I recently received Emily Arrow’s “Storytime Singalong” Volume 1 CD to review. The past few days, my two-year old daughter and I have been listening to it in the car non-stop. As soon as the last song ends, my daughter says “Play Emily Arrow CD again, Mommy.” My daughter is the DJ in my car, so whatever she says, goes. She has her favorite song (Books! Books!), and I have mine (Louise Loves Art Song). The fact that we both enjoy the CD makes L.A. traffic seem a little more bearable.
About Emily Arrow
Originally from Ohio, Emily now resides in Los Angeles. Ever since she was a kid, she loved singing, playing piano, and reading books. Her interests haven’t changed much since then, and now does what she loves for a living. Emily graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston, and earned her graduate-level teaching certification. Following her studies, she taught music and discovered her passion, which led her to her current career as a kidlit singer/songwriter! Emily plays the guitar, ukulele, piano, and kazoo.
Emily won the 2015 John Lennon Songwriting Contest in the Children’s Category (for her song The Curious Garden Song). She is currently touring and promoting her first album – “Storytime Singalong” Volume 1 CD.
About Emily Arrow’s “Storytime Singalong” Volume 1 CD
Emily Arrow has created her own musical genre – Kidlit tunes. She writes songs inspired by popular children’s books. My daughter is still young, so I’m not fully aware of all the titles; but because I like the songs, I’m inspired to find and read them! Here are a few of our favorites and the books that inspired them:
Books! Books!
As I previously mentioned, this song is my daughter’s favorite. It’s actually more of an intro to the other songs, but it’s still quite catchy. Emily Arrow’s teaching background makes this song grab your attention and get you excited about what you are about to hear.
The Dot Song (inspired by The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds)
This song is about how you can create something amazing with one dot. It’s a great analogy for trying new things, building confidence, and exploring what something small can become.
Louise Loves Art Song (inspired by Louise Loves Art by Kelly Light)
This is my favorite song. It got stuck in my head, so I find myself singing it quite often. I love how Louise respects art so much that even when her little brother puts scissors to her “masterpiece,” she names it his “masterpiece.” It’s a nice lesson about getting along and seeing the beauty in everything.
The Curious Garden Song (inspired by The Curious Garden by Peter Brown)
Emily paints a beautiful picture with the music that accompanies this song. It’s no wonder this is the song that won her the 2015 John Lennon Songwriting Contest in the Children’s Music category.
Are We There, Yeti? Song (inspired by Are We There, Yeti? by Ashlyn Anstee)
This is a really fun song, that matches the illustrations in the book. It is very danceable and has a lot of fun noises you can make with your mouth, so you can get super silly with your kids. The instruments remind me of a New Orleans parade. Kids and adults will get a kick out of this song. It gives you the green light to march to the beat of your own drum and make up your own in-car dance moves.
I Am Yoga Song (inspired by I am Yoga by Susan Verde, Art by Peter Reynolds)
This is a very sweet song, which helps little ones understand yoga through the lyrics. It’s something you and your kids can do together to relax and wind down from a busy day (or help calm then down)! In addition to relaxing, it talks about standing up for what you believe in (including peace)!
