Chicken Joe

To continue the thread I had going about names, I came across a great little book at the library the other day. It’s really a song performed by one of my favorite musical duos, Trout Fishing in America. And now I find that the song has become a book!

My Name is Chicken Joe, songs by Trout Fishing in America – (Ezra Idlet and Keith Grimwood). Illustrated by Stephane Jorisch. A storybook CD published by Folle Avoine Productions in 2009.

The title song, Chicken Joe is about unlikely names. What do names really mean? Chicken Joe is a cat who sleeps with the chickens when the weather gets cold. He’s not a chicken, just a cat named Chicken Joe. I never sleep with our chickens, but I sometimes dine with them.

Next comes a dog named Miss Kitty who lives in a big city. Then there’s a parakeet named King Kong who has quite a temper, and a mule named Mister.

So, do names define who we are? Do we become our names? What do others see when they hear our names? Are you happy with the name that you have? Or do you dream of something more or less exotic?

This book, My Name is Chicken Joe, is a storybook CD, which means that it comes with a CD with lots of songs on it. And the other song lyrics are included in the book.
My Best Day
I Can Dance
Something Sweet
It’s a Puzzle
Fill it Up
Why I Pack My Lunch
La La Land
Boiled Okra and Spinach
Hard Ball
Count On Me

The illustrations are a little quirky, just like Trout Fishing in America. They fit quite nicely with the songs. That Chicken Joe is a pretty cool cat!

You can find out more about Trout Fishing in America at their website HERE.

Book Trailer and song by Trout Fishing in America —

What’s behind YOUR name?
Rhythm

Almost —

Yesterday, Saturday March 9, was my buddy Walker’s birthday! Birthday # 6! He had a big day playing with his brothers who he hadn’t seen in a long time. They were all prison dogs together when they were wee lads and Guide Dog Pups in Training.

This is the 3 of them enjoying their birthday Frosty Paws. My Mom Person always makes us Frosty Paws for our birthdays. That’s Walker on the right. With Honor and Challenger. I’m almost going to have a birthday. In December. Almost.

It’s also Spring Break time here, which means no school for awhile. I miss school when we don’t go, but if it’s Spring Break then that means that Spring is almost here. Which means that Summer is almost here. Which means that it’s almost warm enough to swim in the river. Almost is such a funny word. It means soooo close, yet soooo far. Like almost dinner time. Close enough to smell it and taste it. But not quite.

We read a book called Almost. A cute book about a little boy who is almost 6 years old. (Just like Walker!) Almost is by Richard Torrey and was published by Harper Collins Children’s Books in 2009.

Look at that cute little guy on the cover! His name is Jack. He’s almost big enough to reach those apples. I know that feeling. I’m almost big enough to reach those cookies on the counter. If the Mom Person puts them just a little bit closer, I can!  Anyway, Jack is almost 6 and in this book he talks about all the ways that he is almost grown up.

He can almost wear his big brother’s clothes. He can almost build a real robot. He almost hit a home run in his ball game. He’s almost never afraid of the dark. It’s all ALMOST, but not quite. And I know how hard that can be!!

I really like this book. The illustrations are excellent. Lots of emotion on every page. It’s an easy read with only about 125 words. And it has a cute dog in it! I think that any little tyke waiting for a birthday will like this book!

So head over to the library and check it out!

And I’ll leave you with a Happy Birthday song from Trout Fishing In America! One of my favorite bands!