Shoofly Volume 5, Number 3 (CD) (An Audio Magazine for Children)

Edited/produced by Arlene Furman & Jack Nestor
Shoofly, Inc. (2008)
ISBN 9781887066563
Reviewed by Cayden (age 4) and Max (age 2) Aures and Mom for Reader Views (6/08)


“Shoofly” is an audiomagazine geared for young children age three to seven.  This particular CD, “Volume 5, Number 3,” has 19 different selections including poetry, songs, and stories.  Among some of the selections are “Turtle Soup” which tells the story of a little girl’s attempt to save a turtle from being eaten at a feast and “Buster’s Great Flight” which is a story about a calf who can fly.  The CD also includes songs, four of which are performed by musical guest Chris Frank who is a member of the Red Clay Ramblers including “Polly Wolly Doodle” and “The Fox.”

Cayden:  “I liked the rollercoaster one!  ‘Chiggetty, Whoosh’!  We just went on a rollercoaster at the carnival!”
Max:  “Whoosh!  Whoosh!” 

Cayden:  “I like the story with the kid with red hair and the funny name in the swamp.  The one where they say that the gator would get him!”  (Mango Shane, “The Boondocks”)

Cayden:  “My favorite song is the ‘Fishball’ one because it is so funny!!”  As he sings, “One fishball!  One fishball!”
Max:  “Fishball!”

Cayden:  “I like the ‘Polly Wolly Doodle’ song too!  That was fun to sing!
Max: Sings “Polly Wolly”

Parent’s comments:

“Shoofly” is a very unique offering for young children.  Before this review I had never heard of this audiomagazine.  According to the literature that I received with the CD, the first issue was published in 1994.  Five years later however, Arlene suffered a severe health setback which put the publication on the backburner.  Seven years later the magazine was started back up again.

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