School Library Journal Review
Gr 2 Up-- ``From California to the New York Island,'' this book was made for you and me! Hard as it is to believe, Gonna Sing My Head Off! is the first serious collection for young readers since Ruth Crawford Seeger's memorable American Folk Songs for Children (Doubleday, 1980). Margaret Boni's The Fireside Book of Folksongs (S. & S., 1952; o.p.) and Tom Glazer's Treasury of Folk Songs (Grosset, 1964; o.p.) are also library staples. Hang on to them; there's surprisingly little overlap here. Of the 62 folk songs Krull has selected, only 21 are in Glazer's larger compendium. Some classics from Seeger's title are not in this one, but Krull has amassed so many outstanding selections that no one will be disappointed. She pays tribute to many of our folk singers by including ``Joe Hill'' for Joan Baez, ``Good Night Irene'' and ``Rock Island Line'' for Leadbelly, ``If I Had a Hammer' for Pete Seeger, and ``So Long, It's Been Good to Know You'' for Woodie Guthrie. The oversized book itself is handsome, uncluttered, and accessible. Short, readable paragraphs accompany each entry and tell a little of its history. The musical arrangements are easy to follow. There is a helpful index of song types as well as of first lines. Garns's warm pastel drawings evoke the many moods of the music with great success. His rich palette, use of perspective, and energetic lines add verve and variety to this sparkling sampler. Librarians, teachers, parents, and children who get a hold of this book are sure to sing their heads off. --Ann Stell, Central Islip Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
PW described this anthology as ``akin to an invigorating musical tour of American history and American regions.'' All ages. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
