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A Winding Wiggly Conversation with Rosie J. Pova about SALLY'S MUSICAL TALERosie and I had a delightful discussion surrounding her most recent book, SALLY'S MUSICAL TALE. We talk about empowering kids, providing inspiration, imagination, and more. The book is so fun and so is this conversation! SALLY'S MUSICAL TALE 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! A Little Jam. . .(The Music Kind)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. Teacher Tips, Tricks and TopicS 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.
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)
Tips and Topics for Music Teachers 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:
Writing Prompts from Tonnye
Writing Tips from Rosie
Links, More Fun, Extensions for Families and Everyone! |
 | To be entered to win a free picture book critique by Rosie J. Pova, please leave a comment below by 11:59 PM ET Nov. 19, 2025 All comments will be entered into the random drawing for ONE picture book critique (subject to Rosie's parameters: fiction, non-rhyming, up to 700 words.) 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! |
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A Layered Conversation (Just like the book . . .)
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!
I GOTTA SING by Alice Faye Duncan
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!
A Little Jam. . .(The Music Kind)
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!
Teacher Tips, Tricks and Topics
BIG Ideas in This Book
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.
- Bathtime
- Setting -- Farm
- Singing/rhythm/moving
- "I Gotta Sing" -- contemporized spiritual
- Intergenerational relationships
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.
- Bathtime
- Bathtime sensory bin
- Bathtub "reading" area with pillows
- Sequencing activities related to bath time
- Other bathtime books
- Handwashing activities
- Bathtime songs
- Reward charts
- Setting -- Farm
- Farm Animals
- Puppets
- Life cycles
- Crafts
- Animal sounds/onomatopoeia (That topic could also translate up for older kids)
- Farm songs
- Other farm tips/topics
- Tractor
- Art --
- Directed drawing
- color-by-number
- Use tractor tires to paint
- Design-a-tractor (use simple template)
- Music
- The Wheels on the Tractor
- Old McDonald
- BINGO
- Poems with rhythm
- Tapping out farm syllables (tractor =2 eighth notes; farm = quarter note, etc)
- Sensory bin/tractor play
- Literacy
- Read other books about tractors and farms
- Poems
- Song lyrics
- Art --
- Tractor
- Farm Animals
- Singing/rhythm/movement
- Just SING!
- Talk about the importance of singing
- Listen for rhythm/music wherever you are
- Make up little songs about whatever you're doing together
- Find fun ways to move from one place to another
- Can you hop to the next stop?
- Run?
- Jump?
- Skip?
- "I Gotta Sing"
- Sing different versions
- Make up additional moves/sounds
- Use the template in the back of the book to write additional verses
- Intergenerational stories
- Read more stories about grandparents and great-grands, great aunts/uncles, etc.
- Have students draw pictures of elderly people who are important to them
- Ditto above, but write a letter or poem, etc.
Tips and Topics for Music Teachers
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".
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.
- 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.
Writing Prompts from Tonnye
- Write 3 new verses to the song.
- What do you think is the central message of the song? Why do you think that's important?
- Write about your favorite bathtime rituals/traditions.
- If you were trying to. get a younger kid to take a bath, what would you do?
- Why do you think little kids don't like to take baths?
- Which farm animal in the book is your favorite? Why?
- Have you ever spent time on a farm? Write about your experience.
- Write a poem about farm animals using at least 4 onomatopoeia.
- Does an older family member or friend take care of you sometimes? Write about that experience. What do you like/dislike?
- Write your own "Gotta Sing" story, but set it somewhere else besides a farm.
- Write a letter to the author telling her your favorite thing(s) about the book and one thing you wish she had done differently.
- Draw a postcard and write a note on the other side to the illustrator, telling him why you like (or don't like) his illustrations.
- Write a poem about Bath Time
- Choose another black spiritual and write it into a story. Where will it be set? Who are the characters? Why are they singing the song? How will you change the words?
- Write a story called "The Singing Farm"
Writing Tips from Alice
1. For craft, read and study lyrics to your favorite traditional and contemporary songs.
2. For practical work, purchase writing pens and notebooks that are aesthetically pleasing to you.
3. For inspiration, visit local art and history museums
2. For practical work, purchase writing pens and notebooks that are aesthetically pleasing to you.
3. For inspiration, visit local art and history museums
Links, More Fun, Extensions for Families and Everyone!
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!
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!
Guest Links and Giveaway
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)
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!
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!
A Convo with a Trio -- A Tribute to Collaboration and Creativity
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!
SHOWDOWN SYMPHONY
Not only is this a delightful concept to create a book with illustrations and music that work together as a musical teaching tool -- as well as an entertaining story, the illustrations are absolutely adorable too! The whole project is lovely -- a wonderful tool in the music room to teach various tempos (with their Italian names), but equally a fun adventurous story in its own right. Teachers, students, animal lovers, music lovers -- will all be lovers of this book, too!
A Little Jam. . .(The Music Kind)
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.
