Do Your Ears Hang Low?

Do Your Ears Hang Low? sung by The Topp Twins, illustrations by Jenny Cooper (Scholastic NZ)
PB RRP $16.99
ISBN 978-1-77543– 104-6
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Do Your Ears Hang Low? is a well known and very catchy song. I’m sure most people know the tune. This book version is fantastically illustrated by Jenny Cooper and features the cutest animals with amazing ears, including a sheepish looking basset hound with his ears tied in a bow, a buck toothed llama with ears standing high and a charismatic mouse who directs the action throughout.

My nine-year-old daughter read this and was immediately singing the song for days, adding her own words and flavour as she went. Kids have so much fun with the words:

   Do your ears flip-flop?
   Can you use then as a mop?

and the total silliness of the suggestions:

    Can you semaphore your neighbour
    With a minimum of labour?

The pictures are truly humorous and endearing. I especially love the cover illustration of the mouse, pulling the hound along by his ears. Cooper is brilliant at capturing animals and the expressions on their faces.

There are plenty of easy actions kids that can add to the tune as they sing-along and the interaction continues to the last page where the reader can check out their own ears on the mirror provided.
At the end are some astonishing, silly and funny facts about ears.

The accompanying CD has two tracks, one with The Topp Twins singing Do Your Ears Hang Low? and one with the instrumental version for anyone to sing along to. This book is entertaining and perfect to share with kids from pre-school age up.