Becky, at Farm School, has put together a comprehensive post with recommendations on picture books, music and movies celebrating American culture. This is timely for us right now as we are beginning a study of American folk music.
When Ben was a baby, I sang to him incessantly because it was one of the only things that soothed him. I ran out of songs after some weeks and bought myself a couple Pete Seeger cassette tapes (back then) which I played until they fell apart. I wanted to learn some new tunes to sing to him and Pete has Oh So Many. I also purchased Mike and Peggy Seeger's American Folk Songs for Children which is a double disc set of many traditional and Appalachian folk tunes sure to please the small folk.
Now, years later, we received a Pete Seeger disc from Caddie's godparents as a gift. The kids and I are hooked again. Our favorite is The Children's Concert at Town Hall which contains some great "must know" songs like Michael Row Your Boat Ashore, Abiyoyo, This Land is Your Land, and many others. I am also fond of his Greatest Hits CD that has many songs like Guantanamera, We Shall Overcome, Turn Turn Turn, and more. That one is not for children as there is a curse word in one song but it is a great collection of folk songs, nonetheless. Some of the tunes are politically charged, some date back to the Civil Rights movement, many highlight the plight of the working class. Any of you with the tiniest bit of hippie-chick in you will certainly enjoy these tunes. :)
Anyhow, wait'll ya see Becky's list. She obviously put a lot of time and thought into it which I certainly appreciate.
