mom gave me a Flamingo beanie baby and that's how my "Domingo the Flamingo" song was born. It's a song about the days of the week, and Domingo's favorite day is Sunday!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TxS5l1Ej0k

And also, Muddy Puddles! My friend's daughter had a pig puppet that she gave me, and I named him Muddy Puddles and then at one of my shows one time, I asked a little girl what I should write about next, and she said "Muddy Puddles", and then the song was born!  If you have a stuffie or puppet, give it a name and bring it to life! There's so many adventures that a puppet can go on, that can be turned into a story or a song, or both!

YouTube playlist with over 40 pieces that are a great companion to the book MUDDY PUDDLES.

​Pinterest board with lots of links for activities, crafts, songs, etc. to go along with this book, MUDDY PUDDLES.

Jane's  socials:
Web site: www.superjane.com
Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube: @superjanesmith
Twitter/X: @superjaneartist
Substack: @superreadersclub

Laura's socials:
Website: http://www.lauradohertymusic.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LauraDohertyMusic/videos
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/lauradohertymusic/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/lauradohertymusic

To purchase or review the book:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/230971485-muddy-puddles
Barnes & Noble: https://tinyurl.com/nx2yxt2a

Laura and Jane have generously offered to give a double-signed copy of the book to one lucky winner! To be eligible, simply leave a comment below.