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I Gotta Sing!
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!
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.
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.
- GenresPicture BooksMusic
40 pages, Hardcover
Published July 9, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 18, 2025
This is a beautiful book full of joy, song, color, and just -- life! I love that it modernizes an old spiritual song in such a fun and upbeat way! The characters (human and animal) jump off the page, and while they have a certain vintage charm, they are beautifully contemporary, too. Alice places this song in a fun and relatable context for kids and caregivers. Dreaded bath time! However auntie and uncle gently guide little Hezekiah to bath time with minimal fussing by singing their way through the situation, which, is a perfectly-suited strategy to many of the things we deal with inlife. The caregivers are loving and patient, while holding Baby accountable, which I, as an educator, really appreciate. And, there's excellent back matter on writing your own lyrics, with an opportunity to do just that. A perfect gift for the budding writer or lyricist, but equally appropriate for families, for teachers, for caregivers -- for farm families -- just grab a few copies to have on hand, because it's perfect for someone on your list for sure!
August 28, 2024
Fun fantasy has a Pop and Grand Nana singing a rollicking song to their grandchild, while all of the animals around join in. This high-energy book will have the little ones dancing and singing, and it's always nice to see farm animals depicted in such a happy and positive light--as beloved friends instead of resources.
October 19, 2024
A picture book adaptation of the Black American spiritual "I'm Goin'a Sing when the Spirit Says Sing" that both includes a thoughtful history of the song, an activity for writing your own adaptation, and creates a fun early literacy farm story out of this traditional song.
Age range: Toddler-Kindergarten
Themes: Farm, Singing, Animals
Age range: Toddler-Kindergarten
Themes: Farm, Singing, Animals
August 7, 2024
“I Gotta Sing!” Big Baby loves to sing. When he asks his Pop Charlie to sing, the entire farm—including the barnyard animals—joins in.
I adore the upbeat joy this book emits, sharing a message of spiritual singing and praise. It also shares the history of Black American spirituals. The spirituals (songs) share both the struggles and the dreams of enslaved people.
The back of the book includes instructions on how readers can use their imaginations to create a new setting, sounds, or characters to write their own songs.
The illustrations are adorable and active, and the text is fun to read. This is an inspiring, entertaining, and educational children’s book—especially for African American children.
First Line: Big Baby keeps a morning schedule.
Genre: Children
Author: Alice Faye Duncan
Page Count: 40
Reading Age: 3-7
#CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions are 100% mine.
I adore the upbeat joy this book emits, sharing a message of spiritual singing and praise. It also shares the history of Black American spirituals. The spirituals (songs) share both the struggles and the dreams of enslaved people.
The back of the book includes instructions on how readers can use their imaginations to create a new setting, sounds, or characters to write their own songs.
The illustrations are adorable and active, and the text is fun to read. This is an inspiring, entertaining, and educational children’s book—especially for African American children.
First Line: Big Baby keeps a morning schedule.
Genre: Children
Author: Alice Faye Duncan
Page Count: 40
Reading Age: 3-7
#CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions are 100% mine.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews