Getting to Know You!: Rodgers and Hammerstein Favorites (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Rosemary Wells (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This curious little picture book sets out to accomplish the odd--but surprisingly worthwhile--task of assembling some classic Rodgers & Hammerstein lyrics into a kid-friendly, sing-along format.

Getting to Know You! samples songs from some of the Broadway duo's better-known musicals (Oklahoma! , Carousel, South Pacific, and The King and I), acting them out with a cast of cute animals playfully illustrated by Rosemary Wells (Max's Bath, etc.). You might need to hit the video store to recall the tune to a few of these (like Oklahoma!'s "Farmer and the Cowman"), but most of the 16 songs--from "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" to "Some Enchanted Evening"--should be memorable enough to get you singing within the first few words. For the rest, Getting to Know You! even includes a staple-bound songbook tucked into the back cover, which includes sheet music and complete lyrics for all the songs.

Given that Rodgers & Hammerstein won countless awards for their musicals (including two Pulitzers and armfuls of Tonys, Grammys, Emmys, and Oscars), maybe it's not so surprising that the lyrics adapt well into any format. If nothing else, it's hard to argue with any book that can get your kid belting out, "I'm gonna wash that man right outa my hair!" (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul Hughes

From Publishers Weekly

Rosemary Wells's beloved characters make their Broadway debut in Getting to Know You! Rodgers and Hammerstein Favorites, an oversize edition with excerpts from 16 of the duo's most popular tunes. One of Wells's signature bunnies, drawn in pastels, awakens in his bed to "a bright, golden haze on the meadow" ("Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' "), and chicks and ducks and geese really do scurry as a pair of straw-hatted ducks take out their "Surrey with the Fringe on Top." "Mister Snow" makes for a neatly complete vignette, but "If I Loved You" may leave youngsters stumped. Tucked in the back, a songbook offers the complete words and melody line to each tune.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; First Edition edition (October 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060279257
• ISBN-13: 978-0060279257
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 10.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #197,086 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #3 in	Books > Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Composers > Rodgers
  #3 in	Books > Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Composers > Hammerstein
  #19 in	Books > Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Forms & Genres > Musicals

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rogers and Hammerstein and Rosemary Wells!, December 29, 2002

By	C. Butler "Uber Geek wannabe" (Baltimore, MD, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

How could you not love this book; some of the greatest songs written for american theatre illustrated by one of the great artists of children's books. If you have a small son or daughter, buy this book! ESPECIALLY if they:

1: Love musicals (like my son)
2: Love Rosemary Wells (like my son)

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing coupling of Wells and show tunes magic!, November 6, 2006

By	Suzanne Amara (MA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

I bought this book as soon as I became aware it existed! I love it, and I love it all the more so now that I have a 2 year old who loves to be sung to. If you know show tunes, you know the songs here, and it's so much fun to go through the book singing the songs and talking about the pictures. The choices are great ones---Oklahoma, When the Children are Asleep, Happy Talk, Oh, What a Beautiful Morning---songs you want your little ones to know, with pictures to make them welcoming. I have noticed how often Wells mentions show tunes in her other books, and you can see her love of them shining through here. Wonderful!

5.0 out of 5 stars Great songs, beautiful illustrations, November 16, 2002

By	Nancy Humphrey (Oakland, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Well, I was able to judge this book by its cover: I love Rodgers & Hammerstein songs (you don't even have to be a great singer to pull them off!), and I love Rosemary Wells' witty illustrations. The marriage of songs and pictures is magical. Only the verse of each song is in the illustrated section of the book, but that won't stop you from singing the whole song if you (and your child) feel like it! A songbook with complete lyrics is included, so get into that rocking chair with or without your favorite kid, and belt 'em out!