Music Monday: Children's Book Review- The Tiny Mouse by Janis Ian, Illus. by Ingrid and Dieter Schubert

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge, from JAG Entertainment, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it

Continuing our review of the wonderful children's books available for gift giving this holiday season, is a new book, with CD, that is perfect for all the small tots on your gift giving list!

Synopsis:

The Tiny Mouse is the first children’s book written by Janis Ian, and is accompanied by a CD of the charming and witty title song, performed by the Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter and author. The story follows the adventures of a mouse that leaves behind his carefree life to find excitement at sea. The Tiny Mouse was illustrated by the award-winning husband-and-wife powerhouse illustration team of Ingrid and Dieter Schubert. This is the Schuberts’ first time illustrating a book other than one of their own.

Included is this unique and delightful book package is music for piano and guitar as well as the lyrics, and the CD has both band with vocal and band without vocals, so children and their parents can enjoy the adventure together in both prose and  music. 

Janis is encouraging families to use the band track and make their own videos of the story and post them on YouTube and various other social media sites. Both parents and kids alike can visit The Tiny Mouse website, www.thetinymouse.com, where they will have access to free downloads and interviews with The Tiny Mouse. Soon, the book will be translated into every language possible so that all children can enjoy the words and music (including recordings in each language) as well as the beautiful illustrations. There is currently a Dutch translation with a Spanish translation soon to follow.

Review:

This is an adorable book, one that will delight both boys and girls with it's adorable tale, and upbeat, almost swashbuckling, song!  The tune will definitely stay in your head for a long while, it is so catchy! And I can see many kids wanting to make their own video of the tale ! I love that the sheet music is included in the book, perfect for the kids taking piano and guitar to practice with! Miss Grace loved the illustrations and song, and demanded to hear it 3 times in a row- always a sure sign of a great review! If you're looking for a book that will delight the whole family, be sure to pick this one up for the kids on your holiday list!

About the Author/Singer:

Janis Ian won a second Grammy Award in 2013, for Best Spoken Word Album for her autobiography, Society's Child, bearing the title of one of her most noted songs. She had stiff competition -- former President Bill Clinton, First Lady Michelle Obama, Rachel Maddow, and Ellen DeGeneres. She also received an Audie Award for the audio book. Perhaps best known for her composition ”At Seventeen,” her list of hits and “firsts” is long, in both the music and literary worlds.

Now that she has expanded her literary horizons with her first children’s book, she is venturing into the studio to record a children’s album. Previously, she contributed to a Sesame Street album which was also nominated for a Grammy. Check out her website for more!

About the Illustrators:

Ingrid and Dieter Schubert, a husband and wife team, are the creators of many award-winning picture books for children including Amazing Animals, recipient of a National Parenting Publications Gold Award and Where is My Monkey?, recipient of a Golden Brush award (a Dutch award for best illustrated book). The Schuberts were both born and raised in Germany. After studying art at the Academy of Design in Muenster and the Academy of Art in Dusseldorf, they moved to Amsterdam to study at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam where they have lived ever since. Their first effort, There's a Crocodile Under my Bed! was an immediate success and was published in 14 countries. Now their many books for children are available in 21 languages.