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Songs in the Shade of the Cashew and Coconut Trees: Lullabies and Nursery Rhymes from West Africa and the Caribbean
Songs about children playing in the schoolyard, sisters braiding each other’s hair at the beach, and parents dancing late into the night mesh together thanks to the music. A wide array of styles—nursery rhymes from Gabon, lullabies from Cape Verde, and rumbas from the Congo—are performed in more than a dozen languages. Luminous artwork and homegrown instruments round off this wonderful celebration of history, language, and culture. Lyrics appear in their original language and in English, along with notes on culture, a world map, and a code for song downloads and print-outs.
52 pages, Hardcover
Published October 1, 2019
1 person is currently reading
55 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 28, 2020
This classic collection of songs makes the perfect gift for for a little one who loves music. You can introduce them to catchy songs while letting them explore the world from the comfort of their home. And the illustrations are simply beautiful.
October 18, 2019
Thank you to the secret mountain for a free review copy of this book.
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This book is so different from books we have read AND I love it!! It comes along with a cd which makes it extra special! There are a wide variety of lullabies and nursery rhymes from West Africa and the Caribbean.
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It was nice to read along with the meanings behind each song. The translation and notes section is so interesting. My kids really enjoyed hearing what each song is about. Some information is about history and events. I enjoyed reading that part as an adult as well.
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The illustrations touch on many details of the culture. You can learn so much just by looking through the illustrations. There are bright maps and codes for further printable informations also.
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I found it to be a celebration of family and love.
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This book is so different from books we have read AND I love it!! It comes along with a cd which makes it extra special! There are a wide variety of lullabies and nursery rhymes from West Africa and the Caribbean.
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It was nice to read along with the meanings behind each song. The translation and notes section is so interesting. My kids really enjoyed hearing what each song is about. Some information is about history and events. I enjoyed reading that part as an adult as well.
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The illustrations touch on many details of the culture. You can learn so much just by looking through the illustrations. There are bright maps and codes for further printable informations also.
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I found it to be a celebration of family and love.
December 21, 2019
This is a book for music lovers. And, since many children enjoy listening to songs, especially songs with flowing rhythm, this book is more than perfect for them.
The book contains the names of the songs, key and complete lyrics, the names of the countries the song originated from, maps, information (both historical and reference) all with images to match everything.
The CD contains the music with its own rendition of each song.
A necessary book/CD for anyone with African and Caribbean ancestry! A lovely book for all music fans.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The book contains the names of the songs, key and complete lyrics, the names of the countries the song originated from, maps, information (both historical and reference) all with images to match everything.
The CD contains the music with its own rendition of each song.
A necessary book/CD for anyone with African and Caribbean ancestry! A lovely book for all music fans.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 31, 2021
Love!!! Love!!! Love this book!!! Such an enchanting collection of 23 traditional songs that portrays and connects rich cultural heritage and the multilingual communities of West Africa and the Caribbean. This book was written by Nathalie Soussana and published by The Secret Mountain (2019). It is has received many awards. It recently received The Children’s Africana Book Award(CABA) in the category “Honors Books for Young Children”. It has also received The Parents’ Choice Gold Award for its rich content and quality recordings. I found this beautiful book on Africaaccessreview.org.
It is full of stories about children playing outside at recess, sisters braiding each other’s hair at the beach, and parents singing and dancing together. This beautiful text includes nursery rhymes from Gabon, lullabies from Cape Verde, rumbas from the Congo, and work songs from Jamaica. All of these songs are performed by the men, women, and children representing varies countries. Moreover, the songs are performed in multiple languages. Traditional artwork and instruments, such as the djembe, the cavaquinho and the Peul flute, are also represented in this charming song book. The lyrics are transcribed in their original language and translated to English. This book also showcases the description of cultures and rich background for every song. In addition, each song is supported by a visible world map.