Teacher Tips, Tricks and Topics
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.)
- Forest/woodland habitat
- Food chain
- Tie in with music
- Move to various tempos
- Choreograph a dance move for each animal's motif
- Draw to the music
- Create puppets for the animals
- Use puppets to act out story
- Act out story
- Assign students to be characters; create a voice for each character, mannerisms, etc.
Tips and Topics for Music Teachers
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.
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)
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:
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
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
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:
- Using music as accompaniment to stories.
- Creating their own accompaniment to a favorite story
- Exploring other accompaniments to stories
- 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.
Writing Prompts from Tonnye
- If Mouse had stayed put in the forest, do you think Owl or Cat would have won? Why?
- This book is full of rhyme. Choose another animal and write a rhyming poem featuring your animal.
- Why do you think the author changed the poetic format for each tempo.
- What is your favorite physical activity? Which tempo matches it best? Explain.
- Mouse is in a difficult place -- between owl and cat. Have you ever been in a situation where neither outcome seemed good? What did you do? Write that story.
- Start where Mouse is between Owl and Cat. Write a different ending to the story.
- Pretend you are one of Mouse's kids. Write a letter to your mom. Be sure to include some of the details of the story in your letter.
- Why do you think the composer chose the harp AND the French horn to represent the owl? Do you think that was a good choice? What would YOU have chosen? Why?
- Choose one of the animals from the book. Write a report or a nonfiction article about that animal. Be sure to do good research.
- Do you like rhyming books? Why or why not?
- Write a letter to the author or the illustrator or the composer telling them why you like (or don't like) the choices they made when creating this book.
- Write your own book review for this book.
- Choose a different set of animals and write your own story with a strong conflict.
- Choose your favorite illustration from the book and write a descriptive paragraph about it.
- Write another story (it doesn't have to rhyme) using at least 3 of the tempos that are featured in this story.
Writing Tips from Kevin
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!
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!
Composition Tips from Emmaline
- Always start with an inspiration whether it's a personal experience, a place, or a story. When you write music about something, it's always much more impactful.
- Although reading music is helpful, you don't need to read music to write it! Just pick up an instrument of your choice, learn how to play chords (much faster than learning to read music), and experiment!
- Listen to the kind of music you want to write. It's ok to copy a little when you're just starting out. That's how we learn!
Art Advice for Up-and-Coming Illustrators from Sarah
- 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!
- 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!
Links, More Fun, Extensions for Families and Everyone!
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
Pinterest board with lots of activities related to the characters in the book, the instruments highlighted in the music, the featured tempos
Guest Links and Giveaway
  |  |
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/
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/
To be eligible to win your choice of prizes, simply leave a comment below no later than 11:59 PM ET on October 15, 2025. A random winner will be drawn after that, and the winner will be contacted via email.
Journeys -- of Books and Musicians and Writers
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!
SAMBA: THE HEARTBEAT OF A COMMUNITY: AILTON NUNES'S MUSICAL JOURNEY
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.
A Little Jam. . .(The Music Kind)
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.
Teacher Tips, Tricks and TopicS
SEL!
- The themes in this book are very well-suited for SEL focuses:
- Resilience
- Persistence
- Tenacity
- Consequences of actions/cause & effect
- Balancing responsibility with pleasure
- Learning from our mistakes
- Discipline
- Resilience
- Brazil
- Geography
- Maps
- Cities
- Culture (esp. music and dance)
- Celebrations
- Samba schools
- Geography
- Wants/needs
- Timelines (in conjunction with math -- number lines)
- Fashion/costume design
- Creating musical instruments from available materials
- Figurative Language
- Similes
- Onomatopoeia
- Similes
- Cause/effect
- Features of text (font and size)
- Timelines (in conjunction with social studies)
- This story includes lots of numbers and would be very easy to create story problems.
Tips and Topics for Music TeacherS
SAMBA
MUSICAL VOCABULARY
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
- Music
- Dance
- Culture (Carnaval, etc.)
- Samba Schools
MUSICAL VOCABULARY
- Check the back matter for glossary and musical instruments
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
Writing Prompts from TonnyE
- Listen to some samba music and free write as you listen.
- Write an acrostic poem about samba music.
- Research samba in Brazil and write a report.
- Write about a young girl who wanted to become a samba percussionist.
- What is the most important lesson you learned from Ailton Nunes?
- This book has lots of onomatopoeia. Write your own story or poem with onomatopoeia.
- Write a "how-to" piece explaining how to create a percussion instrument from "found" objects.
- Would you want to play in a bateria? Why/why not?
- Compare this book to BUILDING AN ORCHESTRA OF HOPE. Find at least 5 similarities and 5 differences and write about them.
- Why do you think Ailton Nunes was so successful with his music?
- What are some important lessons he learned along the way?
- Draw a picture of a fancy carnaval costume. Then write a paragraph describing it.
- This book has quite a few similes. Try crafting 10 beautiful similes.
