Book Review: “Xavier Sings Stories of His Alphabet Friends”
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Xavier Sings Stories of His Alphabet Friends
By Mary Lynn Channer
See this new book in the LANA store here. 10 copies available now at $17.50 each.
I have been using several songs from Xavier Sings Stories of His Alphabet Friends (by Mary Lynn Channer) for many years, much to the delight of my beginning first grade lyre students. The beautiful illustrations and catchy lyrics make these songs fun and bring true joy to the children’s faces. It makes learning the fingerings of the fifths in “Naughty Nymph” a fun challenge. The children build their vocabularies as well, as they try to think of the meaning of such words and phrases as raucous and regal revelation in the “Raucous Rooster” song. The children insist on playing and singing “Raucous Rooster” in every lesson! Thank you, Mary Lynn, for sharing your delightful songs with us.
Review by Nancy Carpenter
LANA President and lyre teacher at The Detroit Waldorf School
A note about the author, Mary Lynn Channer: Mary Lynn Channer, BME, is a graduate of the Dorion School of Music Therapy. As a vocal and strings teacher for over fifty years, she has applied the educational principles of Rudolf Steiner in Waldorf schools and various other settings. Even as a child growing up in Canada, she loved to draw pictures and make up songs. Now in her later years of life as an anthroposophical music therapist, she considers these creative activities essential for the nourishment of all children – more important than knowing their ABCs! The delicate tones of the lyre have been the background of all this work.
Xavier Sings Stories of His Alphabet Friends is a 91-page, beautifully illustrated book with a song for every letter of the alphabet. Audio files of the songs can be found at Waldorf Publications: www.waldorfpublications.org/collections/xavier-sings-of-his-alphabet-friends-audio-files. This book is a treasure for parents and teachers of young children.
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