It has it all… History… Language… Culture… Taught within a text intertwined through songs and lyrics! This selection would be perfect for teaching about different cultures to young learners. Additionally, it could be used to enhance reading fluency for beginning and emergent readers…
It is full of stories about children playing outside at recess, sisters braiding each other’s hair at the beach, and parents singing and dancing together. This beautiful text includes nursery rhymes from Gabon, lullabies from Cape Verde, rumbas from the Congo, and work songs from Jamaica. All of these songs are performed by the men, women, and children representing varies countries. Moreover, the songs are performed in multiple languages. Traditional artwork and instruments, such as the djembe, the cavaquinho and the Peul flute, are also represented in this charming song book. The lyrics are transcribed in their original language and translated to English. This book also showcases the description of cultures and rich background for every song. In addition, each song is supported by a visible world map.
It has it all… History… Language… Culture… Taught within a text intertwined through songs and lyrics! This selection would be perfect for teaching about different cultures to young learners. Additionally, it could be used to enhance reading fluency for beginning and emergent readers…
xx-dnf-skim-reference
April 7, 2023So rich. Scholars, toddlers, schoolchildren, families, and of course those who are musical or artistic will find a lot to love. I did not read every word nor did I listen to the CD, but what I did experience is glorious and enlightening.
April 2023
April 2023
August 22, 2019
This is a gorgeous book of nursery rhymes that reflect the loving bonds of a family. From the very first page, you are enveloped in the lullabies and songs, the affirming images are absolutely perfect for families that want to explore the incredible cultures of West Africa and the Caribbean! Additional resources include notes on culture, a world map, and a code for song downloads and print-outs. Great for all ages!
August 19, 2019
Beautiful is the best word for this book and CD. It is a compilation of West African and Caribbean nursery rhymes and lullabies and even though I don't speak or understand most of the songs it was fun listening to the song and reading the meaning behind it. This is a great way to be exposed to some great songs and music more diverse than most. Loved it!
March 4, 2020
An amazing collection of lullabies and nursery rhymes from West Africa and the Caribbean. Each song has information at the back of the book including; where it originated, original language, English translation, and CD with all the songs.
October 17, 2021
Songs in the Shade of the Cashew and Coconut Trees: Lullabies and Nursery Rhymes from West Africa and the Caribbean by Nathalie Soussana was the winner of the Children’s Africana Book Awards (CABA) in 2020. This picture book comes with a CD and digital download code for the songs. The songs are performed in 13 different languages and dialects, along with local instruments. Within the book, the songs appear in their original language with the English translation underneath. For example, “Owanan bele nana” is written on the top of one page in big letters with the country of origin, “Ghana”, written underneath. Then, under that is the English translation “Sleep, sleep, the child is sleepy.” The book also includes background information about the culture of the songs and a world map for reference. For instance, one song references the slave trade so there is information about that in the book. Each song tells an interesting or fun story that many kids are sure to love!
This book is recommended for children 5 - 7 years old. I would use it in the classroom during a poetry or nursery rhyme unit. For instance, I just finished a few phonics lessons where students focused on finding ‘powerful patterns’ in nursery rhymes. Students could explore this book as they search for more patterns in rhyming words. This book could also be used to introduce students to international literature at a young age. Students could listen to the songs throughout the day, such as during transitions, to get exposed to different languages from around the world. It could also lead into rich conversations about other cultures and history, such as the slave trade.
This book is recommended for children 5 - 7 years old. I would use it in the classroom during a poetry or nursery rhyme unit. For instance, I just finished a few phonics lessons where students focused on finding ‘powerful patterns’ in nursery rhymes. Students could explore this book as they search for more patterns in rhyming words. This book could also be used to introduce students to international literature at a young age. Students could listen to the songs throughout the day, such as during transitions, to get exposed to different languages from around the world. It could also lead into rich conversations about other cultures and history, such as the slave trade.
