Once Upon a Tune

PreS-Gr 2—In this 15 tune follow-up to her 2010 album, Singing All the Way Home (CDBaby), Buchanan again provides children and their parents with a collection of songs that are enjoyable to listen to and easy to sing along with. Most of the numbers feature Buchanan accompanied by a variety of instruments, although she's joined on occasion by a group of kindergarten students who add a nice depth to the music. All the lyrics are crisp and clear, making her song adaptations of "The Three Bears," "Peter Rabbit," "Three Billy Goats Gruff," and "Three Little Kittens" easy to understand. In addition to these traditional tales, Buchanan also emphasizes early literacy with the "Vowel Blues" and "Chimmy Cha-Cha," which plays with consonants. Also included is an interactive welcome song as well as "Los Pollitos," sung entirely in Spanish. This versatile collection could easily be used during language arts lessons or story times or for family listening.—Veronica De Fazio, Plainfield Public Library District, IL