cover image We All Sing with the Same Voice [With CD]

We All Sing with the Same Voice [With CD]

J. Philip Miller. HarperCollins Publishers, $17.99 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-06-027475-7

A classic Sesame Street song becomes a cheerful picture book about children's universal thoughts and feelings. Throughout these pages, youngsters differentiated by race, nationality, gender or geography join hands and sing: ""We all sing with the same voice,/ The same song,/ The same voice./ We all sing with the same voice,/ And we sing in harmony."" In a succinct and easy-to-understand style, the lyrics go straight to the heart, addressing such themes as family (""I have sisters one two three./ In my family there's just me./ I've got one daddy./ I've got two""), pets or the expression of emotions (""Sometimes I get mad and mean./ Sometimes I feel happy./ And when I want to cry I do""). Miller and Greene's idealistic vision of inclusion and acceptance is one that readers can easily embrace. Meisel (How to Talk to Your Cat) infuses the proceedings with joy--smiling, vibrantly clad children and caring adults populate his sunny scenes. A CD recording of the song from 1982 is packaged with this book. Ages 3-7. (Jan.)