Mosquitoes Are Ruining My Summer! and Other Silly Dilly Camp Songs

K-Gr 3—Author, poet, and songwriter Alan Katz takes on the subject of summer camp in the most recent entry (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2011) in his Silly Dilly piggyback song series. Katz rewrites the lyrics to familiar tunes, such as "B-I-N-G-O" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider," parodying the experiences of kids at summer camp. In "On the Bus Ride," he takes listeners along on the bumpy road to camp with hilarious lyrics to the tune of "Yankee Doodle." Among the other topics covered in the songs are disgusting bunks, smelly campmates, and the inevitable homesickness. The tracks are nicely arranged and enthusiastically performed by three vocalists, with the majority sung by Michael Terry. "This Note's Overdue," sung to the tune of "Do Your Ears Hang Low," is a standout, performed by Kimmy Regets: "This note's overdue;/it's to answer 12 from you./And you thought I'd never write,/so this is a dream come true." All 15 songs are also performed as instrumentals only to encourage kids to use the sing-along lyrics or to sing the original tunes. Pair the book with the CD so children can peruse the exuberant charm of David Catrow's bright and dynamic illustrations. This silly recording will get kids coming up with their own lyrics to familiar songs and leave you humming for days.—Jennifer Verbrugge, Dakota County Library, Eagan, MN