We first heard this album back in 2001 when Abby's preschool class at Dodge Nature Center learned to sign the call and response song "Did You Feed My Cow?" It was very funny because it seemed to key into the preschooler's inate dark humor as they sang "flap flap flap" for the vultures. You'll never hear Barney singing about vultures, but Abby and her classmates loved it.
Originally released in 1966, this CD has been Ella Jenkin's most popular release in her phenomenal 50 year career. As one of the first performers to bring interactive folk performances to schoolchildren, Ella revolutionized kids music and helped build a foundation for almost all of today's children's music as well as the Folkways record label itself, which her album sales helped to build and sustain. The album is multiculture, interactive, and fun. And, if you're having a glum day, a quick whistle of the title track is almost guaranteed to turn it around.
Ella is now performing for a third and fourth generation of children, an accomplishment equaled only by Pete Seeger. And, if you happened to see the 2004 Grammy awards, you would have seen Ella lead her sequined audiance in a sing along of "Did You Feed My Cow".
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