Cat Goes Fiddle-I-Fee

I enjoyed singing this to the kids! I love this book for the illustrations and the song.

My son, who recently turned two, is a big fan of farm animals. He just can't get enough of this book. As soon as we reach the end, he says "again!" I sing it to him, which he especially enjoys. Unfortunately the tune is not included in the book. I learned it from a tape of children's songs and it can also be found in printed collections of classic children's songs. The pictures are nice for toddlers - sufficiently detailed and realistic, not overly busy.

If ever you hear Paul Galdone's name brought up in a discussion of children's books, it's usually with an air of reverence. Galdone is, for many people, the man who produces those fairy tale picture books that are the go-to versions at all times. Want a classic version of The Three Bears, Cinderella, or Henny Penny? Doubtless some well meaning children's librarian will recommend him in a trice. Personally, Galdone bores me. His books, while nice and all, haven't the flavor, pep, or verve of some of the other (better) publications out there. Overall, I see Galdone as a rather dull author/illustrator. But every rule has its exceptions. In this case, the exception is, "Cat Goes Fiddle-I-Fee". If you've ever heard the tune of this song then the book will adapt perfectly to your lilting voice. This is one of those classic animal sound songs. But unlike such contemporaries as Old MacDonald, Fiddle-I-Fee is novel because some of its animals make uncouth and odd noises. The book begins with the words, "I had a cat and the cat pleased me, I fed my cat by yonder tree. Cat goes fiddle-i-fee". And we're off. Already the cat is making a sound that I've never heard come from a feline yawp. The boy who is telling this tale then feeds a hen, a duck, a goose, a sheep, and many other animals before being fed himself from grandma's picnic basket. The final parting shot is of the cat sitting in the basket laughing to the words, "And cat went fiddle-i-fee". I wouldn't go so far as to call myself a Galdone convert, but this book is great. First and foremost, there's the cat itself. The first picture of the animal shows it lapping up a bowl of milk looking very much like a real honest-to-goodness kitty. It's as if Galdone's saying, "Oh sure, I can draw realistic cats. But check THIS out". Then, for the rest of the book, the cat's gone wild. It leaps after butterflies. It laughs uproariously at the other animals it sees. For more than half the book we see the pussy as it hangs lackadaisically from a tree branch, observing the folly of the other animals below. One of the most charming elements of the book, as I alluded to before, is the odd animal sounds each barnyard creature makes. I'm willing to believe that a hen goes "chimmy-chuck, chimmy-chuck". But when a pig says, "griffy, gruffy" and a goose goes, "swishy, swashy", I begin to get confused. Still, it's these little tidbits of silliness that make the whole darn thing so doggone appealing. If you've never read a Paul Galdone picture book before, this is the place to start. It's a fine frolicsome affair that will have you singing "fiddle-i-fee" for months and months to come. A lovely little book.

It's great to have books to sing along to, and this is one of the best. The illustrations are great, the lyrics are fun, and kids of all ages enjoy the song. A great version of the song done by kids is on the CD Treblemakers ...