See what’s coming from The Secret Mountain to the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and South East Asia in the new year, from new releases to favourites from our catalogue. To stay informed about future releases, sign up for our newsletter.
Songs on the Vanilla Trail
An enchanting collection of 25 traditional songs that pay homage to the rich cultural heritage and multilingual communities of East and Southern Africa. Mixed musical styles unique to each region demonstrate how these communities embraced new cultures and horizons. A wide array of styles—skipping rope songs from Mozambique, lullabies from South Africa, counting songs from Réunion, and traditional dance tunes from Madagascar—are all performed exquisitely by local musicians in more than a dozen languages and dialects. Vibrant artwork and homegrown instruments, such as the tube zither, kayamb, bobre, segakordeon, and ravanne drums round off this wonderful celebration of history, language, and culture.
Lyrics appear transcribed in their original language and translated to English, followed by a map of East and Southern Africa and extensive notes describing the cultural background of each song. The musical picture book is accompanied by 25 songs, available on all major streaming platforms. A free teaching guide and activity sheets can be downloaded here.
An extraordinary collection of traditional nursery rhymes and lullabies in Spanish originating from Latin America that have withstood the test of time. Warm, colourful illustrations with earth-toned backgrounds provide the setting for this endearing repertoire of family-friendly songs from 17 different countries. Solid musicianship supporting lively vocal performances transport the young listener into a playful, fanciful world inhabited by singing frogs and dancing skeletons!
In West Africa, a magnificent baobab presides over a village beset with a terrible drought. A long, long time ago, when the stars were still babies, the tree fell in love with the earth. As it buried its roots deep in the earth’s heart, the sun grew jealous. The sun shone and shone, until lakes and rivers flew away and even its own heart dried up and disappeared. At the centre of this tale is Amondo, son of the baobab, known as “The One Who Unites.” Only he can restore hope to the villagers by freeing the water from the spell cast by the sun. But in order to succeed, he must complete four difficult tasks…
This play, followed by seven songs, transports readers to the extraordinary world of African folklore, to a time when the moon, trees and animals spoke to humankind.
Mama and Papa Poss continue their musical odyssey on a boat bound for New Orleans. As they make their way down the Mississippi, a sudden hurricane tosses one of the passengers overboard. Papa Poss jumps to the rescue, pulling none other than Louis Catstrong out of the crashing waves. In thanks, the famous feline trumpet player takes the duo to his club in the French Quarter, where a group of cool cats are scratching up a new kind of music. Take a trip to the Big Easy in this swinging and scatting tale that pays homage to the city that invented jazz!
Ira and Isabelle live in a tiny red house by the sea. One night, to escape the sound of the city’s beeping cars, they sail to a faraway land. When they arrive, they learn from a new friend—a robin with a soft voice—that dreams really can come true. This musical picture book includes the narrated story as well as 10 original heartwarming songs and an ethereal rendition of Johannes Brahms' classic “Cradle Song.”
Awaken children’s vocabularies with this sunny collection of folk-pop songs. These upbeat melodies and accessible lyrics were written to help budding language learners discover how to share their feelings, hopes, and dreams. The picture book features the illustrated lyrics of each song, followed by activity ideas for teaching English.
Discover 10 delightful, lighthearted sing-along songs about funny, irresistible animal characters, including cuddly cats and dogs who just want to be your friend, even on a rainy day!
Mama and Papa Possum tell the story of how they first met and where their glory days as a musical duo began! Take a trip to the bayou in this side-splitting, toe-tapping tale that pays homage to Louisiana’s Cajun and Zydeco music traditions. The first story from a series that follows these two plucky marsupials on travels that bring them to the birthplaces of Cajun, jazz, country, rock’n’roll, blues, and traditional Quebecois music. At the end of each book, explanatory notes delve into the key figures, instruments and customs behind each genre.
Bertie and his buddies never get bored with each other… except for the time when it rained for four straight weeks! The journey to the faraway destination won’t be easy, but with a little help from newly made animal friends, they make it to the summit, which happens to be the best place in the whole world for a picnic! An imaginative musical tale interspersed with 18 original and traditional songs.
