Title: Mi Primer Libro de Música
Author: Karyn Henley
Translators: Lilia Pardo and Sarai León
Date: 1994
Publisher: Sparrow Press
ISBN: 0-917143-44-2
Length: pages not numbered; 75 songs
Illustrations: colorful cartoons by Dennas Davis
Quote: “Oro y plata no tengo Pero lo que tengo te doy...”
Mi Primer Libro de Música was originally compiled in English, but published simultaneously in English and in Spanish. It’s a Sunday School songbook aimed at bilingual children, or children whose parents hope they can become bilingual, up to age twelve. (The Spanish edition is the one you can buy from me because, although my brother and I appreciated our monolingual parents’ attempts to raise trilingual children, my hearing-impaired sister isn’t up to it.) Most of the songs are familiar and in the public domain, with a few original compositions by the people who put the book together. Songs are printed with very clear, easy-to-read musical notation for the melodies only; no harmonies, no guitar chords.
For adults who can read music, the book can probably be enjoyed in either language. If you don’t recognize the English words by looking at the Spanish words, since the translations aren’t always literal (“Deep and Wide” comes out as “Hay en mí, hay en mí una fuente que fluye sin cesar”), you’ll probably recognize the tune. And for those who can’t read music, a teaching tape in each language is also available.
These books score high on visual appeal. At least one of every two pages contains a cartoon-type drawing. Colors are saturated, as if done with Magic Markers.
They also score high on portability. Lightweight paperbacks with thin glazes of plastic on the covers, they can be tucked into backpacks, guitar cases, or even coat pockets as necessary.
Favorite songs in these books include: This Little Light of Mine, Father Abraham, Zacchaeus Was a Wee Little Man, Who Built the Ark, Rise and Shine and Give God Glory, I’m Going to Sing, The B-I-B-L-E, Come Bless Ye the Lord, Down in My Heart, His Banner Overr Me Is Love, Oh How I Love Jesus, Jesus Loves Even Me, Jesus Loves the Little Children of the World, Peace Like a River, Kumbayah, Jesus Loves Me, God Is So Good, I Stand at the Door and Knock, and many more.
Recommended to all Sunday School classes, and to every Christian family with children in it.
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