Booklist Reviews
Ages 4^-8. When Little Snake wakes up from his long winter nap, he can't find the other members of the Snake Alley Band. A number of other animals volunteer their services, but Cricket's "chew-up, chew-up" doesn't sound right to Little Snake, and neither does Frog's "Cha-BOP" or Fish's "POP-POP-DOO-WOP." Once he reunites with his snaky friends, though, he realizes that other animal sounds could improve their music. With its simple story and bouncy sound effects, this is a sure story-hour hit. Lewin combines the beauty of watercolors with free-flowing black outlines so the pictures share the lively feel of the story, and the three jaunty snakes on the cover will make this one fly off a display. ((Reviewed September 1, 1998)) Copyright 2000 Booklist Reviews
Horn Book Guide Reviews
Snake thinks the ""[cf2]Shhh[cf1]-BOOM"" of his Snake Alley Band is just perfect, but when he hears the sounds of the crickets (chew-up), frogs (cha-BOP), and others nearby, he realizes they could make his music even better. Lithe, energetic illustrations and toe-tapping band sounds make for an engaging musical read-aloud. Copyright 1999 Horn Book Guide Reviews
Library Media Connection
The value of diversity is the message in this lively tale of musical creatures, with its animated illustrations. Snake is arrogantly content with his part in a hissing, tail-thumping snake band. But when he is separated from his fellow snakes, he finds -- and initially rejects --enthusiastic and able musicians with quite different sounds to contribute: a cricket, a frog, a fish, a bird, and a turtle. Later, back in his all-snake band, he is no longer satisfied with its unison sound; he returns to Snake Alley to look for his new friends and forms a new band, whose excitement lies in its diversity. Full of alliteration and onomatopoeia, this book begs to be read aloud. During one read-aloud session, small groups among first-grade listeners were assigned the respective animals' sounds. The groups "performed" on cue, with delightful results. One youngster later asked, "Are you going to get that book for the library? Please?" -- a strong recommendation. Music teachers might wish to use this book to introduce the concept of various sounds combining and blending to make a band, orchestra, or chorus. Highly Recommended. Catherine M. Andronik, Library Media Specialist, Seymour (Connecticut) Public Schools © 1999 Linworth Publishing, Inc.
Publishers Weekly Reviews
Nygaard debuts with a musical overture about nature sounds made by birds, frogs, crickets and, of course, snakes. Near a lake, in a woodland called Snake Alley, the snakes gather to perform. "They hissed: Shhh Shhh Shhh. They bopped their tails: BOOM BOOM BOOM. Shhh-BOOM Shhh-BOOM Shhh-BOOM." The author never explains how a whiplike tail can make a booming bass thump, but makes the point that snakes prefer the company of other snakes, regardless of their monotonous melody. The turning point comes when the littlest snake meets some other noisemakers, among them a bird ("Tweet-tweedle-dee-deet") and a frog ("cha-BOP cha-BOP cha-BOP"). He notes that reptiles aren't the only ones with rhythm and, rejected by his peers, forms the multispecies Snake Alley Band. The parable ends with the hero jamming in harmony with the other wildlife. Nygaard suggests that diversity offers plenty of possibilities, but never resolves the subplot about the segregationist snakes. Lewin (Yo, Hungry Wolf!), too, keeps the tone light with her loosely drawn images. She hints at a wetland setting with cattails and animal tracks in the mud, but her pen-and-ink and watercolor images may seem to some readers more like sketches than finished art. The story has more to do with onomatopoeia than with social skills, falling short in both style and substance, and lacking a note of finality. Ages 4-8. (Aug.) Copyright 1998 Publishers Weekly Reviews
School Library Journal Reviews
PreS-Gr 2-This picture-book tribute to doo-wop is pure fun. Down in Fox Woods, on a skinny piece of land that juts out into the lake, a snake band is singing ("Shh-BOOM Shh-BOOM"). As fall approaches, the littlest snake curls up under a log to sleep. When he awakens in the spring, his fellow vocalists are nowhere to be seen. He begins to look for them and meets a chirping cricket ("Chew-up chew-up"), a croaking frog ("Cha-BOP cha-BOP cha-BOP"), a fish ("POP-POP-DOO-WOP"), a bird ("Tweet-tweedle-dee-deet"), and a turtle ("TA-TOOM TA-TOOM TOOM"), all of whom want to be in the band. Little Snake is accustomed to the "Shh-BOOMs" of his own ensemble and refuses to croon with the clamorous animals. Finally, he locates his group in the woods and soon realizes that it is missing the musical variety the others offered. Returning to the lake, he convinces the other critters to join him and together they serenade the sunset. Lewin's cartoon illustrations deftly bring the animals to life through facial expressions and movements. The artist's use of deep backgrounds for the evenings and sunsets adds color to the scenes. The alliterative text is meant to be read aloud and will inspire listeners to chime in. Pair this with Thacher Hurd's Mama Don't Allow (Harper, 1984) for a rip-roaring, hip-hopping storytime.-Angela J. Reynolds, West Slope Community Library, Portland, OR Copyright 1998 School Library Journal Reviews