Rediscover your favourite folk songs with this endearingly offbeat rendering of six classics: “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain,” “Little Bingo,” “This Old Man,” “Pop Goes the Weasel,” “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad,” and “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”
Lullabies and Nursery Rhymes from Brazil and Portugal
The music styles of samba, modinha, and fandango, not to mention a velvety smooth bossa nova, rule in this diverse 15-song collection. Spanning Lisbon to Bahia, and Porto to Rio, a range of play-time songs showcase work, play, courtship, love, and travel themes.
Discover a North African journey of traditional music from Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. This collection offers a 30-song anthology performed in Arabic and Berber, and is a grand achievement in its eclectic selection of melodies.
Songs in the Shade of the Cashew and Coconut Trees
Lullabies and Nursery Rhymes from West Africa and the Caribbean
A lively collection of 12 traditional songs that pay homage to the communities of West Africa and the Caribbean. Discover stories about children playing in the schoolyard, sisters braiding each other’s hair, and parents dancing late into the night.
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay informed about our new releases and events and for a chance to win our subscriber giveaway. To order books for your library or bookstore, please contact Hornblower Books/University of Toronto Press (Canada, United States) and MMS/BookSource (United Kingdom). For additional information, email info@thesecretmountain.com.
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Musical Picture Books Coming to the United Kingdom in 2024
See what’s coming from The Secret Mountain to the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and South East Asia in the new year, from new releases to favourites from our catalogue. To stay informed about future releases, sign up for our newsletter.
Songs on the Vanilla Trail
An enchanting collection of 25 traditional songs that pay homage to the rich cultural heritage and multilingual communities of East and Southern Africa. Mixed musical styles unique to each region demonstrate how these communities embraced new cultures and horizons. A wide array of styles—skipping rope songs from Mozambique, lullabies from South Africa, counting songs from Réunion, and traditional dance tunes from Madagascar—are all performed exquisitely by local musicians in more than a dozen languages and dialects. Vibrant artwork and homegrown instruments, such as the tube zither, kayamb, bobre, segakordeon, and ravanne drums round off this wonderful celebration of history, language, and culture.
Lyrics appear transcribed in their original language and translated to English, followed by a map of East and Southern Africa and extensive notes describing the cultural background of each song. The musical picture book is accompanied by 25 songs, available on all major streaming platforms. A free teaching guide and activity sheets can be downloaded here.
Available January 1, 2024
Bookshop | Hive | Waterstones | Amazon
The Hummingbird Sings and Dances
An extraordinary collection of traditional nursery rhymes and lullabies in Spanish originating from Latin America that have withstood the test of time. Warm, colourful illustrations with earth-toned backgrounds provide the setting for this endearing repertoire of family-friendly songs from 17 different countries. Solid musicianship supporting lively vocal performances transport the young listener into a playful, fanciful world inhabited by singing frogs and dancing skeletons!
Available January 1, 2024
Bookshop | Hive | Waterstones | Amazon
Amondo, Son of the Baobab
In West Africa, a magnificent baobab presides over a village beset with a terrible drought. A long, long time ago, when the stars were still babies, the tree fell in love with the earth. As it buried its roots deep in the earth’s heart, the sun grew jealous. The sun shone and shone, until lakes and rivers flew away and even its own heart dried up and disappeared. At the centre of this tale is Amondo, son of the baobab, known as “The One Who Unites.” Only he can restore hope to the villagers by freeing the water from the spell cast by the sun. But in order to succeed, he must complete four difficult tasks…
This play, followed by seven songs, transports readers to the extraordinary world of African folklore, to a time when the moon, trees and animals spoke to humankind.
Available April 1, 2024
Bookshop | Amazon
Glory Days in New Orleans
Mama and Papa Poss continue their musical odyssey on a boat bound for New Orleans. As they make their way down the Mississippi, a sudden hurricane tosses one of the passengers overboard. Papa Poss jumps to the rescue, pulling none other than Louis Catstrong out of the crashing waves. In thanks, the famous feline trumpet player takes the duo to his club in the French Quarter, where a group of cool cats are scratching up a new kind of music. Take a trip to the Big Easy in this swinging and scatting tale that pays homage to the city that invented jazz!
