Song and Verse

There's still time!

I traveled north this past Thanksgiving: 48 auto hours made possible by CD's, audio books, and coffee, no cream, no sugar. A new purchase, You are My Little Bird (2006) by Elizabeth Mitchell, was among the mix. If you need a last minute baby gift, or clap happy entertainment for car seat bound little ones, this is it.

You are My Little Bird is a compilation of children's folk songs sung in clear soft tones by Mitchell and friends. Most are in English, one is in Spanish, one in Japanese, one Korean. A favorite of mine, "Little Liza Jane," takes me back to Preservation Hall in New Orleans.

Back to the board.

Best books for very young babies carry rhythm and rhyme. Songs on paper. Babies, awash in language sounds, face the daunting task of parceling and making sense of these. Playful beat-driven verse helps.

Read a book, sing a song.

Anthony Seeger, former Director Emeritus of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings and You are My Little Bird's producer, writes,

Music is a profoundly important part of young children's lives. Infants listen attentively for patterns and sounds and often master the melodies and rhythms of speech before the consonants and the grammar. Listening to  infants vocalize, it seems as though humans sing before they talk. Perhaps infant vocalizations, which we call "babbling," would better be name 'musical improvisation."

Visit Mitchell's website or Amazon to view and listen. 

Happy holidays everyone!