I'm still here in the bathtub (brand new silly dilly songs) by Alan Katz

If you were fond of classic songs such as "Take Me Out to the Ballgame", "The Itsy Bitsy Spider", "Three Blind Mice", and "Bingo" during your childhood then you are bound to fall in love with the book of poems Alan Katz has concocted.  In this collection Katz re-writes each of the classic nursery rhymes and songs, giving them a new and funky twist.  He keeps the rhyme scheme and general format of the tune identical, but each of the songs has an revamped storyline.   

If the silly songs haven't entirely sold you, though I certainly hope this is not the case, take one peek at the illustrations and you'll be hooked.  David Catrow's bright, colorful, hugely hilarious, and detailed depictions wonderfully extend the text of the songs, keeping readers engaged long after the song is finished.  It's simply impossible to take in all of the many details on each page during one run-through of the tune.

Katz takes the original tune "Bingo" and cleverly alters the words of the tune so that it tells the tale of a small boy ranting about the items of clothing his parents have purchased for him.  Readers will find a resemblance to the original tune when they sing "I-T-C-H-Y", but that is where the similarities begin and end.  The clever illustration of the brown pooch practically pops off the page and those who look carefully will find a small boy peering from behind a slender tree.  Take a peek inside this book to discover why this small boy is hiding off in the distance.       

Within pages readers will be greeted by the chubby cheeks and pursed red lips of Aunt Marie.  The hilariously silly tale of relatives that smother and smooch upon a small child must be sung to the tune of "The Alphabet Song" for full effect.  Once again Catrow's captivating illustrations hook readers' curiosity making it difficult to flip the page without reading to find out more about these gigantic rose-colored pursed lips.   

This collection of funny songs is a wonderful opener to a poetry unit, emphasizing to children that poetry is not always serious but quite right wacky and nonsensical.  Children who have a fear of poetry may likely open their minds to the realm of rhyme and metaphorical language after hearing several of these hilarious jingles. 

If you were fond of these silly songs, then you'll also like other song books, such as Are You Quite Polite? Silly Dilly Manner Songs, Smelly Locker: Silly Dilly Songs, and On Top of the Potty: And Other Get-Up-and-Go-Songs.