Here Comes Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could

Stephanie Bange, Wilmington-Stroop Branch, Dayton Metro Library, OH -- School Library Journal, 6/17/2008

Here Comes Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could. CD. 46:53 min. Prod. by Bumblin’ Bee Music. Dist. by CDBaby.com. 2007. $15.98.

PreS-Gr 3–In his fifth recording for families, Brady Rymer and his band play with a fullness to their sound that makes this album the best yet. Clever lyrics and charming tunes are played brilliantly. Eleven of the 13 songs were written by Rymer; there’s not a weak one in the bunch. Most of the songs celebrate family and the ties that bind them: “Road Trip” (a rock ’n’ roll number describing a family car trip,), “Pie” (a folksy song about a boy who eats nothing but pie), “Again!” (an upbeat country tune about games that parents play with their kids), and others. An upbeat signature song (“The Little Band That Could”) compares this band to the Little Engine That Could, country-style. Covers of Woodie Guthrie’s “Bling Blang” and Pete Seeger’s “Well May the World Go” are just plain fun. “Jump Up” is a great activity song, and “The Relatives Came” would be perfect to pair with the book of the same title by Cynthia Rylant. Keep this CD in mind for story time—it’s sure to become a classic.