Mike's Library

Sing-A-Song Playerbook [With 8 Note Xylophone Included]

See, Sam (tunes and verses selected and arranged by)

Springfield MA: McLoughlin Brothers, 1938.

Illustrated by Corinne Malvern illustrations. Spiral-bound. Very Good- with no dust jacket. Item #12083

Wear to spiral holes on covers, toned, 1/2" peel on pages 4/5 Mary Had A Little Lamb, pitting to xylophone keys, edgewear, notations on first song, otherwise light wear. Solid spiral-bound hardcover. ; Sixteen songs with illustrations, music and numerical scores for the xylophone. Xylophone and its uncommon mallet are both present. "An unusual example of a McLoughlin item that spans the genres of books and toys is the 1938 Sing-a-Song Playerbook. It has the appearance of a book and has some reading matter and music, but it actually functions as a musical toy. The cover displays some characteristic features of McLoughlin books of the time: bright colors in a visually arresting style, color-printed illustrations, and, of course, a depiction of children having fun. Children have always liked seeing and reading about other children; grown-ups, while they have their roles in children's literature, are just too boring on their own! But this spiral-bound item - for which McLoughlin sought a patent - is more than a book. Take a look at the small xylophone that's visible though the cover. It comes complete with its own small wooden mallet for playing, which still remains with the book - a survival that's somewhat amazing some eighty years after publication. The interior pages of the book feature bright process-printed illustrations of children (generally presented in characteristic 1930s clothing), facing pages with a song and a simplified musical score, which a child could play on the xylophone in a "play-by-number" manner - and perhaps sing along to, since all the songs have lyrics." - Jeff Barton, Princeton University Cotsen Children’s Library. A delightful Thirties interactive book in nice shape. ; [34] pages.

Price: $149.95