The Glorious American Songbook: A Classic Illustrated Edition
Grade 4 Up–Archival illustrations and fine-art reproductions from the late-19th and 20th century accompany traditional and popular American tunes. A diverse collection of 53 selections, the book includes the date and origin, melodic musical notation, and a verse or two. Beautiful, occasionally full-page art complements the selections, which consist of ballads from the earliest days of the American experience to folk songs of the 1900s as well as pieces by Cole Porter, Gene Autry, and Irving Berlin. Unfortunately, the omission of lines in the music notation and fragmented, partial musical phrases create a difficult reference and an awkward source for beginners. Choose this book for the period art or to glimpse a bit of nostalgia. Amy Cohn'sFrom Sea to Shining Sea(Scholastic, 1993) is a better choice for those interested in learning the songs.–Mary Elam, Forman Elementary School, Plano, TXCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.