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.