I Gotta Sing!
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Sing along with Big Baby Jenkins, Pop Charlie, Great Nana, and a crew of farm animals as they shout for joy to this rendition of an African American spiritual!
“A whole barnyard makes noise ‘in the spirit of joy’ throughout this raucous picture book, a sweetly heartwarming sing-along.”—Publishers Weekly
From the author and illustrator team that brought you This Train Is Bound for Glory comes another riveting interpretation of a beloved African American spiritual, "I'm Goin' a Sing When the Spirit Says Sing," featuring farm animals. With illustrations that pop off the page, rhythmic text, and onomatopoeia for the youngest reader, I Gotta Sing! delivers a lively story that will quickly become a family favorite.
Hezekiah Big Baby Jenkins runs from the breakfast table to the farmyard begging Pop Charlie to sing. As he plucks his diddley bow, Pop Charlie smiles and invites the animals and Big Baby to join in the music.
I gotta sing when the Spirit says sing.
I gotta sing when the Spirit says sing.
I gotta sing when the Spirit says sing.
and shout in the Spirit of joy!
Before long, the rowdy crew are singing, mooing, oinking, and clapping along to the toe-tapping tune. But when Great Nana calls that it’s bath time because “warm water and bubbles won’t last all day,” will the party end? Or will Pop Charlie snap snap snap the tempo back to life?
The lyrics of "I’m Goin’ a Sing When the Spirit Says Sing” have evolved across the ages. At the end of the book readers will find an invitation to write a version of the song for a new generation.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A whole barnyard makes noise "in the spirit of joy" throughout this raucous picture book, a sweetly heartwarming sing-along by Duncan. Big Baby, a smiling, brown-skinned child, runs outside after breakfast, keeping to a morning schedule that starts with grits, gravy, and peach toast. While Great Nana fills the bath, Pop Charlie greets the child with a song: "I gotta SING when the Spirit says SING,/ AND SHOUT IN THE SPIRIT OF JOY!" As the pages turn, Pop Charlie invites barnyard animals to join in, and a cow, pig, and dog each take a verse, incorporating animal sounds into the refrain and dancing together. The specter of a breakfast-mess-banishing bath time nearly proves a downer, then becomes an opportunity for further song. Kellam's conveys comfort and happiness as the loved ones reflect sunny enthusiasm in this gladdening rendition of the Black American religious folk song "I'm Goin'a Sing When the Spirit Says Sing." More about the song concludes. Ages 3–7.
