Readers Who Need Readers: St. Patrick's Day Songs

A reader sent me this request recently:

I am a children's librarian... I am getting together a music/movement/story program for toddlers and preschoolers for St. Patrick's Day and am stumped on finding great music. Any suggestions?

Well, I'll admit to being a little stumped, but here's what I suggested...

I'd probably go with an Irish theme -- "Wild Mountain Thyme" perhaps (the Dan Zanes and Nields recordings are excellent). There's a kids album by Kathy Ludlow and Mary Coogan, who sing with traditional Irish groups. The album is called The Big Ship Sails and while it's not really Irish-specific, it has a definite Irish sound. For quiet time, you could always try Putumayo's Celtic Dreamland disk. The American-Irish duo Sunflow has an album called Under the Stars, which is another non-Irish specific quiet time disk.

Or you could always play songs featuring Patrick... from Spongebob Squarepants.

(I'm here all week, folks.)

Anyways, those are my suggestions -- how about yours?

Comments

[GBK Gwyneth]

I know I've got some others in my library back home, but here is what we played last year:

# Irish Artists - When Irish Eyes Are Smiling - Celebrate St. Patrick's Day# Jim Weiss - Dectera And The Fifty Maidens - Celtic Treasures# GeereMusic - The Legend of the Leprechaun - Celebrate! Vol 1# The Nields - The Unicorn - All Together Singing In The Kitchen# Lasairthonia Ni Chonaola - Casadh an tSugain - Celtic Dreamland

[Janelle]

Have to say that while this isn't child specific I'd go with The Chieftains and have them get up and dance their own little jigs. Can't go wrong with the Grammy award winner.

The Jumpitz have a video version of their song, "Dance Like You're in Ireland" on YouTube.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQhWYH6zCOM

[Conductor Jack]

Don't forget Bing Crosby! Not necessarily a kids performer (you could argue he was, I suppose) but he has great ones. Lots of good songs from the Tin Pan Alley days...

1. I'm Looking Over A Four Leaf Clover2. Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ra (That's An Irish Lullaby)3. Danny Boy

This is a great CD of Bing's Irish stuff: http://www.amazon.com/Favorite-Irish-Songs-Bing-Crosby/dp/B000002QSW

Cheers!

[Amberly]

Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers- "Rockin' Rockin' Leprechauns"

[Amberly]

Oh! Also, songs about rainbows almost always mention the pot of gold at the end.