- Write a letter to Ailton Nunes and/or the author, Philip Hoelzel and tell them what you enjoyed about the book.
- Make a list of the onomatopoeia in the book and use those words to write a different story.
Writing Tips from Philip
- Write what you know and/or are interested in because publishing can be a long process. Don’t chase trends.
- Don’t be afraid to try new things. Just say yes. You never know where saying yes can lead.
- Your free time is your own and it is precious. Use it to invest in your interests, goals or dreams.
- Take a writing or illustration class or two to get an idea of how books for children are made.
- When you are really stuck on a manuscript, let it rest for a while (two weeks, three months, six months) Work on something else.
Links, More Fun, Extensions for Families and Everyone!
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!
Pinterest board full of samba music, activities for the music classroom, and more!
Guest Links and Giveaways
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!)
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!)
Music, Access, Creativity, and Much, Much More
If you love books and music, don't miss this conversation about collaboration, the power of persistence and tenacity, and lots of gushing over beautiful illustrations and amazing music by two dear friends who are inviting you into this precious conversation!
THAT SWINGIN' SOUND:The Musical Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
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!
A Little Jam. . .(The Music Kind)
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.
Teacher Tips, Tricks and Topics
- Social Studies
- Black history/civil rights
- Apollo Theater
- Black performers vs. white performers (difference and similarities)
- Change over time -- black performers in the 1940s-1960s compared to black performers of today.
- US Geography -- New York, New Orleans (and lots of other places mentioned in the book), map skills, compare and contrast various places, etc.
- Various forms of transportation
- Walking
- Riverboat
- Trains
- Cars (pictures only in the book)
- Black history/civil rights
- SEL (Social/Emotional Learning)
- The power of teamwork
- Resilience
- Perseverance/Tenacity
- Being brave/trying something new
- ELA (English/language arts/reading/spelling)
- Nonsense words (tie in with scatting)
- Onomatopoeia
- Figurative language
- Similes (scavenger hunt in the book, use as mentor text, write your own similes, etc.)
- Verbs
- Strong verbs vs. weak verbs
- Changing forms -ed, -ing endings, etc.
Tips and Topics for Music Teachers
- Music History 1940s-1960s
- Civil rights and its impact
- The rise of jazz
- Famous black performers
- Musical styles
- Musical landmarks
- Biographies
- Louis Armstrong
- Ella Fitzgerald
- Jazz as a genre
- Instruments
- Performers
- Characteristics
- Scatting
- Who?
- Why?
- How?
- Jazz rhythms
- Careers in music
- Singer
- Instrumentalist
- Dancer
- Producer
- Theater director
- Teacher
Writing Prompts from Tonnye
- Choose a song by Louis and Ella. Close your eyes and listen to the whole piece of music. Then write a sentence, paragraph, or longer piece (depending on age and ability) about your thoughts and feelings about the piece.
- Louis played trumpet and sang. Which would you rather do? Why?
- After reading the book, what was your favorite page or spread (2 facing pages)? Write about why you chose that part.
- Louis Armstrong was often called "Louie" Armstrong, but he said in an interview he actually preferred Louis "Lewis". If your name can be pronounced more than one way, write about which pronunciation you prefer and why. OR if you have a name that is often mispronounced, or people call you a nickname or something different, write about that and how it makes you feel.
- Louis and Ella made quite a team! Write a story about a set of partners that are better together than they are apart.
- Write a story about Louis and Ella told from the point of view of Louis's trumpet and/or Ella's microphone.
- Change Louis and Ella into animal characters. Write THEIR story.
- Ella and Louis mostly sang and played jazz music. Do you like this genre? Why/why not?
- Both Ella and Louis were famous for their scatting skills. Scatting is singing in the moment with made-up/nonsense words. Write your own song using nonsense words.
- Ella was an orphan (She didn't have living parents who took care of her.) Write about how you think it would feel to be an orphan.
- Louis got in trouble in New Orleans for disturbing the peace and was taken away from his family and had to live far away. How do you think he felt being far away from the people he cared about?
- Have you ever gotten in trouble? How did it make you feel?
- Louis and Ella both had moments where they were afraid. When you are afraid, what do you do? How do you handle being afraid?
- Write a letter to the author and/or the illustrator, telling them your favorite parts of the book. Include at least one question you have about their work.
- Write a poem about something the book made you think about.
- When things got hard or scary, Louis and Ella did not give up. Why is it important to keep trying even if you feel scared or if what you're trying to do seems too hard?
- What is one important lesson we can learn from Louis and/or Ella? How can you use that lesson to help you or someone you care about?
- Take a music walk! 10 minutes. Walk around your school, your neighborhood, or your yard or a park. Jot down all the "music" you hear. Then go home and write about your experience hearing music everywhere.
Writing Tips from Rekha
When I finish a manuscript (even if I think it is done and perfect), I step away from it for a couple of weeks and come back to read with fresh eyes. It ALWAYS helps me to tweak and make edits!
Links, More Fun, Extensions for Families and Everyone!
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.
