A collection of sixty-two folk songs especially appealing to older children balances regional and topical music popular for different reasons during various times. The range of songs includes "Down In The Valley," "Follow The Drinking Gourd," If I Had A Hammer," "Joe Hill," "John Henry," "The Motorcycle Song," "Shall We Gather At The River," "Shenandoah," "Tell Me Why," "What Have They Done To The Rain?" and "Yankee Doodle." Easy piano and guitar arrangements, a first-line index and an index of song types facilitate use of this book of alphabetically arranged songs. (All ages, but especially ages 8-12)

"Work songs, love songs, ballads and blues, lullabyies, spirituals, protest songs, and sheer nonsense make up this entertaining collection of 62 traditional and contemporary favorites. The exuberant illustrations manage to be both familiar and dramatic and range in tone from comic exaggeration to understatement and unashamed sentiment. Informal notes at the head of each song give something about history, origin, performance, and possibilities for variation. The notes also express the sense of connection with ordinary people's lives that is at the heart of this collection."--Booklist (starred)