You may remember some months ago that Monkey and I went to London to meet David and Carrie Grant, when they launched the first of the Jump Up and Join In books and app.

Last month saw the release of the fifth and six books in the Jump Up and Join In range.

My 4 year old Monkey got excited as soon as he recognised the Jump Up and Join in logo on the front of Polar Bear’s Big Chill and Giraffe’s Big Night.  He was jumping around the living room.

If you’re not aware, David and Carrie Grant have written the Jump Up and Join In series of books to bring music to younger children in a fun and interactive way.  Children respond to music in different ways, whether it be by reading about it, listening to the actual music itself or by an activity.  Each book comes with a CD, which covers every aspect of the book too.

Both Polar Bear’s Big Chill and Giraffe’s Big Night feature the quirky illustrations of Ailie Busby, which are also used in the app (see link above in first paragraph for information on that).

In Polar Bear’s Big Chill we discover that Polar Bear is rather impatient, he’s always on the move and just can’t concentrate.  But all that changes, when he goes on a fishing trip, ties a piece of string to his fishing rod  and makes a violin out of a fish bone.  His friends fell in love with the music and Polar Bear discovered a hidden talent.  Not only could he play really well, but playing made him relax, concentrate and sit still! I’d love nothing more than Monkey to have some talent for music making.  My brother taught himself to play the electronic keyboards (yes we both teenagers in the 80’s), my niece plays the clarinet to a high level, and my great grandparents were both musical.  Sadly the musical gene seems to have missed me although I appreciate music of all genre.  The Jump Up and Join In series is a great help in giving me ideas for how to get Monkey interested in music.  Polar Bear’s Big Chill gives a clear message, but in a fun way.  At the end of the story there is a Sing-along song as well as a Karaoke version, use your CD for this too. Each book features an activity, this book shows a relaxation activity and Monkey and I learnt that a Canon isn’t just found on a Pirate Ship. Another thing I love about the Jump Up and Join In Books, is that they each contain something to make – this book features Chillin’ Chimes, which I’m planning as an Easter holidays activity.

Next up we’ve been enjoying Giraffe’s Big Night and learning about Opera singing. Giraffe has been chosen to perform at the Opera because she has a strong voice.  But through the story we realise that it’s not a good thing to sing really loudly. Giraffe gets a sore throat, the doctor tells her to rest, drink plenty of water, keep warm and stay quiet. It’s a lovely tale, that shows how all of Giraffe’s friends rally round to help her get her voice back.

Once again, there is a sing-along song at the end of the story, as well as a few activities.  Monkey enjoyed singing high and low with Singing Sirens.  The craft activity at the end of the book – Blow Bottles, is another, I’m saving for the Easter holidays, but hopefully we’ll have lots of fun.

Monkey loves the Jump Up and Join In series, I love the fact that I can engage Monkey in a number of ways.  I really do recommend these books for any young child.  They are a fun introduction to music and singing.

disclaimer:  we were sent the books mentioned in exchange for an honest review