Pinterest board full of jazz info and activities, scat singing, biographical info, coloring sheets and other things related to Louis and Ella.
Guest Links and Giveaways
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:
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
Musical, Cultural Writerly Conversation with Sabrina
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 by Sabrina Shah
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.
A Little Jam. . .(The Music Kind)
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.
Teacher Tips, Tricks and Topics
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
- Onomatopoeia
- 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
Tips and Topics for Music Teachers
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
Writing Prompts from Tonnye
- Write a report about a rabab
- Write about a time you were trying to learn to play an instrument
- Have you ever had to have courage about something? Write about that.
- Write your own story about someone who is very anxious or nervous.
- Do some research on a topic from the book and write a report (Pakistan, rabab, Eid, etc.)
- Write a story about girls getting their hands decorated with henna.
- Write a story about you and one of your grandparents.
- When Roohi's grandfather is in the hospital, she wipes away tears. Write about a time you were sad because someone you care about was sick.
- Would you rather play a guitar or a rabab? Why?
- There is a lot of figurative language in this book. Write a story about your family that includes at least one example of personification, metaphor, simile, onomatopoeia, and alliteration.
- Write about a concert you either attended or performed in. Describe it. How did it make you feel?
- what is the difference in rhythm and beat. Which one is more important? Why?
- Write about a celebration in your culture where there might be a concert or a performance.
- Write an alliterative poem about your favorite musical instrument.
- Write song lyrics for a song celebrating something special to you.
- Write a diamante poem with rabab at the top and guitar at the bottom.
- Write a letter to Roohi, encouraging her to keep trying.
- Write a letter to the author, telling her your favorite part of the book, and one thing you wish she had done differently.
- Neeka Baba tells Roohi to "feel the rhythm, feel the beat of your people." What do you think he meant by that?
- If you were to write about the rhythm or the beat of YOUR people, what would it sound like? Write about that.
Writing Tips from Sabrina
- Age old but a classic - read read and read some more. If you want to write a certain genre or in a specific style, read books in those genres and styles. Be a sponge and learn from them - ensure you are studying those mentor texts. You really can't write something you've never tried to read before.
- Beware the burn-out. We always say 'try to write everyday' but sometimes pushing ourselves to do that results in work which feels forced; alongside emotions such as writer's guilt, imposter syndrome and even lack of writer's worth. Know when to have that break from your manuscript because life does inevitably get in the way and to force yourself to keep going in your writing world can actually make you crumble faster. Listen to your mind and body.
- It's okay going back to previous drafts - pick that line back up, readjust a character arc - you don't need to throw it all on the back burner forever if you feel something is missing. Some of our best work comes from earlier ideas and brainstorms when they are fresh and haven't had a thousand pieces of feedback thrown at it - but know how to integrate it into your newer version and ask yourself over and over 'does it work'.
Links, More Fun, Extensions for Families and Everyone!
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.
Pinterest board with crafts, Pakistani information for kids, classroom activities, pictures of rababs, etc.
Guest Links and Giveaways
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
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
Collaboration, Self-Publishing vs. Traditional, From Song to Picture Book and More. . . with Laura Doherty and Jane Smith!
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!
MUDDY PUDDLES -- a Sing-Along Book by Laura Doherty, illustrated by Jane Smith
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!
A Little Jam. . .(The Music Kind)
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!
Teacher Tips, Tricks and Topics
Check out these tips for the regular classroom!
Recommended ages/grades: Preschool - 2nd grade (ages 2- 8+)
Themes/Topics: Farm/Mud
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
- Pigs
- Farmers
- Jobs/tasks
- Different kinds of farmers
- Tractors
- Different sizes
- Different jobs
- Farm animals -- Other farm songs, stories, animal sounds and movements, crafts, role play, puppets, sensory experiences, etc.
- 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.
Tips and Topics for Music Teachers
- 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.
- Listen to song for various things
**Also check out the last page of the book for the sheet music and movement activities.
Writing Prompts from Tonnye
- Write one more verse for MUDDY PUDDLES.
- Write your own poem or song about mud puddles.
- Write an adventure story about a pig that swims across a huge mud puddle and discovers something incredible.
- Write about a mud memory -- jumping or playing in puddles, making mud pies or playing in a mud kitchen, etc.
- Write a story about the pig named Muddy Puddles.
- Write a story from the perspective of one of the other farm animals.
- Write all the facts you've learned about bluegrass music.
- Make a list of all the instruments in the book and write everything you know about each instrument.
- Write a recipe from the "Mud Kitchen"
- 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.
- Write a story about a very unusual farm.
- Write a poem about mud or farms.
- What is your favorite bluegrass instrument? Why?
- Which is your favorite farm animal? Why?
- Write a letter to the pig.
- Write a letter to the author and/or illustrator (Tell them 5 things you love and ask a question or make a wish.
- Write a story or song about these farm animals taking their bluegrass band on the road.
- Listen to some instrumental bluegrass music and write about how it makes you feel, what you picures.
