We have a special Bookie Woogie post this week...Our review process has a few stages. Isaac, Grace, Lily, and I take turns picking the next books for review. Then we read the stories, we record the conversation that follows, and later I type it all up by my lonesome. We started out using an old cassette player, and it wasn't too long before it bit the dust. The transcribing process was brutal on it. Too much Play > Pause > Play > Rewind > Stop > Play > Pause. Assuming we'd keep up with Bookie Woogie for a while, I sprung for a nice little digital recorder.
We've been asked a few times now about sharing some audio. So, since a digital recorder makes it easy enough, I thought I'd collect and post a few favorite audio snippets. After revisiting the recordings, I quickly realized two things. First, I say the word "Alright" an awful lot. And second, Gracie commonly speaks three times louder than a normal human being.
Hearing your own voice on tape is excruciating (a widespread sentiment, I know), but hopefully you won't mind my voice as much as I do. Now, on to the clips. I've included a link with each one in case you are inspired to re-visit the original review...The first clip is my favorite one. Every so often the kids say something, and the written word will never do it justice. Like in the Inkheart review. Here's what Lily said: "The Shadow is a shadow who has bright red stars for eyes." But here's how she said it:
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Here, we are remembering our long lost friend Mr. Sandford:
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Every once in a while, someone sends us a book. Sometimes for fun, sometimes for review. This is always cause for much excitement. How cool is it to get a book from Mordicai Gerstein himself!
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A little background on this next one, because as you'll hear, Gracie rats me out. This whole Bookie Woogie endeavor is lots of fun. We get silly. As we get familiar with the work of authors and illustrators, we play around. Sometimes we make silly little songs with authors' names. For instance, not knowing how to pronounce Vivianne Schwarz' last name, we often sing "Viviane "SchwaRTZ" do you wear shorts? Vivianne "SchwaRS" do you start wars?" (Many apologies Ms. Schwarz) I also started referring to her as "Viv," which the kids found hilarious. (Many, many apologies Ms. Schwarz). Anyway, all this fun eventually backfired...
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Gracie: "Read the B-O-O-K..."
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"Jazzmatazz" was one of my favorite books to read with the kids. Here, they start making their own sounds:
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Gracie catches onto the wonderful parallels in "Adam Raccoon."
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A spontaneous group reading of "Beware the Tickle Monster."
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Lily tells us about hippos:
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The coolest kid ever...
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Poor Lily. If we didn't make purposeful efforts to get feedback from her, she'd be content to sit and listen to Isaac and Gracie review away.
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This one is a bit embarrassing. But I thought I ought to include a clip of what it sounds like when we read. This is from "Babymouse the Musical."
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Gracie: "Babymouse had to be the under..."
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Gracie: "Paro..."
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Dad: "You are so weird..."
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Wondering if Babymouse had stopped by...
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Gracie describing life on a 2-dimensional planet:
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Lily has something to tell Mom:
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Dad's "Belinda the Ballerina" story:
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Isaac sings a little "Spot Art" song.
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Why Lily thinks you should read "Scribble."
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Dad imagines the How Are You Peeling" creators grocery shopping:
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Tomatoes???
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Dad voices a piece of fruit:
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Lily describes Seymour Snail:
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Seymour Snail inspires Lily:
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Lily loves "Black and White."
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Admittedly, "Black and White" is a hard book to review. Here, Gracie tells us why you should read it.
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We talk about poetry and write the next verse to "Flip, Flap, Fly."
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Why does Isaac like picture books?
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I want to say thanks to all the folks who visit Bookie Woogie! Thanks too for the many nice comments you've left for the kids over the months. I hope we've introduced you to some new favorite stories. And I hope you enjoyed these audio clips -- I think we'll have to do this again after another 25 posts or so...
