Down by the Bay (Raffi Songs to Read)

Raffi’s hilarious version of the classic song about strange events that happen down by the bay, where the watermelons grow…

Singing supports and encourages even the youngest child’s speech and listening skills, which makes Down by the Bay perfect for early learning. In this friendly board book edition, irresistible art by Nadine Bernard Westcott depicts wonderfully amusing creatures such as a bear combing his hair, a goose kissing a moose, and a whale with a polka-dot tail. Very young children will find this book both entertaining and instructive in early language skills such as rhyme, rhythm, and repetition, and will delight in hearing it read or sung aloud to them.

This paperback edition includes the sheet music to encourage sing- and play-alongs!

Raffi Cavoukian?was born in Cairo, Egypt, in 1948 to Armenian parents. Music and literature were very much a part of Raffi’s own childhood, leading to his interest in learning the guitar as a teenager. In 1970 he began his career as a performer in local music spots and later transitioned to performing music for children. As his career progressed, Raffi realized there wasn’t quality recorded music for children. He then recorded and released Singable Songs for the Very Young. After its success, he recognized his fun songs could be adapted into books to help children read. Favorite songs were then printed in booklets, which were illustrated by the children themselves or by older students—as a result, the children had instant books that they could use at their own level of proficiency. This led to the publication of?Down by the Bay?and?Shake My Sillies Out, followed by other titles in the?Songs to Read?series. In 1998, Raffi published his first book for adults—an autobiography detailing the story of his unique life and career, including his efforts to blend respect for both children and the natural world, in order to work toward a child-honoring society.

Nadine Bernard Westcott has illustrated more than 100 books for young readers, including I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, Big Picnic, Down by the Bay, and Peanut Butter and Jelly, the latter of which she also wrote. Nadine lives in Nantucket, Massachusetts, and divides her time between illustrating and designing her own line of fabrics.