It's hard to believe it's been nearly a decade since John Denver took
that ill-fated flight on the LONG E-Z and robbed the world of years of
his genius. I'm hoping that somehow I'll manage to get out to Aspen this
October for the tenth-anniversary event celebrating his life, his music
and the impact both have made on the world. Meanwhile, I have his songs
to enjoy, and thanks to Christopher Canyon, there are three of them that I can embrace in a whole new way.
I first discovered these books last year when I was searching for a
birthday gift for a friend of mine who happens to be a fellow John
Denver fan. When I saw Sunshine On My Shoulders, I knew I had
found a perfect present for my friend, whose disposition is as sunny as
the California skies under which she resides. This anthem of friendship
is a particular favorite of my mom; not only is it a lovely song on
which the warmth and richness of Denver's voice especially shines, but
my dad wrote the lyrics on the back of one of the first photographs he
took of her. I come from such a family of romantics...
The
book begins with a quote by Denver: "Music makes pictures and often
tells stories, all of it magic and all of it true. / and all of the
pictures and all of the stories, and all of the magic, the music is
you." This is written around a circular hole in the paper, around the
border of which are rays of sunlight. Inside the hole is the child who
is the focus of this book, along with her black cat, a mouse and a man
with a guitar, glasses and a straw hat. I assume this man is her father,
but the book never really says for sure, since its only text is the
lyrics of the song.
At any rate, this page gives us an
introduction to the characters and to the philosophy behind the series.
This verse is included in all three Canyon / Denver collaborations, both
within the book and on the accompanying CD. I like the idea it conveys,
though I find its execution to be rather annoying. The title song is
better, though I'm disappointed in the sparse piano arrangement, which
fails to capture the dappled beauty of a sunny day like the
saxophone-drenched Wildlife Concert
version, which is my favorite rendition of this song. Another nice
inclusion is sheet music for this song, which takes up the last actual
page of the book.
I really like the font of this book, which
is earthy and spreads its way through the pages in sprightly swirls. I
can't pinpoint the exact typeface, and the book doesn't tell us, but it
complements the overall 70s vibe. The lettering is light brown, to go
with all the natural tones in the illustrations, and very large, since
there are usually ten or fewer words to a page. We get lots of green and
brown in the pictures but especially yellow, with that sunshine casting
a warm glow over every illustration.
My grandma has a poster
in a guest room featuring a long-haired, wide-eyed girl playing the
guitar against a bright yellow backdrop while her cat looks on. I'm
pretty sure it's from the 70s, and the style of this book's
illustrations remind me very much of that poster, though the girl here
is much younger and has an Afro, and since she's running around in
shorts and a t-shirt with a sun on it, there's little to distinguish her
as a girl at all. It's more of an educated guess on my part, based on
the eyelashes, than an absolute certainty. But she's a charming
character, and she wanders through the book's idyllic, retro locales,
playing the guitar, enjoying the company of swamp-dwelling creatures
such as ducks and frogs, swinging in a breeze, blowing on a dandelion.
It's a book steeped in the beauty of nature, which is appropriate given
the passion of both Denver and Canyon and the mission of Dawn
Publications of "inspiring in children a deeper understanding and
appreciation for all life on Earth."
Children and adults alike
can bask in the beauty of this celebration of life's simple pleasures
written by a man who seemed to appreciate them more than most. Canyon is
a worthy collaborator, bringing Denver's words to vibrant life, and I
hope the partnership continues. There are probably dozens of Denver
songs that would make good picture books. Sunshine On My Shoulders
is especially well suited to this format, though, and if you're a
Denver fan or just an admirer of life's most uncomplicated joys, you
should have a look. This "Sunshine almost always makes me high"; hopefully it will do the same for you!
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