Whimsical Animal Tales is a series of children songbooks I have written. Each songbook tells a fable or tale about animal adventures with a key moral or takeaway. The series is targeted to parents, grandparents, and care givers of children and is designed to provide a variety of activities (looking at pictures, listening, reading, singing, coloring, and possibly playing a musical instrument) that enhances child development and provides quality bonding time.
Whimsical Animal Tales Songbooks songs currently include:
| Story | Summery | Moral/ takeaway | Number of words | Click to view and listen |
| Why Giraffe Has a Long Neck | A stubborn stand-off stretches the giraffe’s neck and pulls the elephant’s nose into a trunk. | Resolve conflicts peacefully. | 256 | Performed by Martingale https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe5r5bdPjUo |
| Why Kangaroo Hops | A continuous case of hiccups turns a kangaroo into a champion jumper. | Overcome life’s problems. | 193 | Performed by Martingalehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd6Oa6bYKyM |
| Why Leopard Has Spots | An elephant sneezes a swarm of bees out of his trunk, leaving stung black spots on the leopard. | Be mindful of others. | 199 | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuRD5J5Qe9I |
| Why Monkey Lives in Trees | After tying a sleeping lion’s tail to a tree, a playful monkey must hide high out of reach. | Think carefully before acting | 85 | Vocal generated by Suno Ace Studio. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKJCI_SBLHA |
| Why Rooster Crows | Where force fails to awaken the sun, the rooster’s gentle crowing succeeds. | Persuasion works better than force. | 259 | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfWas71drqo Performed by Wendy Emmerson |
| Why Snake Slithers | Trying to steal apples through a picket fence, a snake gets stuck and loses his limbs while trying to pull free. | Actions have consequences. | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ANmDbmBAPI Performed by Martingale | |
| Why Turtle Lives in a Shell | A resourceful turtle converts a basic umbrella into a cozy, portable house. | Be creative with what you have. | 273 | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyye6jNp95U |
| Why Zebra Has Stripes | A plain white zebra painstakingly tries multiple designs before choosing bold black an white stripes | Take pride in your work. | 149 | Not available |
I have written a dozen additional songs that could be included. Each songbook features four helpful tracks:
- Chords Only 3 or 4 chords for beginning guitar or ukulele player to learn.
- Melody: Used for singing, playing a keyboard with a single finger, or playing with multiple fingers on a flute, clarinet, saxophone, oboe, or recorder. Because there are no hidden flats or sharps, these songs are approachable for beginners and offer a wonderful opportunity for your child to perform.
- Lyrics: Read or sing along, then chat about the words to discover the song’s key takeaway.
- Pictures illustrate the story, help non-readers understand the story.
Below is a draft of the print version of the book Why Monkey Lives in Trees which shows the book’s layout. The illustrations were generated by AI, and thus may need to be replaced by new illustrations created by a human artist.
An electric version is targeted to parents and care givers who feel comfortable with cell phones and other mobile devices. Below is a prototype of the electronic version of Why Monkey Lives in Trees which uses the static pictures from the print version as a story line. The static pictures of the print version are synchronized with a vocal rendition of the song. These static pictures will be replaced by animations.