October 14, 2021
Songs in the Shade of the Cashew and Coconut Trees: Lullabies and Nursery Rhymes from West Africa and the Caribbean collected by Nathalie Soussana is a picture book I found while perusing the list of books that won the Children’s Africana Book Award. The book shares multiples lullabies and nursery rhymes with readers. Each song is titled by its traditional name with the English translation of the lyrics. The country(ies) where the lullabies are sung are included with each nursery rhyme as well. The multi-colored illustrations show the actions described in the nursery rhyme in the foreground while the background illustrations show an authentic setting. These aspects offer an insight into another culture and perhaps, way of life, for American readers.
I read this picture book as an ebook and really enjoyed zooming into the illustrations and studying the art. Since this book is based on lullabies, I searched YouTube for a read aloud. While I didn’t find a read aloud for the entire book, I did find a video of one song playing while some of the illustrations were shown. If I was reading this book to my class, I would definitely play the song so that students could hear what lullabies from another continent sound like. This book could lend itself well to a compare and contrast activity. Students could look at the pictures, read the text, and listen to each lullaby from this book and compare it to lullabies from their childhoods. This would be an interesting writing assignment for students in 4th grade and up.
I read this picture book as an ebook and really enjoyed zooming into the illustrations and studying the art. Since this book is based on lullabies, I searched YouTube for a read aloud. While I didn’t find a read aloud for the entire book, I did find a video of one song playing while some of the illustrations were shown. If I was reading this book to my class, I would definitely play the song so that students could hear what lullabies from another continent sound like. This book could lend itself well to a compare and contrast activity. Students could look at the pictures, read the text, and listen to each lullaby from this book and compare it to lullabies from their childhoods. This would be an interesting writing assignment for students in 4th grade and up.
January 9, 2020
Twenty-three traditional songs from West Africa and the Caribbean are performed by native singers and musicians in this collection.
A wide variety of musical styles and musical instruments are featured, with songs sung in their native tongue. The range of music and rhythms produced by percussion instruments is amazing. Guitar is often found accompanying. Vocals are often hypnotic to listen to.
Notes (in the front half of the book) by Soussana are a brief overview of what the game/song is about. More detailed background about each song, a list of the performers and instrumentation, the lyrics and a translation to English are found in the back of the book. Also included is a map of the Caribbean islands and Africa, with locations of the song origins marked, an overview of the collection, an explanation of the importance of music to these cultures, how many songs crossed the Atlantic Ocean, a discussion of the many languages of Africa with more about 13 languages and dialects. Gueyfier’s mixed media illustrations show children and families of many shades of brown and near-idyllic life.
One of the best introductions to music from this part of the world I have seen.
Highly Recommended for ages PreSchool – grade 5.
A wide variety of musical styles and musical instruments are featured, with songs sung in their native tongue. The range of music and rhythms produced by percussion instruments is amazing. Guitar is often found accompanying. Vocals are often hypnotic to listen to.
Notes (in the front half of the book) by Soussana are a brief overview of what the game/song is about. More detailed background about each song, a list of the performers and instrumentation, the lyrics and a translation to English are found in the back of the book. Also included is a map of the Caribbean islands and Africa, with locations of the song origins marked, an overview of the collection, an explanation of the importance of music to these cultures, how many songs crossed the Atlantic Ocean, a discussion of the many languages of Africa with more about 13 languages and dialects. Gueyfier’s mixed media illustrations show children and families of many shades of brown and near-idyllic life.
One of the best introductions to music from this part of the world I have seen.
Highly Recommended for ages PreSchool – grade 5.
September 20, 2019
This was a pretty interesting title. But I had issues pronouncing the words. I think this one would work best for a school/classroom setting. So the teacher could read it to the class. I loved the music and had fun listening to it! I really enjoyed the colors and artwork though.
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March 3, 2020Gorgeous compilation and
lovely artwork
lovely artwork
Want to Read
September 25, 2020Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
March 2, 2022
So much to like here. Illustrated well, with just one line per song and then fully lyrics and translations in the back. So much great back matter about music, about how the slave trade formed cultural connections between Africa and the Caribbean, and about language and dialects. Really well done.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews