Tubby the Tuba

by Paul Tripp, Henry Cole (Illustrator)

Overview

For sixty years audiences have been charmed by the adventures of a tuba named Tubby. All day long, Tubby plays oompah, oompah with his orchestra, but what he really wants is to "dance with the pretty little tune." A resourceful bullfrog shows Tubby that everyone has the right to play his own melody. When the recording of Tubby the Tuba was first released, it met with instant success, and it went on to sell 13 million copies. Now these classic characters have been reimagined by Henry Cole in this stunning picture book, which comes complete with a CD of the author's performance with full orchestration. This is a musical and visual treat for a whole new generation to enjoy the world's most famous tuba.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780525477174
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	10/19/2006
Edition description:	Reissue
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	171,524
Product dimensions:	9.38(w) x 11.25(h) x 0.32(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Paul Tripp was a children's musician, author, songwriter, and actor.

Henry Cole is a self-taught artist and the beloved illustrator of more than twenty books for young readers. He lives in Wilton Manors, Florida.

Editorial Reviews

"In this…satisfying 1940s tale, a tuba that wants to play melodies rather than just oompah-ing along in the background finds unlikely inspiration. In a retro style that harks back to the story’s original era, Cole outfits the flexible-bodied instruments with human faces and limbs (though modern dress), and sends bars of music floating past at opportune moments. All in all, the story will still appeal to modern young audiences…."—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

Musical instrument characters from the classic 1940s Paul Tripp song Tubby the Tuba play their hearts out on the pages of a new picture book interpretation of the tune illustrated by Henry Cole; the book includes a CD recording of the original music, performed by the Radio Orchestra of Bratislava. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

PreS-Gr 2-Cole presents a picture-book version of this beloved composition, written by Tripp with music by George Kleinsinger, which was first recorded in 1946. Tubby the Tuba is tired of just repeating "oompah, oompah" and wants to perform a melody like the violins or the flute. That night, while sitting by the river, the unhappy tuba meets a bullfrog, who sings a beautiful tune. The next day, inspired by his new friend, Tubby enthusiastically plays the melody for the orchestra, winning the acceptance of the conductor and the other instruments. The colorful cartoons, showing an apple-cheeked Tubby clothed in a T-shirt and red sneakers, create a retro mood without looking dated. This title stands alone as a great introduction to the orchestra for children. However, reading the story while listening to the accompanying CD, which is narrated by the late author, is even better. A good choice for classroom sharing and individual reading.-Marilyn Ackerman, Brooklyn Public Library, NY Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

In this schmaltzy but satisfying 1940s tale, a tuba that wants to play melodies rather than just oompah-ing along in the background finds unlikely inspiration. Derided by his fellow instruments for being overambitious, Tubby sadly wanders off to sit on a woodland log-where he's joined by a frustrated-musician bullfrog who teaches him a simple musical passage. Returning to the orchestra pit, Tubby proceeds to win over both renowned visiting conductor Signor Pizzicato and the other instruments-whereupon, in a surreal twist, the frog reappears to make the lesson explicit: "We have our points, too, don't we?" In a retro style that harks back to the story's original era, Cole outfits the flexible-bodied instruments with human faces and limbs (though modern dress), and sends bars of music floating past at opportune moments. All in all, the story will still appeal to modern young audiences, and though Danny Kaye and Carol Channing, among others, have recorded versions of it, the publisher has chosen to include on CD the harder-to-find original, read by the lyricist/author with musical accompaniment. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews