Jim Gill's original songs are full of stimulation - mental and physical - and imagery geared specifically for inquisitive and developing little ones. A great example of Gill's unique creativity is the song Doughnuts, a real recipe that happens to perfectly rhyme! Gill's song notes explain that his mother remembered this recipe from her childhood and passed it on to him, so he wanted to share it with his fans. Gill even includes his own rhyming recipe for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. All Filled Up finds many creative ways that a child might come up with to explain how full they are, such as, "I can't eat more scones, They've filled up all of my bones" or "I can't eat more pare, I'm filled to the ends of my hair." Quite a few songs on the album actually include children singing as well, which solidifies the idea that these lyrics could easily come from a child's mouth. 5 Strings On My Banjo demonstrates Gill's humor as a string on his banjo breaks each verse until he's down to a no-string banjo and has to sing a capella - but then he loses his voice! Stick to the Glue is also funny, as it replaces the words of Skip to My Lou with a new story about hands, feet, friends, and teeth all sticking together because they are covered in glue. This is sure to get a chuckle out of both you and your little one.
Gill's songs are sure to get a lot more than a chuckle out of listeners - they are guaranteed to move your limbs! List of Dances requires listeners to tiptoe, hop, curl, twirl, slide, sleep, creep, and more. The big band sounds, complete with prominent brass, in Let's Dance Now and the title track The Night We Made it Noisy in Boise, Idaho are sure to get you swinging. Your Face Will Surely Show It sings about faces that are happy, sad, frightened, mad, sleepy, chilly, and silly. You can make it into a game by asking your child to come up with some new faces. The Sound Effects Song is often a quick favorite, as it features children singing sound effects for everything Gill mentions about his hometown, from animals sounds to honking horns. What sounds make up your little one's home? Tickle Tow is a great song for parents to participate with their children by singing and tickling together; "I've tried tickling my arm, tickling my ear, tickling my shoulder, tickling my rear."
I listened to this album a few times through with my three-year-old friend, Sam, one evening. I thought the Oh Hey Oh Hi Hello song was pretty cute, so I started singing along and apparently really got into it because Sam started repeating "Oh hey oh hi hello" after me. I laughed, which encouraged him to say it again. When I left that evening and said goodbye, Sam yelled after me, "hey oh hi hello!" (he messed the words up a little). Sam's mom looked puzzled, but I knew what he meant and winked at Sam, repeating it back to him.
--Audra