Sticky Situations. Chris Hamilton. Surrey, BC: Amazing Christophan Music (11839 99A Ave, V6V 2R1 or www.chrishamilton.ca), 2004. 1 Audio CD, $13.99. Preschool-grade 6 / Ages 3-11. Review by Barb Taylor. **** /4

Chris Hamilton is a talented versatile musician who has put together an incredibly fun collection of songs that children from 3-100 will enjoy. Well, maybe not “I sneezed in French Class” about sneezing and having no tissue handy– I found that a little gross though I gross out pretty easily (and yes I’ve been in that situation).

     The songs, with the exception of “Itsybalicious Spider” and “Down By The Bay,” are written by Chris, and many deal humourously with the some of the trials and tribulations of growing up. In “The Day We Tried To Shampoo Rover,” he sets the tale of washing an unwilling pet to a lively jig. Any parent who has tried to comb miscellaneous sticky stuff out of a child’s hair will be delighted by “Lily, What’s in Your Hair?” and it’s hard not to boogie to “The Loose Tooth Wiggle.” You don’t have to be young to appreciate “The Worst Place to Be,” a song about the indelicate predicament of having to use the facilities at inappropriate times.

     Chris is a very expressive singer and delivers just the right emphasis. His talents as a musician and writer show up in the variety of musical genres, blues, jazz, rock and roll, Celtic, folk and reggae that accompany his insightful lyrics.

My pet dragon is twenty feet tall
He weighs two thousand pounds
Too bad we don’t have a house any more
‘Cause he sneezed and burned it down.

Lyrics from “My Pet Dragon”

     Children and parents will want to sing along with the lyrics, and, if I have one criticism, it is that the lyrics aren’t included with the CD. They can, however, be found at Chris’ website www.chrishamilton.ca.

     Let’s hope we hear more of this high-energy artist from Thunder Bay.

Highly Recommended.

Barb Taylor is a Pre-Kindergarten teacher and freelance writer in Calgary, AB.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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