Pop Goes the Weasel

Channel your inner singing diva/divo as you sing merrily along to the lyrics and music of these classic children’s songs!

Pop Goes the Weasel, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, and She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain are the first three books to be part of the “Classic Folk Sing-Along Songs” series published by The Secret Mountain. The books include website links to recordings of the songs along with the illustrations from the books. Sin and Swoon’s vocals coupled with Sophie Casson’s illustrations and the instrumentals will have readers singing along and moving their bodies to the rhythm and beat (and perhaps even up and dancing)!

Each book takes readers along a magical and beautifully illustrated ride as they read (or sing) the lyrics of each song. Casson’s colourful and textured illustrations display movement and are appealing to the eye.

Near the end of each book, the entire lyrics are included on one page, and there is an “About the Song” section where readers learn interesting facts about each song. For example, did you know that there are different versions of the lyrics for “Pop Goes the Weasel”? Did you know that the lyrics for “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” were taken from an early 19th-century English poem titled “The Star” by Jane Taylor? Did you know that “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain” “is believed to have originated during the late 1800s, derived from a spiritual, ‘When the Chariot Comes,’ which refers to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the subsequent Rapture?” These, along with other facts and tidbits, will give readers a greater appreciation for these classic folk songs and different versions of the lyrics to explore and sing.

Casson is an illustrator based in Montreal, Quebec, where she studied graphic design. Some of her inspirations come from Ukiyo-e (a style of Japanese woodblock print and painting from the Edo period), stencil art, and pre-war era children’s books. She has won many awards in Canada and the United States and was a finalist for the 2011 Governor General’s Literary Award. Her work was most recently exhibited in Taipei, Taiwan at the International Design House Exhibition.

Sin and Swoon, a folk-roots band currently based in Montreal, is made up of Michael James O’Brien and Michelle Tompkins, originally from Ottawa Valley and Antigonish (Nova Scotia), respectively. In April 2015, Sin and Swoon released their first album, Did I Turn the Oven Off? O’Brien and Tompkins perform throughout Canada as Sin and Swoon and have also backed-up several popular Montreal acts, including Patrick Watson, The Barr Brothers, Plants and Animals, and Thus Owls.

This “Classic Folk Sing-Along Songs” collection brings classic children’s songs to life through picture books and their accompanied recordings and videos. Be captivated by Casson’s illustrations and swept away by Sin and Swoon’s smooth and comforting vocals!