Down by the Bay (Raffi Songs to Read) [Board book]

Raffi (Illustrator), Nadine Bernard Westcott (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 0 and up | Series: Raffi Songs to Read

A classic silly song that toddlers know and love, Down by the Bay has been a favorite and best-selling Raffi Songs to Read/reg/ since it was first published in 1988. In this friendly board book edition, irresistible art by Nadine Bernard Westcott depicts wonderfully amusing creatures such as a bear combing his hair, a goose kissing a moose, and a whale with a polka-dot tail. Very young children will find this book both entertaining and instructive in early language skills such as rhyme, rhythm, and repetition, and will delight in hearing it read or sung aloud to them.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Raffi Songs to Read series presents tunes recorded by the popular children's singer in book form, imaginatively extended with colorful, exuberant illustrations. The result is an appealing companion set equally suited to both reading and singing along. In Westcott's interpretation of Down by the Bay, two young friends match wits as each tries to come up with the most outrageous rhyme: "Did you ever see a goose kissing a moose?" "Did you ever see llamas eating their pajamas?" The illustrations overflow with delicious absurdities. For the action-oriented verses of Shake My Sillies Out, Allender creates a group of spirited animals who cavort through the forest at bedtime, clapping their crazies out, jumping their jiggles out and wiggling their wagglies away. All the buoyancy and energy of this infectious song shine through in this pictorial narrative that doubles the fun. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2 Raffi's popular songs are now available in picture book format. In the first, his cheerful nonsense verses are illustrated with equal cheer. Wescott's scraggly lines and bright, clear colors humorously portray the busy children, jolly animals, and frantic mothers that populate the song. The final two-page spread includes all of the characters, some visible through the house windows, and watermelon vines galore. Music (melody line, with chords marked) is included. Children will quickly get the idea of the rhymes and delight in making up their own wacky sights to be seen ``down by the bay.'' In the second book, the sign on the title page warns that ``silly animals'' are lurking in the Mariposa forest, and silly they are. As night settles over the woodlands, the animals appear and begin to ``shake their sillies out'' in a manic attempt to get to sleep. They overrun nearby Camp Mariposa and are happily cavorting with the campers until everyone tires and goes to sleep. Allender's large, simple shapes and saturated colors create vivid images for a song that begs to be sung and shaken and jumped and clapped. Melody line and chords are included in both books so everyone can join in the fun. Two good choices for storytimes, especially on those days when no one can sit still. Elaine Fort Weischedel, Turner Free Library, Randolph, Mass.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 0 and up
  
• Board book: 32 pages
• Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers (March 2, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517800586
• ISBN-13: 978-0517800584
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 0.7 x 5.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #66,675 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Down By The Bay(Raffi Songs To Read), April 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Down by the Bay (Raffi Songs to Read) (Board book)

What a wonderful book! Any child who has sung "Down By The Bay" will be thrilled with the opportunity to visualize the subjects in the song,for example, a whale with a polka-dotted tale. The illustrations bring these images to life for our little readers. Raffi is talented in helping kids learn to rhyme and just be silly and happy. I would recommend this book to anyone with kids or to those who simply buy for others.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's an instant favorite., January 10, 2001

By 

Carol J. Marotti (Glendale, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Down by the Bay (Raffi Songs to Read) (Paperback)

My daughter is 2. She received the Raffi CD for Christmas and LOVED it. She danced and sang to the music. I ran across the "Down By the Bay" book at the store and picked it up. Her and this book are inseperable. She even takes it to bed with her. She loves that her favorite song has a book with pictures. She wants my husband and I to sing the song over and over and she knows enough of the words now to sing with us.

If your child is a little older, this book includes a simple music sheet with the notes and words at the back.

I highly recommend this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for the Music Classroom, September 15, 2002

By 

"renovia" (Portland, ME United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Down by the Bay (Raffi Songs to Read) (Board book)

Again, here is another great Read/Sing book. If you love to sing or are a music educator this book is for you. Rich in American folk heritage, this is one of the many songs MENC recommends that all children know. This song can be sung in echo format or as written in the back. My students constantly want me to read it again. They think the verses are hilarious! As I have said in other reviews of books like this, it gets you away from the piano so you can focus on your students' vocal development!

A very easy sing along!