Dog Train: A Wild Ride on the Rock-and-Roll Side (Book & CD) (Hardcover)

by Sandra Boynton (Author), Michael Ford (Collaborator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. The creative team that so cleverly presented musical theater for kids with the star-studded recording Philadelphia Chickens is back—this time with a mostly rock-and-roll romp, and another stellar cast of musical talent. Blues Traveler, replete with John Popper wailing on his harmonica, rides the rails for the driving title track about, yes, dogs on board a midnight train where "Kittycats are not allowed/ .../ their ears in the breeze/ .../ Their cold, wet, happy,/ quiv'ring noises outside." Mark Lanegan takes the octave down a few notches with his deep and bluesy rendition of "Sneakers" about the favorite footwear that's both comfy and quiet. The 1960s British invasion star Billy J. Kramer sounds every bit up-to-date as he blasts off on the spaceship song "Cow Planet." And who would've thunk that actress Kate Winslet and novelty performer "Weird Al" Yankovic could pull off a sunny and theatrically emotive duet on "I Need a Nap?" There are no clunkers here; other highlights include numbers by Alison Krauss, Spin Doctors, Hootie and the Blowfish and Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme (hilariously singing the "Boring Song"). A knockout listen, in all the best ways, for the whole family. Like the songs, Boynton's book showcases her signature zippy sense of humor and loveable critters. It also includes complete lyrics and music for each number and brief profiles of all the performers. All ages. (Nov.)Note:There is a Q&A with Sandra Boynton in the November 10 Children's Bookshelf newsletter.
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From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2–This collection of songs erupts with energy, humor, and a strong dose of rock n roll. Like the authors Philadelphia Chickens (Workman, 2002), the book has a spread for each song–a colorful, cheerful illustration and excerpts of lyrics–followed by complete lyrics and musical scores at the end. An About the Artists section includes a photo and biographical sketch of each artist who performs on the accompanying CD. As she did for Chickens, Boynton has brought together an impressive assortment of talent, including Kate Winslet, Blues Traveler, and the Bacon brothers. Train stands apart from the earlier title for its stronger rock edge and narrative thread. Interwoven throughout the album are three songs about the quest to discover Cow Planet, beginning with an homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey. Boynton captures a childs perspective of tantrums, naps, and daily life. A poignant Penguin Lament by John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting asks, Can anyone small…be anyone serious? The toe-tapping Wave Bye-Bye immediately grabs listeners with its lively tune and a childs earnest desire to leave an adult party. Smart, funny, and encompassing a variety of music styles from Broadway to Sinatra to alternative rock, the book and CD together deliver enjoyable reading and listening for both children and adults.–Suzanne Myers Harold, Multnomah County Library System, Portland, OR
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company (November 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761139664
• ISBN-13: 978-0761139669
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (70 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,185 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars top notch kids music, November 13, 2005

By	D. Solinsky (South Florida) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you are a fan of rock and roll this CD is fantastic. The music is superb, the lyrics are witty and fun and the performances are first rate. I just bought it a few days ago and now every time we get in the car my 3 year old is asking for the title song performed by Blues Traveler. "Mama-DOG TRAIN, pweeze!" "Pots and Pans" is a second favorite. He likes the rest of the album too and so do I. Parents, you'll enjoy it just as much as your kids will.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love it!!, June 5, 2006

By	M. Fults (Sarasota, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

We are new to the Susan Boynton audios (but not her books). We didn't even know there were two previous to this cd!! We stumbled upon this in the store while looking for a birthday party gift for my (almost) 3 yr old daughter to give. We bought one for her too hoping to save the rest of us from her other favorite (but highly annoying) kids CDs. It was an instant hit...from our year old daughter tapping her feet, to our seven year old son...he was in stitches listening to Broccoli. We all find ourselves breaking out in lyrics from 'I need a nap'. It's a really fun CD that the whole family has enjoyed singing to and rocking out with in the car together. The only draw back...the songs do get stuck in your head :-)

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 5-year-old loves it, growing on mom daily, May 5, 2006

By	Faye Ku "I cook by the book" (Sammamish, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've been a fan of Sandra Boynton's musical exploits for a few years now, and I own and have given as gifts all her kids albums. It's hard not to compare them to each other, and I think my favorite songs are in her two earlier albums, "Philadelphia Chickens" and "Rhinoceros Tap".

Unlike his jaded mom, my 5-year-old son listens with fresh ears, and he tells me that this is the best album yet. He's at the age where every little twist is hilarious, the fact that the Cow Planet songs have 3 episodes like Star Wars makes him flip. His favorite song right now is "Tantrum", and he has been writing the word on little papers all over the house. My favorite song on the album hasn't been given special mention yet by other reviewers - "Dragonfire" - it reminds me of my son who was born year of the dragon, and I love the lyrics and that warm loving feeling it gives me. The other songs, especially "Dog Train", are growing on me as daily my son keeps requesting replays. Without my son's insistence, I probably wouldn't have given the album a second chance, but I'm enjoying it more and more.

I agree with other reviewers that a few of the songs seem to sound much like songs on her previous albums, but all creators have a style which persists throughout their work. She's just done enough stuff for us to recognize her signature.

When I play it for kids for the first time, they don't think they ARE kids songs at first, especially "Evermore".

The song book and cd format is awesome. My son had my husband pick out the notes on our piano, and he loves the idea of music being written down so you can read it. A great introduction to that concept.