Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Somewhere Over the Rainbow by E.Y. Harburg

Somewhere Over the Rainbow words by E.Y. Harburg, illustrated by Eric Puybaret

Rating: 3.5 stars

I love the New York Times. We just get the Sunday edition; it often takes me till Wednesday to get through the sections I want to read. (I admit I read Styles and the Book Review before the front page.) I think their recommendations for books for adults are wonderful, and I love reading reviews of books (am sure this is a shocking revelation for all those reading this book review right now).

But the Children's Bestseller's List is just an odd collection. I think it should be renamed Children's Books that Grandparents/Other People Think Kids Would Like. Because I think most of the books that appear on the list are gift books that are truly beautiful and kids would appreciate with age, but they are often not ones that will become dog-eared, chewed-up, taped-all-over "Velveteen rabbits" of books.

Like this one.  It is gorgeous, and grandmothers all over the country will swoon over it, remembering when they swayed to the song when they were younger, and wishing that their granddaughters would enjoy it as much as they did.  It is a wonderful song:

Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high,
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby.

Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.

Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far
Behind me.

Where troubles melt like lemon drops
way above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me.

Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?

But WHO is going to sing this one out loud to their children??!  Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star this is not.  Here's the short line up of women who could pull off this song: Judy Garland, Katherine McPhee, and my mom.

Oh, wait.  Maybe that's the point.  Maybe ALL kids think that their very own mothers were on this short list?  Oh all right.  I guess it can stay on the best seller's list, then. 


P.S.  In case you're not Judy, Katherine, or my mom, the book comes with a CD.

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