This book is meant to be sung! Okay, you can read it if you like, but I promise you and your small children will have more fun if you sing! You say you don't know the tune? Never fear, you can find the notes in the back of the book. You don't know how to read music? You still don't have an excuse, because you can just take the CD from the back of the book and pop it into your CD player.

Not only will your preschoolers through second graders love singing along with this book, they'll get exercise too! "Down in the jungle, come if you dare! What can you see shaking here and there?" As you go into the jungle, you'll come across all sorts of animals. Each one shimmies and shakes in a different way, and you're encouraged to try for yourself. Can you swing like a monkey? How about stomp like an elephant? Leap like a leopard?

Not only does this book reinforce movement, rhyming words, and knowledge of jungle animals, but the text and illustrations act as clues to help your child figure out which animal is coming on the next page. The illustrations are bright and colorful, and they clearly show a diverse group of children playing in the jungle, which encourages children to be friends with everyone.

Our family loved this book! Even my toddler had fun be-bopping along with the CD. After we learned the tune, we took advantage of the second track on the CD and tried our hand at singing karaoke-style. The first track sings the song with you; the second plays only the music so that you can be the singing star. We definitely plan to keep this book around for quite a while!

Product review by Cindy West, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, March 2008