Strange Dees, Indeed

Gr 1–6—Four Brooklyn-based teachers—Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski), Booker Dee (Chris Johnson), Otto von Dee (Ely Levin), and Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller)—present 19 story songs on their third CD for children. The Deedle Deedle Dees and other musicians give excellent performances on a wide range of instruments, including mandolin, guitars, bass, banjo, ukulele, piano, melodica, accordion, drums, percussion, trombone, hulusi, cumbus, and more. In addition to playing a variety of rock styles, they also perform klezmer, jazz, country, ragtime, disco, folk, and polka. Ten of the songs feature historical personages: baseball player "Cool Papa" Bell, Abigail Adams, Marie Curie, Sojourner Truth, Mayor LaGuardia, Sacagawea, Phineas Gage, William Cullen Bryant, and Henry Hudson. Additional numbers address topics such as Gandhi-style non-violence, the body's circulatory system, birds painted by Audubon, and more. The sinking of the "Whaleship Essex" inspired Herman Melville to write Moby Dick. This unique album will be useful in history classes, home schools, and library programs.—Beverly Wrigglesworth, San Antonio Public Library, TX