Waking Up Is Hard To Do

"Don't you cry and don't be blue,/ Wakin' up is hard to do," reads veteran singer-songwriter Sedaka's upbeat adaptation of the 1962 chart-topping tune, "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," which he wrote with Howard Greenfield. As in the original version, the new lyrics are repetitive, but plenty jaunty, too; there are some stumbles in logic, as when Sedaka invites readers to "Just listen to the birdies sing,/ And the flowers that await the spring." With half-lidded eyes, a young alligator struggles through his morning routine—brushing his many teeth with an oversize toothbrush, before heading downstairs for breakfast and out to the school bus, finally ready for the day ahead. Miyares's funky cartoons are peppered with fun details: during the gator family's boisterous breakfast, the text reads, "Wear a smile, don't you be blue," and while the alligator doesn't take this advice, his bacon and eggs do. Though the electric artwork tends to be quite literal, it certainly captures the brightness of a new day. Sedaka performs this song and two others on an accompanying CD. Ages 5–8. (Sept.)