Available April 1, 2024
Bookshop | Amazon
Tomorrow Is A Chance to Start Over
Ira and Isabelle live in a tiny red house by the sea. One night, to escape the sound of the city’s beeping cars, they sail to a faraway land. When they arrive, they learn from a new friend—a robin with a soft voice—that dreams really can come true. This musical picture book includes the narrated story as well as 10 original heartwarming songs and an ethereal rendition of Johannes Brahms' classic “Cradle Song.”
Available April 1, 2024
Hive | Amazon
Free to Be Me
Awaken children’s vocabularies with this sunny collection of folk-pop songs. These upbeat melodies and accessible lyrics were written to help budding language learners discover how to share their feelings, hopes, and dreams. The picture book features the illustrated lyrics of each song, followed by activity ideas for teaching English.
Available now
Books Etc. | Bookshop | Hive | Waterstones | Amazon
It’s Raining Cats and Dogs
Discover 10 delightful, lighthearted sing-along songs about funny, irresistible animal characters, including cuddly cats and dogs who just want to be your friend, even on a rainy day!
Available now
Books Etc. | Bookshop | Hive | Waterstones | Amazon
Rockin’ Down the Bayou in Louisiana!
Mama and Papa Possum tell the story of how they first met and where their glory days as a musical duo began! Take a trip to the bayou in this side-splitting, toe-tapping tale that pays homage to Louisiana’s Cajun and Zydeco music traditions. The first story from a series that follows these two plucky marsupials on travels that bring them to the birthplaces of Cajun, jazz, country, rock’n’roll, blues, and traditional Quebecois music. At the end of each book, explanatory notes delve into the key figures, instruments and customs behind each genre.
Available now
Books Etc. | Bookshop | Hive | Waterstones | Amazon
A Picnic in the Sun
Bertie and Friends Hit the Road
Bertie and his buddies never get bored with each other… except for the time when it rained for four straight weeks! The journey to the faraway destination won’t be easy, but with a little help from newly made animal friends, they make it to the summit, which happens to be the best place in the whole world for a picnic! An imaginative musical tale interspersed with 18 original and traditional songs.
Available now
Books Etc. | Bookshop | Hive | Waterstones | Amazon
Sing Out!
Six Classic Folk Songs for Tomorrow
Rediscover your favourite folk songs with this endearingly offbeat rendering of six classics: “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain,” “Little Bingo,” “This Old Man,” “Pop Goes the Weasel,” “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad,” and “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”
Available now
Bookshop | Hive | Waterstones | Amazon
Songs from a Journey with a Parrot
Lullabies and Nursery Rhymes from Brazil and Portugal
The music styles of samba, modinha, and fandango, not to mention a velvety smooth bossa nova, rule in this diverse 15-song collection. Spanning Lisbon to Bahia, and Porto to Rio, a range of play-time songs showcase work, play, courtship, love, and travel themes.
Available now
Books Etc. | Bookshop | Hive | Waterstones | Amazon
Songs in the Shade of the Olive Tree
Lullabies and Nursery Rhymes from the Maghreb
Discover a North African journey of traditional music from Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. This collection offers a 30-song anthology performed in Arabic and Berber, and is a grand achievement in its eclectic selection of melodies.
Available now
Books Etc. | Bookshop | Hive | Waterstones | Amazon
Songs in the Shade of the Cashew and Coconut Trees
Lullabies and Nursery Rhymes from West Africa and the Caribbean
A lively collection of 12 traditional songs that pay homage to the communities of West Africa and the Caribbean. Discover stories about children playing in the schoolyard, sisters braiding each other’s hair, and parents dancing late into the night.
Available now
Books Etc. | Bookshop | Hive | Waterstones | Amazon
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Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay informed about our new releases and events and for a chance to win our subscriber giveaway. To order books for your library or bookstore, please contact Hornblower Books/University of Toronto Press (Canada, United States) and MMS/BookSource (United Kingdom). For additional information, email info@thesecretmountain.com.