Words and Music
By Julie Douglas
"Good children's literature appeals not only to the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child" ~Anonymous
When my daughter was a little girl, we played a game to pass the time on road trips or during long waits in line. She would provide a word or phrase and challenge me to think of a song that included that word. Time after time, thinking she had finally stumped me, she was "treated" to the lyrics of some obscure rock, folk, or bluegrass tune.
OK, to be totally honest, sometimes she was "treated" to some silly song that I made up on the spot and passed off as a real song. But the amazing thing was that there really were lyrics about almost ANYTHING.
The beauty of good lyrics is that they don't sugar-coat the world or dictate how we should feel or act. Good lyrics are honest and leave us with something to ponder. They lay out a story, warts and all, and invite the courageous to take a look.
Good children’s literature does this very thing, as well. Perhaps that's the reason children's books based on folk music are so popular. The lyrical language, rhythm, and beautiful marriage of illustration and text provide an enjoyable experience for both adults and children.
Get started reading a few favorites based on song lyrics:
Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter (Knopf Books for Young Readers,2008) In a story set in pre-Civil War America, the lyrics of a song taught to slaves by Peg Leg Joe were clues to following the Underground Railroad to freedom.
I Wonder As I Wander by Gwenyth Swain and illustrated by Ronald Himler (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2005) Set in the Great Depression, I Wonder as I Wander tells the story of a young Appalachian girl and her questions about life and death and faith.
Turn! Turn! Turn! by Pete Seeger, illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin (Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2003) From Ecclesiastes, the lyrics of this familiar song were put to music by Pete Seeger and made popular by the Byrds. But perhaps the real reason for their enduring popularity is that they speak to the fundamental truth about the inter-relatedness of all things.
Sunshine on My Shoulders by John Denver, illustrated by Christopher Canyon (Dawn Publications, 2003) And sometimes lyrics just make us feel wonderful and remind us to appreciate something as simple as, well…sunshine.
She'll Be Comin Round the Mountain by Barbie H. Schwaeber, illustrated by Suzanne Beaky (Soundprints, 2007) Folk music has been passed from generation to generation. Children and adults will enjoy a fresh twist on this familiar folksong. (Suzanne Beaky is a Missouri illustrator!)
