European Playground

Beverly Bixler, San Antonio Public Library, TX -- School Library Journal, 8/4/2009

European Playground. CD. 34:35 min. with liner notes. Putumayo Kids (putumayo.com). 2009. $14.98.

PreS-Gr 4–For this album, the folks at Putumayo visited 15 European countries to round up folk and contemporary songs. All the neighborhood children love jumping on the “Trampolin” (Finland/Sweden). Positive changes are extolled in the “Change Song” (England). “Stop Den Lille Kaenguru” (Denmark), to the tune of “Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport,” tells of an escaping kangaroo. “I’Se the B’Y” is a Scottish dance tune. “En Voici, En Voilà” (France) celebrates all kind of junk food. Anneliese” (Germany), the cow, is best friends with Klaus, the mouse. Among the other songs are “Bonjour Tout Va Bien” (Belgium), “Tudom Én Már Mit Csinálok” (Hungary), “Den Kanei Krio” (Greece), “Tito Troca-Tintas” (Portugal), “Tarantainas De La Casa Sin Pared” (Spain), and a rousing Irish instrumental, “Sandy River Belle.” A teacher’s guide and a map of Europe can be downloaded at putumayokids.com. Another excellent collection of multicultural music.