Description
The forest is hopping with music made by an all-animal band. Willie the Squirrel strums the guitar, Ollie the Owl plucks the bass, Slick the Snake beats the drums, and Fredi the Frog and Dan the Dog sing in perfect harmony. Creatures from all over the woods gather to hear the band play, but…someone else is listening too!
About the author:
Jim Moore (born – James Leroy Moore, January 7, 1953) in South Pittsburg, Tennessee. Creator of the family entertainment brand – The Animal Band. His first book, “The All Animal Band” won a Blether Gold Review Award, was a Best Seller (TLA- Barnes and Noble), and is on the Accelerated Reader list. He is the first recipient of the prestigious Media & Entertainment Excellence Award -presented by members of the U.S. Congress.
About the illustrator:
Norris Hall is one of the middle Tennessee area’s most commissioned artists, featuring a kaleidoscope of whimsical characters in the form of animals and other colorful images which have been displayed in galleries, museums and commercial spaces all over the US.
He has been commissioned by Disneyland Paris, AT&T, Charter Communications, Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Nashville International Airport, The Discovery Center (Murfreesboro, TN), Linebaugh Public Library (also in Murfreesboro), Skokie, IL Public Library, numerous schools, pediatric dental offices, orthodontists’ offices and pediatricians’ offices across the US for all sizes and types of installations, illustrations and artwork.
Book Reviews:
Mid West Book Review – “A genuine flair for original storytelling. The All Animal Band is an enthusiastic antidote to the doldrums.”
Cincinnati Family Magazine – “A great read-aloud book with bright and colorful illustrations, there are also
hidden objects to hunt for.”
My Parentime.com – Animals in the real world, are extraordinary creatures, so it inst a
surprise to see them playing in a band in a children’s book. What child
wouldn’t enjoy reading about animals making music?
In the book, The All Animal Band, by Jim Moore, Willie the Squirrel
becomes interested in playing music after watching some humans play
in a nightly band. He gets the idea to form & All Animal Band
invites some of his friends to join. After building their instruments,
practicing their vocals, and perfecting their harmony, they perform for
all the animals in the forest. They’re a hit with the audience, especially the human
who Willie watched play in his own band! It turns out that he & a talent agent promises to make the band famous.
MyParenTime.com highly recommends this book — what a sweet story! The
illustrations are colorful, the characters are positive, imaginative, and the animals all
work well with each other. In addition, there’s a fun bonus on many of the pages
throughout the book — hidden pictures! Even though this story is make-believe, it is
sure to teach children positive qualities, such as working hard to reach a goal, team
work, and following their dreams. I wish the story didn’t end — I would have liked to
follow the All Animal Band along their musical journey 🙂
Rating: 10/10 (The Blether Gold Award. A truly exceptional read, the finest example of a genre,
a book with which the reviewer can find no fault, and which will usually have universal appeal).
BookIdeas.com
“Bursting with bold and bodacious color, The All Animal Band is an eye-popping delight
of a book about a group of animal friends who decide they want to make music and form
their own band. Written by award-winning songwriter and recording artist Jim Moore,
and whimsically illustrated with such strong color and lines that the visuals almost
appear 3-D, this enchanting book, geared towards children (and adults) of all ages,
celebrates the joys of making music with the animal characters that make up the All
Animal Band; including Fredi the Frog and Dan the Dog on vocals, Ollie the Owl on
bass, Slick the Snake on drums, and Willie the Squirrel on guitar.
It all begins when Willie the Squirrel spots some humans playing instruments and making
great music together. But when Willie tries to play the instruments, it sounds like an
awful clatter. Still, he can't help but dream about making sweet-sounding music like the
humans, and his passion and desire lead him to gather up his pals and form a band of
their own. With plenty of practice and encouragement, the All Animal Band members
finally master their instruments enough to put on their first big show, and attract the
attention of a human, namely a talent agent who wants to sign the animal band and turn
them into big stars.
Kids will love this big, splashy adventure about friendship, determination, dedication,
having fun and using music to express yourself. And as a 42-year-old, I can tell you
without a doubt that adults will love it, too.”
The Trades
“Loaded cover to cover with brightly colored pictures that will engage the eye, and brimming with
a charming plot that kids will be able to follow easily, The All Animal Band will delight your
younger readers. Eagle-eyed readers will also have fun finding the numerous hidden items and
words in the wood grain of the trees and fences.”
JustForMom.com
“Being a father of two and an educator, I realize the importance of keeping children active.
Physical and mental stimulation are vital to the development of a child. A big part of this is
reading and imagination. So, I was thrilled to read Jim Moore’s The All Animal Band. The story
introduced my daughter to a variety of animals and musical instruments, while keeping her
interest focused on the outcome of the story.
Like Squirrel in the story, my daughter enjoys listening to music and when the music stops she
likes to make her own. It is this experimentation by the animals in the story that makes it OK for
my daughter to try new things. The imagination of the animals spills over to our family. Like the
Dan the Dog, Fred the Frog and Squirrel, we look around to make instruments out of everyday
items. We have made drums from cans, tambourines from bottle tops and rattles using plastic
cups and rice. We may not be The All Animal Band, but we make beautiful music to our ears.
In addition to the imagery created by words, colorful artwork by Norris Hall keeps readers old
and young alike glued to each page. We enjoyed looking for “hidden” pictures in every magical
scene. The All Animal Band is an interactive reading experience. With so much attention given to
television and the internet these days, it is refreshing to find a book that can keep a child’s focus
from beginning to end. It is a book and story that keep my children begging me to “read it again
daddy.”
Jason Harper has two children, Katelyn and Colby, and was co-director of an after-school
program in Murfreesboro, Tennessee for six years.
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