Tips from Laura and Jane!
Writing and Illustrating Tips from Jane
--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!
- 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.
- Look for moments where hand-lettering the text can enhance the storytelling and create verbally AND visually dynamic scenes.
- 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.
--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!
Links, More Fun, Extensions for Families and Everyone!
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.
Pinterest board with lots of links for activities, crafts, songs, etc. to go along with this book, MUDDY PUDDLES.
Guest Links and Giveaways
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.
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.
Creative and Inspiring Chat with Moira!
Join Moira and me for a delightful conversation about history, music, inspiration, dance, hope, rhyme, and more! Moira's conversations are always chock full of useful writing tips, interesting tidbits, and tons of inspiration! Listen in and find out where this book idea came from and how it led to another book, rhyming tips, and some inspiring thoughts about how music and dance plant hope in our hearts. Such a rich and fun conversation!
TAPPING FEET: HOW TWO CULTURES CAME TOGETHER TO MAKE AN AMERICAN DANCE
A book for the ages that weaves history, music, and dance into a delightful tapestry of creativity, telling the story of Tap dance -- an American art form. From Ireland to slave quarters in the South to New York City, the author traces the fascinating history of tap dance. Tap became a dancing melting pot that echoed the population of the neighborhood in New York where tap dance originated and would take the country -- and eventually the world by storm. Born from challenges and struggles and the joy and hope that are sometimes buried deep in our souls during hardship, tap dance is the perfect style of dance for all the people of America -- the perfect way to express our history, our culture, our heart, and our future. Kudos, Moira, on a beautiful book that tells an important story! And kudos to illustrator Colin Bootman on bringing every glorious detail beautifully to life. Get your tap shoes out and turn the music up for this one!
A Little Jam. . .(The Music Kind)
This is the video I thought of as soon as I read the blurb for TAPPING FEET. I love it so much. It tells, through dance and music and humor, a similar story to the one Moira and Colin tell with words and pictures. There is another version that Riverdance did a few years later in the YouTube playlist, along with lots of other resources for all ages. Be sure to check it out in the links section!
Teacher Tips, Tricks and Topics
- Rhyme -- Since this book has rhyming sections, it's a perfect book to help teach rhyme or provide additional practice
- Rhyming word scavenger hunt/matching activity (Find the word that rhymes. . . .)
- Have students create their own rhyming couplets, tercets, or quatrains
- Find the rhyming section on each spread
- Distinguish between rhyming/non-rhyming sections
- Features of text/FONT -- One of the ways to find the rhyming sections is to look for the font change, so this book is perfect for looking at how and why authors and publishers use different fonts in the same book
- History!!!
- History of tap dance in America
- African-American history
- slavery
- Irish-American history
- potato famine
- Immigration (and the difference in immigration and slavery)
- melting pot
- SEL -- the power of welcoming (or not); Compare to how students feel; build empathy and compassion; (Depending on the age), discuss cultural identities that may not feel welcome today and how can we change that?
- Dance -- Love of dance, history of tap dance
- Venn diagram comparing Irish dance and African American dance
- Biographies of famous dancers listed in the book
- Bill "BoJangles" Robinson
- George M. Cohan
- William Henry Lane/"Master Juba"
- John "Jack" Diamond
- Nicholas Brothers
- Clayton "Peg Leg" Bates
- Gene Kelly
- Fred Astaire
- Ginger Rogers
Tips and Topics for Music Teachers
- Check out the tips above (especially the dance section and biographies, as all of that applies here, too!
- Tap dance
- History
- Steps
- Learning to dance
- Juba dance
- Jazz
- Jazz music and tap dance
- Compare Irish dance and African juba
- Watch and discuss the "Jam" above "Trading Taps" -- compare to book and discuss
- Watch both versions of "Trading Taps" -- compare to book and discuss.
- Celebrate Irish music and dance by reading the book and celebrating St. Patrick's Day
- Celebrate African American music and dance by reading the book and celebrating African American history month/Black History Month.
- Read and celebrate February into March and celebrate both cultures and their contribution to dance in America!
Writing Prompts from Tonnye
- Write a fictional story about a tap dancer.
- Write a letter from the African-American dancer to the Irish dancer (or vice versa).
- Write Moira Donohue an email telling her your favorite thing(s) about the book.
- Watch the two videos "Trading Taps" and choose the one you like the best. Write the interaction as a story.
- Write a poem about TAPPING FEET.
- Write your own rhyming poem about your favorite kind of dance.
- Choose one of the people mentioned in the book and research more about them. Write a poem or a biography or a report about them.
- Do you like tap dance? Why or why not?
- Try out one of the videos for a beginner tap lesson. Write about the experience. Was it hard? Easy? Just right? Something you want to continue?
- Watch the video from the YouTube playlist with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and Shirley Temple on the stairs. Write five observations from that video.
- Watch a movie that features tap dance and write about whether it made the movie more interesting or not and why you think so.
- Write a fictional story about two tap dancers that become friends.
