Chaucer's Corner

A mysterious old pirate lures a group of rowdy sailors to an island with buried treasure, but there is a surprise awaiting them when they get there.

Classic recordings from the swing era by Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Fats Waller, and other jazz legends are the centerpiece of this storybook-music CD set. The illustrated story recounts the adventures of a little Brazilian cricket named Zaz who dreams of singing in New York. Zaz hops a ride on a woman's fruit hat from her homeland to Manhattan, where she meets a savvy fly named Buster who knows all the spots to hear cool music. He takes her to the Swing Cafe on East 54th Street where they dance the Charleston, the Shimmy, and the Skeedle Loo Doo. Everyone there speaks a common language, called Swing, and Zaz is inspired to take to the stage, sing from the heart, and deliver the performance of a lifetime. The Broadway star Carmen Miranda, who was affectionately nicknamed in Brazil "La Pequena Notavel" (The Remarkable Little Girl), is the primary source of inspiration for this poetic and heartwarming story. Throughout the CD's narration, snippets of classic 1930s jazz songs add a lively rhythm to the story, and an additional seven songs are performed in their entirety by the original artists.

Zoe's hair has a life of its own, and it's causing quite a problem in the classroom. This lively book is perfect for back to school or for anyone who is learning to love the eccentricities in themselves and others.

The boy in this story can't sleep because the monster under his bed has gone fishing. I laughed through the parade of ineffectual substitute monsters (my favorite is the mouth breather) and the art is chillingly fabulous. This book rocks my world!