Down by the Bay

by Raffi (Illustrator), Nadine Bernard Westcott (Illustrator)

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780517800584
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	03/02/1999
Series:	Raffi Songs to Read
Edition description:	Board Book
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	33,956
Product dimensions:	6.75(w) x 5.25(h) x 0.65(d)
Age Range:	1 - 2 Years

About the Author

Raffi lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Nadine Bernard Westcott lives in Nantucket, Massachusetts.

Editorial Reviews

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. (October)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Songs encourage listening skills and they also encourage little ones to join in, which in turn increases their verbal skills. Raffi has entertained thousands of kids with his versions of classic songs. In this one, reproduced in board book form, he makes lots of nonsense rhymes to fit the music of Down By the Bay. The illustrations by Westcott are as zany as the lyrics. Music and words are printed together on the last page. Other board book songs by Raffi include Baby Beluga, Wheels on the Bus, and Five Little Ducks.

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

PreS-Gr 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.

School Library Journal