- Write a fictional story about someone who wants to tap dance but doesn't have good rhythm.
- Write a story or poem titled THE TAP DANCER.
- Write a story or poem titled TONY TWO TAPS.
Writing Tips from Moira
Links, More Fun, Extensions for Families and Everyone!
YouTube playlist with over 40 videos of tap dance, history, music, activities and more to support the concepts in TAPPING FEET
Pinterest board with lots of ideas for extending the learning with TAPPING FEET (worksheets, coloring sheets, exercises, history, hands-on activities, crafts, music, videos, books, etc.)
Pinterest board with lots of ideas for extending the learning with TAPPING FEET (worksheets, coloring sheets, exercises, history, hands-on activities, crafts, music, videos, books, etc.)
Guest Links and Giveaways
Moira's website
Email
Instagram.
GoodReads page -- purchase a copy, leave a review, find out more!
Moira is generously offering up a copy of TAPPING FEET for one lucky winner! To be eligible, leave a comment below by 11:59 PM EDT on June 18, 2025.
Instagram.
GoodReads page -- purchase a copy, leave a review, find out more!
Moira is generously offering up a copy of TAPPING FEET for one lucky winner! To be eligible, leave a comment below by 11:59 PM EDT on June 18, 2025.
A Chat with Delia
Come listen in as Delia and I chat about the inspiration and origin of her book, as well as it's journey to publication. We dig into the musical connections in the book and so much more! It's a delightful conversation that ends with what Delia has up her sleeve next! Pop in and find out all about plena, panderos, coquis, bomba, and what books are coming next for Delia. Be sure to check out all the resources below and share this episode with your favorite teacher, librarian, or family! It's full of amazing music, nature, encouragement to dream and of course, a great book with a great story!
ROQUI'S PANDERO BEAT
Roqui is a tiny coqui with a big dream. He wants to be a drummer -- to play the pandero and make plena music like back home in Puerto Rico. When he moves to New York with his family, he feels smaller than ever. Roqui must believe in himself and try his best if he is going to play the pandero like his papa. Sprinkled with Spanish and musical terminology, this story is a multi-layered journey from Puerto Rico to New York. It's perfect for ESL students and teachers -- or anyone who's ever had to leave home and adapt to somewhere new. It's also perfect for kids with big dreams -- or small bodies -- or both! It's a great "I can" message without being preachy. It's also a great introduction to Puerto Rico.
A Little Jam. . .(The Music Kind)
Senor Matos gives a great demonstration and explanation of the three different pandero drums. This is a perfect video for kids (and grown-ups) who want to understand what a pandero is, and how they are played. If you want something different, be sure to check out the YouTube playlist in the links section below! There is ambient music with coqui song, songs about the coqui, more plena music, bomba music, dancing, information about Puerto Rico and more! There are also some great play-alongs too!
Teacher Tips, Tricks and Topics
Social Studies
Puerto Rico study (geography, history, culture, music, etc.)
Science
Coquis -- life cycle, range, etc.
Math
Story problems using coquis, pandero drums, musicians
ELA
onomatopoeia
Spanish vocabulary
Conversation/quotation marks
problem/solution
SEL
Tenacity
Positive thinking
Affirmations
body positivity
Moving cities/countries
Tips and Topics for Music Teachers
- The Music of Puerto Rico
- Bomba
- Instruments
- Dance
- Plena
- Different types of pandero drums
- Different rhythms/roles for each drum
- Bomba
- Rhythm practice
- Handheld drums (play-alongs, call and response, improvisation, reading rhythm cards, etc.)
- Syllables in the book (cafe con pan, etc.)
Writing Prompts from Tonnye
- Listen to examples of plena music and bomba music from Puerto Rico. Which do you prefer and why?
- Have you ever felt like you were too _______ to do something? (too small, too tall, too thin, too thick. . . ) How did that feel? How did you handle that?
- Do some research on Bomba music and dance. Why was it important to the people of Puerto Rico?
- If you could play any instrument, which would you choose, and why?
- Write a story about a coqui frog.
- Write a song about the coqui frog or about leaving home.
- Have you ever had to move from one place to another? What was hard about the move?
- Write a story about a child that moves from you home town to ______.. What challenges do they discover? How do they overcome them?
- Are you close with your dad? If , what is one thing your dad does that you would like to do? How can you make that happen?
- Write a story about moving.
- Make a list of all the things you would miss about your home and your town if you had to move.
- Write a story about a character with a big dream.
- Write about the life cycle of the coqui frog.
- Write a story as a conversation between a parent and a child.
- Write a poem with a rhythm. Read it aloud while playing a beat on a drum. Make adjustments until they sound good together. Share it with someone.
Writing Tips from Delia
I look at the first and last sentence of my manuscript and see if they align back to the theme.
I separate my layout into spreads and look at the final sentences. I ask myself, would this follow a page turn or would someone stop reading here? I want readers to be hooked and want to turn the page each time.
