Hotel Deep: Light Verse from Dark Water Review

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(More customer reviews)I fell in love with Oddhopper Opera and bought it before my son was even conceived. I recently discovered Hotel Deep and ordered it sight-unseen. It is yet further proof that Kurt Cyrus is a fabulous artist and a brilliant poet. This is now my 2.5-yr-old's favorite book. He asks for it by name ("Read Toe Deep?"), and goes around quoting it. His favorite page is where the lone sardine finally reunites with his school ("Sardines! Sardinessardinessardinessardines...!") But his favorite poem is the one about the stonefish. Apparently he is able to pick up on the idea of the fish pretending to be what it isn't, and he walks around saying, "Not a stonefish, no indeed!"
A young child needs to have his hand held and be shown how to appreciate these Kurt Cyrus books, but there is so much there for both him and us to enjoy. My husband and I don't get tired of reading this one!
Okay, I have to amend this review to say that my son (still 2.5) knows the ENTIRE book by heart. He can recite the whole thing one line ahead of us. He loves to point to the sardine on every page (except the deep-sea page, where he says, "Don't see sardine!" every time), and he can find and identify each of the 28 fish named and pictured on the back page of the book. Parental bragging aside, I consider this a tribute to the book's brilliance. A 2-yr-old can enter into it wholeheartedly, but as an adult I can tell you that there are fresh details that emerge every time through. My children won't outgrow this one.
Oddhopper Opera is a fun romp, but Hotel Deep is just pure art.

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Down at the Sea Hotel Review

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(More customer reviews)Down at the Sea Hotel features beautifully whimsical illustrations by Mireille Levert, inspired by the lyrics of a Greg Brown lullaby. The book alone would be worth buying, but the real gem is what's tucked inside the back cover: a 14-song CD that will be enjoyed not just by the kids, but by their parents and grandparents as well.
The songs, lesser-known lullabies written by well-known contemporary songwriters, are performed by top musicians of Red House Records. The Amazon product description for the audio CD (which can be purchased separately) has a full track listing showing all of the performers, as well as music samples.
The recording will be of special interest to fans of The Wailin' Jennys. It's the first CD with the Jennys' new lineup, which now includes Heather Masse (the group's third alto) and instrumentalist Jeremy Penner, who in early 2007 joined the founding members, soprano Ruth Moody and mezzo Nicky Mehta.
Even in an album full of lovely songs, the two performed by the Jennys stand out. With sparse, beautifully arranged instrumentation, the vocals shine. Masse sings lead on Neil Young's "Barefoot Floors," while Mehta takes the lead on "Trick Rider" by Gord Downie. Both songs feature the Jennys' signature exquisite harmonies. The Jennys also join all of the other singers on the opening and closing cuts. The closing, "Nothing But a Child" by Steve Earle, may well be the prettiest Christmas song you'll hear the entire holiday season.
The project is dedicated to the memory of Bob Feldman, the well-beloved founder of Red House Records. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Breast Cancer Fund, an organization dedicated to eliminating the environmental causes of breast cancer.
So what you have here is a delightful little book, plus a CD full of gorgeous music for kids and adults alike, all supporting a good cause. How can you miss with that?

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A gaggle of stellar singers and musicians from Minnesota's roots-rock label Red House Records convened to record quiet songs written by the likes of Nanci Griffith, Tom Waits, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Neil Young, Billy Joel, Carole King, Bruce Cockburn, Jesse Winchester, Don Henley, and Steve Earle. Mireille Levert's amusingly fantastical illustrations focus on the whimsical title track penned by Greg Brown and performed by all of the singers. The whole project has a warm, rich, soulful sound.

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