Journey Home from Grandpa's, The

This splendid sing-along book is wonderful for pre-school and Early Years children for listening, dancing, then singing and acting out the story. A real toe-tapper. It is beautifully produced in bright colours with stylised pictures of everything the family sees as they journey home from Grandpa’s. One form of transport is portrayed on each double spread, with the text clearly set out in large font, and a map at the end of the book showing the whole journey. The accompaniment on the CD is similarly well-produced, a flute and guitar bouncing the tune along before the vocalist begins the song. Children’s voices join in the repeated lines, and the melody moves up a couple of keys to maintain musical interest during the ten verses. (The melody is ‘The Big Ship Sails on the Alley Alley-O’.) There are also sound effects on the CD, which a class of Reception children just loved. ‘A helicopter whizzes up and down and round… a purple train speeds along a shiny railway track… a red fire engine rushes very quickly past… on the journey home from Grandpa’s.’ This would make a lasting gift for any lively youngster, especially one interested in forms of transport. Such a lot to talk about!