I don't write everyday but I find the time to do writing related things like cleaning up my workspace, writing bullet point ideas of potential book topics, reading, and resting.
With revision, I wrote the entire PB story from scratch and see what moment stuck and which scenes generated new ideas / outcomes. This helps me keep the heart and adjust any areas I might want to change when I compare it to the original.
I separate my layout into spreads and look at the final sentences. I ask myself, would this follow a page turn or would someone stop reading here? I want readers to be hooked and want to turn the page each time.
I don't write everyday but I find the time to do writing related things like cleaning up my workspace, writing bullet point ideas of potential book topics, reading, and resting.
With revision, I wrote the entire PB story from scratch and see what moment stuck and which scenes generated new ideas / outcomes. This helps me keep the heart and adjust any areas I might want to change when I compare it to the original.
Links, More Fun, Extensions for Families and Everyone!
YouTube playlist featuring plena music, panderos, coquis, Puerto Rico, bomba music and more!
Teachers' Guide/Activities
Pinterest board with lots of related resources: Coqui, Puerto Rican music, maps, flags, history, coloring pages, and more!
Teachers' Guide/Activities
Pinterest board with lots of related resources: Coqui, Puerto Rican music, maps, flags, history, coloring pages, and more!
Guest Links and Giveaways
Delia Ruiz
Delia Ruiz is a first generation Latinx author. She enjoys creating teacher materials under her teacher store Aventuras En ESL. Aventuras En ESL is also her social media platform used to showcase diverse books, especially Latine/x book picks. Her published books include the International Latino Book Award-winning Roqui’s Pandero Beat and the !1,2,3 Baila! board book series. Delia enjoys time at home, writing, and going on long walks. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband and pug. She is represented by Sera Rivers at Speilburg Literary Agency.
Website
To purchase ROQUI'S PANDERO BEAT, visit Delia's website (this link)
Instagram
TikTok
FB
Delia is generously offering a signed copy of ROQUI'S PANDERO BEAT to one lucky winner! Simply leave a comment below by 11:59 PM on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 and we'll randomly select a winner.
Delia Ruiz is a first generation Latinx author. She enjoys creating teacher materials under her teacher store Aventuras En ESL. Aventuras En ESL is also her social media platform used to showcase diverse books, especially Latine/x book picks. Her published books include the International Latino Book Award-winning Roqui’s Pandero Beat and the !1,2,3 Baila! board book series. Delia enjoys time at home, writing, and going on long walks. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband and pug. She is represented by Sera Rivers at Speilburg Literary Agency.
Website
To purchase ROQUI'S PANDERO BEAT, visit Delia's website (this link)
TikTok
FB
Delia is generously offering a signed copy of ROQUI'S PANDERO BEAT to one lucky winner! Simply leave a comment below by 11:59 PM on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 and we'll randomly select a winner.
A Chat with Gloria
Listen in as Gloria and I chat about the origin of her book and it's journey, the musical connections, how language plays into the story, legacies, and lots more! Join the conversation by leaving us a comment below.
ABUELITA'S SONG
Bilingual, full of music, gorgeous illustrations, an intergenerational story about love, lyrics, language, and legacy! Such a sweet and lovely book about how the things we share that come from our heart come back to us sometimes in surprising ways!
A Little Jam. . .(The Music Kind)
The original song! Sung by Gloria's Granddaughters! How sweet is this?!? Check out the links section below for even more videos, the sheet music and more! You and your littles can sing along with Gloria's granddaughters, or you can grab the sheet music and play along as well. A sweet, repetitive lullaby that is a great introduction to Spanish for non-native speakers as well as a comforting lullaby in Spanish for families already fluent in Spanish.
Teacher Tips, Tricks and Topics
Lullabies
Find examples of personification
Verbs in different forms -s, -ed, -ing, etc.
Questions/Answers
- History of lullabies
- Lullabies in English and Spanish (and other languages)
- Compare and contrast several lullabies
- Analyze lyrics of lullabies
- Learn Spanish/English words for sky objects (moon, sun, stars, etc.)
- Learn Spanish/English words for body parts
- Learn Spanish/English words for terms of endearment
- Learn Spanish/English words for family members
Find examples of personification
Verbs in different forms -s, -ed, -ing, etc.
Questions/Answers
Tips and Topics for Music Teachers
- Sing popular lullabies in different languages and from around the world.
- Discuss lullabies and their purpose/history
- Make up additional verses to the song
- Share favorite lullabies from their family heritage
- Use the sheet music in the back of the book:
- Boomwhackers
- bells/bar instruments
- keyboard/piano
- 3/4 time -- waltz beat
- tap the rhythms of the music on bodies or on instruments
Writing Prompts from Tonnye
- Write about your nighttime routine (or your memories of bedtime routines)
- Write about a favorite lullaby
- Make up your own lullaby.
- Write a list of all the words you know in another language and translate them to English/your home language
- Write a poem about the sun, moon, and stars going to sleep
- Write a story about a kid who cannot go to sleep.
