CD: The Tommy Tomato Songbook
The Tommy Tomato CD came out in 2005 and was met with considerable critical acclaim. The songs have become firm favourites with teachers and children wherever they are sung. Here you can read press reviews and the reactions of teachers to the CD, and download a couple of sample tracks (See below underlined).
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If you’d like to buy this album as a download for £5.00 (plus vat) please click here |
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Buy The Tommy Tomato Songbook CD for £10 plus £1.50p postage and packing in the UK.
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- Sanibonani
- The Pet Shop
- Boing
- If It’s In Your Heart
- Yakety Yak
- It’s Nothing to Do With Me
- Tommy Tomato
- Lungs Can’t Take It
- I’ve Got A Cold
- Big Old Sun
- What Your Heart Is Telling You
- Lazy Bee
- One Dollar Robot
- All Fall Down
- Where Do You Go?
- Sorry
- Don’t Forget Your Hat
- Ship On The Ocean
- I Go Africa
- Goodbye To You
If you’d like sheet music for any of Tommy Tomato Songbook songs please email Mike at webenquiries@mikereinstein.co.uk
Press Reviews
…the CD is a stimulating and, above all, enjoyable collection of songs that will instantly become favourites in the classroom, with mainstream as well as those with learning difficulties… There are songs on communication, the environment, health but all have in common a freshness and directness of approach and lots of scope for having fun…It is the musical quality of this resource that makes it such a delight….
Jo Glover, Primary Music Today
…these songs are infectiously singable and will be welcome in any primary classroom. Some clearly derive from recognisable school scenarios – saying sorry, taking responsibility, saying goodbye to friends. Others are matters of pure enjoyment, of taking pleasure in sung sounds and friendly feelings blended together…there is something here for every mood…
Tom Deveson, Music Teacher
Teachers' Reactions
This morning I brought together 50 children from 3 primary schools in Enfield to Waverley School (a school for children with profound and multiple learning difficulties) to join in with children there for a joint Enfield Sings session, and opening it was Sanibonani. It was a wonderful way to get everyone singing and saying hallo.
Tommy’s songs shine - they are a fantastic resource and really appeal to all ages and abilities. Ship On The Ocean - this song was the children’s favourite at Waverley School - they just couldn’t wait for the glug glug glug bit! Sanibonani - this song works anytime, any place, anywhere....
I got back an evaluation of the Enfield Sings project at Waverley - for one of their children: ‘Emma quietens every day to Sanibonai - it stops her crying.’
Mea Jenkins, Enfield Arts Support Service
Staff and children are really enjoying The Tommy Tomato Songbook. We find it very accessible both for staff and children alike. Staff soon find that the children pick up the songs very quickly and can use the backing tracks without any problem. All the tracks on the CDs are of very high quality.
Our children come from very diverse backgrounds and with 42 different languages spoken in our school I am always on the look out for songs that will appeal to them and celebrate the wealth of similarities and differences in our cultures. They absolutely love Sanibonani and this song has encouraged a lot of sharing ‘How do You Do’ in our community languages.
If It’s In Your Heart - was sung at all assemblies during our anti-bullying awareness week and again during our Happy Birthday Childline Week. It was the perfect song to encourage children to share their worries and find help from those they know they can trust. When can we expect the next book?!!.
Thank you so much for the wonderful Tommy Tomato Songbook.
Mary Nixon, Music Co-ordinator Hazelbury Junior School, LB Enfield
Just to update you on how the Tommy songs have been going down in schools. Sanibonani is still a huge hit - I’ve used it with all 3 Music Clubs and in 11 schools now in my Songsack singing project. Other hits are: All Fall Down, I’m a Little Robot, What Your Heart Is Telling You (Music Club children loved to dance to this)
Both my kids love the CDs (ages 8 and 3) and sing along in the car.
Kim Hember, Enfield Arts Support Service
I’ve started using the CD immediately with my class. Year 1 children especially liked All Fall Down, Tommy Tomato and Lazy Bee. We shared the new songs they had learned in a key stage assembly. I am hoping to teach Big Old Sun at singing assembly this week. Thanks for the fresh inspiration.
Catherine Sadler, Cuckoo Hall School
I have used Sanibonani, Boing and All Fall Down with both KS1 and KS2 children, and It’s Nothing To Do With Me with KS2 children...The children like the songs and so do the staff. Apart from singing the songs with the children I like to play unfamiliar ones to them as they come into assembly. I then project the lyrics onto a screen and use them as the basis of my assembly; they cover a useful and wide range of subjects.
I will make the most of your book and CDs and will continue to encourage my colleagues to do the same.
Colin Hornsey, Garfield Primary School, LB Enfield
Just to say how much the children in my school have enjoyed the songs in your songbook especially Sanibonai. This is definitely their favourite judging by the reaction on our cultural afternoon of activities held at our school which involved the whole of our school as well as 4 other mainstream schools. The rendition of Sanibonani was an instant success where the entire audience was able to join in with ease and a considerable amount of enjoyment. Since then I have received numerous requests from a number of pupils who not only want to hear it again and again but have also asked to tape it for use at home! In fact, one wet play time when the children were becoming rather bored, the whole mood changed when we started playing Sanibonani in class and despite hearing the song about 10 times we couldn’t get enough of it!!
When is the next songbook coming out?!!
Robin Griffith, Music Co-ordinator Durrants School (LB Enfield)
for children with moderate learning difficulties
Sorry is a fantastic discussion starter for circle time to explore the issue of ‘changing our ways’ rather than simply saying sorry and doing it again. Yakety Yak is an interesting song about the squabbles that occur in every school playground daily! It has a final line about the need to talk things through rather than fighting which every teacher wil echo.
I Go Africa has been sung with the country names changed to represent children in the clas. For example, Lan goes to Vietnam. Sanibonani is a great song and so easy to learn. Children say hello and shake hands whilst learning a little of the Zulu language.
Literacy/general vocabulary/naming is enhanced by learning the words of the songs. Children who have Autistic Spectrum disorders and no speech begin to make sounds and do actions which means that they are communicating. One boy puts up his arms and drops them to the floor in the song All Fall Down indicating that he is making a connection with the words of the song and has some understanding that the actions go alongside - major points for autistic children.
Many of the songs can be used either to calm a group/individual or to create an upbeat mood. The Goodbye To You track without the lyrics is a signal for one class to begin to put their coats on at the end of the day. The autistic children in this group now recognise that the change in the music from vocals to no vocals signals a change in what they do.
Don’t Forget Your Hat is an excellent song with a catchy tune and a chorus that’s almost a chant. SEN children often have not graspedthe concept of what is appropriate to wear in different weather and this is a perfect way to reinforce the idea.
Physiotherapy/co-ordination/gross and fine motor skills - On Ship on The Ocean children are encouraged to raise their arms high above their heads giving them a stretch - this is used to full advantage and is part the physiotherapy programme for at least 2 of our pupils currently. All Fall Down is another example of the use of the songs in supporting our pupils with poor co-ordination and is an excellent assessment tool for staff also. By watching the children performing it you can see who is finding it difficult.
Diane Wilcox, Assistant Head Teacher/ Head of the Primary Department Oaktree School
for children with Complex Needs, LB Enfield