Books to Belt Out Loud |

Two colourful parrots sitting beak-to-beak

Two colourful parrots in friendly talk by Jan Fidler on a CC License

I met a child on a noble quest to find every picture book in the library that he could sing.

Assisting this young virtuoso along his journey, I saw many whimsical illustrations that animate the imaginary world of songs. Lots of the books we found are below; some are joyful and others are plain silly, but they all make music come alive on the page. Merely read their titles to simultaneously catch yourself humming the tune.

And if you're ready to move beyond Baby Shark, then doo doo doo read on.

Music Note

Just Sing!

Singing throughout the day and making up little ditties to go along with the humdrum of daily life introduces new vocabulary to kids. Even the simplest songs can help kids recognize the smaller sounds in words and reinforce the rhythm of language. Using songs to signpost activities throughout the day can make kids feel comfortable and safe, knowing just what to expect next. Have fun by changing your pitch or tempo and getting older kids to echo back.

When I've run out of songs to sing to the little ones, I reach for more lyrics. And what better than a sing-along story? Step into a song with these picture books and remember that we all sound beautiful to a child.