- Write a story about something that is special between you and your grandfather.
- Write an acrostic poem using the word lullaby.
- Write a song in 3/4 time signature.
- Write a letter to the author telling her if you enjoyed the book and why/why not.
- Write a letter to your grandma (abuelita) or grandpa (abuelito)
Writing Tips from Gloria
1. Accept that your first drafts are usually pitiful. That doesn’t mean that they will stay that
way. When I first write something down, I start wondering if I will ever again have a
good idea or be able to make it better or get another book published. I have to push
those thoughts aside and keep working. I need to relish each small improvement and
enjoy that rush of “it’s better.” So, the most important thing is to let go of those fears
and keep revising, trying new things or putting that project aside and start working on a
new one. Now, it’s harder to let go, when you have been revising, using critique
partners’ feedback, putting months and months (possibly years) on a manuscript and
your agent and editor say, “No and no.” I’m working on letting go of that. Keep in mind
that you have other ideas, other possibilities waiting for your voice and kids waiting to
connect with your stories. Persistence is key.
2. Revision is the fun part of the process; it’s the real writing. I love seeing my story get
better and better with feedback from my critique group, agent or editor. I may have an
insight or idea that pops into my mind and I can try it. I can change a word here or there
and it’s so much better. I can cut something that isn’t needed because there is an
illustrator who is going to add their vision and magic. Okay, sometimes, I have to cut
something that I really, really love and want in, but I have to accept that it doesn’t move
the narrative forward. In the end, I’m glad because the story is better. My secret is to
think that I might use that tidbit in another story.
3. Read, read, read contemporary books that are like the ones you want to write. You can
write an analysis of what you like, what works and what doesn’t for you. Pick a mentor
book and try that approach or structure or a variation of it.
4. For me, the most important aspect is that I have to have an emotional connection to the
story. I have to relate to the anxiety, challenges, conflicts or love and tenderness
expressed by the characters and their actions. I spend a long time developing my stories,
especially my picture book biographies. If I’m going to spend part of my life writing a
story and promoting it, I have to feel it’s really touching readers in a significant way.
way. When I first write something down, I start wondering if I will ever again have a
good idea or be able to make it better or get another book published. I have to push
those thoughts aside and keep working. I need to relish each small improvement and
enjoy that rush of “it’s better.” So, the most important thing is to let go of those fears
and keep revising, trying new things or putting that project aside and start working on a
new one. Now, it’s harder to let go, when you have been revising, using critique
partners’ feedback, putting months and months (possibly years) on a manuscript and
your agent and editor say, “No and no.” I’m working on letting go of that. Keep in mind
that you have other ideas, other possibilities waiting for your voice and kids waiting to
connect with your stories. Persistence is key.
2. Revision is the fun part of the process; it’s the real writing. I love seeing my story get
better and better with feedback from my critique group, agent or editor. I may have an
insight or idea that pops into my mind and I can try it. I can change a word here or there
and it’s so much better. I can cut something that isn’t needed because there is an
illustrator who is going to add their vision and magic. Okay, sometimes, I have to cut
something that I really, really love and want in, but I have to accept that it doesn’t move
the narrative forward. In the end, I’m glad because the story is better. My secret is to
think that I might use that tidbit in another story.
3. Read, read, read contemporary books that are like the ones you want to write. You can
write an analysis of what you like, what works and what doesn’t for you. Pick a mentor
book and try that approach or structure or a variation of it.
4. For me, the most important aspect is that I have to have an emotional connection to the
story. I have to relate to the anxiety, challenges, conflicts or love and tenderness
expressed by the characters and their actions. I spend a long time developing my stories,
especially my picture book biographies. If I’m going to spend part of my life writing a
story and promoting it, I have to feel it’s really touching readers in a significant way.
Links, More Fun, Extensions for Families and Everyone!
Gloria's links to the song and the sheet music
Pinterest board with more Spanish lullabies, nighttime crafts, Spanish language activities, and more!
YouTube playlist with lullabies, Spanish lessons and more!
Pinterest board with more Spanish lullabies, nighttime crafts, Spanish language activities, and more!
YouTube playlist with lullabies, Spanish lessons and more!
Guest Links and Giveaways
Gloria's website
Links to purchase ABUELITA'S SONG
Book People link to purchase the book (Gloria mentions them in our chat.)
Abuelita's Song Goodreads page (You can leave reviews here, as well as on Amazon and B&N)
Facebook
Twitter/X
Instagram
Bluesky
Links to purchase ABUELITA'S SONG
Book People link to purchase the book (Gloria mentions them in our chat.)
Abuelita's Song Goodreads page (You can leave reviews here, as well as on Amazon and B&N)
Twitter/X
Bluesky
PBJamz
This page is the official space for PBJamz -- multimedia Jamorama celebrating all things PB (picture books) and Jamz (music), although we'll indulge in the other PBJ snacks where appropriate :-). Join us each Thursday for new content connecting picture books and music!
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