By: Liz Tousey, Librarian and OverDrive Collection Development Analyst

Picture books are lovely and beautiful. Created to explain workings of the world and and the joy of imagination to the precious tiny humans in our lives, a good picture book can affect lives far more than a powerful literary novel. And in my world, the best picture books of all are the musical Read-Alongs. My heart melts every time I find a Read-Along with a great narrator and musical accompaniment, such as Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola. And it’s an infusion of pure joy to find a singing Read-Along, or one might call them, “Sing-Alongs,” such as John Lithgow’s I Got Two Dogs, or David Weinstones’s Music Class Today.

Though it’s small but mighty, I’ve complied a list of musical Read-Alongs for your reviewing (and sampling!) pleasure. I highly recommend these titles, and hopefully your youngest patrons will love them as much as I do. But I submit this list knowing that I’ve missed quite a few titles. If you know of a read-along book that has a fantastic musical accompaniment and/or singing, please tell us in the commments below, and we will add them to the list!

MUSICAL READ-ALONGS IN MARKETPLACE