Dream Big

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Maren Ostergard, King County Library System, Issaquah, WA -- School Library Journal, 12/14/2007

Dream Big. CD. 38 min. Roger Day Prods. 2007. $15.

PreS-Gr 3–Roger Day, whose previous collections include Rock ‘n’ Roll Rodeo (1997) and Ready to Fly (2001, both CDBaby.com), has created another extraordinary album of 13 original tunes. His songs can also be heard on the children’s channels at Sirius and XM Kids. The title song shares a positive message with children and encourages them to reach for the stars. “Rumble in the Jungle” is a funky tune that will have kids moving and grooving to the beat. Day is joined by other well-known recording groups and individuals on a number of the pieces. The Crickets (who once performed with Buddy Holly and have written many well-known songs) sing on the lively “Roly Poly.” Billy Jonas provides his own unique brand of percussion on “I Like Yaks!”; some children’s voices join in as well. “Uno, Dos, Tres” is a clever counting song that presents numbers 1 to 10 in Spanish. Among the other songs are “Turn Off the TV” and “Happy Hippos Hopping.” The upbeat songs feature a variety of musical styles, and the lyrics are laugh-out-loud funny. A must-have for public libraries, especially where Day’s previous titles are popular.