Accents & Kids Books: Top Ten {Tuesday}

Sometime in between my shy elementary school years, my awkward middle school years and now too-old-and-decrepit-to-do-anything-fun years, I used to be an actress. OK, I wasn’t like a great actress. But I was in a {really great} play in college, I did a few church plays and every week played a character for a skit in children’s church (Usually a boy. Why did I always have to be the boy?!). Once I even played a princess at a week long kids’ program at our church and the local news came out to film us…of course, a story about pigs took our place. But still! I was acting to a camera!

And in all that, I used to do some pretty decent accents.

Of course being from Georgia, I can do all forms of southern accents–the redneck, the genteel socialite, the hick and the southern belle. And if you didn’t know, Southern accents and British accents are connected so I can do a fair impersonation of the King’s English.

The only time my inner actress comes out is when I’m reading books to the kids. And because I finally went to the library and paid my double digit late fee, I thought I’d share with you my

FAVORITE KIDS BOOKS TO READ WITH A REALLY FANTASTIC ACCENT!

1. Sixteen Cows

We got this one at the library today and I loved it from the first sentence. You can’t help but slip into your best country western drawl with this one. The names of the sixteen cows are mooosic to my ears: Mudskipper! Sassafrass! Mazie Bell! Honeydew! Suzy Q! I practically want to read this one to myself for fun!

2. Skippyjon Jones

Come on, you get to say “Chiuahua Cheese and Crackers” and “bumblebeeto bandito”. How can you not break out a Hispanic accent with that? And my Mama June Bug Jones leans heavily into Alfre Woodard in Heart and Souls.

3. Ten-Gallon Bart

I think I like this one a smidge more than Skippyjon Jones. It’s about the sheriff of Dog City and his friends–Miss Kitty (a cat), Buffalo Gal (a buffalo), Wild Bill Hiccup and Wyatt Burp (twin pigs) and Billy the Kid (a goat). How much do you love that?! It is SO funny.

We read the third one, Ten-Gallon Bart Beats the Heat where Bart goes to Alaska. And oh, if I could do a good Alaskan accent it would be perfect!

4. Miss Spider’s Tea Party

This is one of the first picture books I ever bought for Lydia. And I bought it at a library for 10 cents. All the pages are half torn, the cover is coming off but I just love the story! It’s all rhyme and counts up to 12. There are only a few “voices” in it–buzzing bees, a platoon of ants and a squeaky moth. But my favorite is to let Miss Spider, a gracious tea-party loving hostess be as sugary and sweet tea as anyone from Georgia could ever be.

5. How I Became a Pirate

I just read this book to Becky‘s kindergarten class for Read Across America. She said I was the best reader of the day! And I owe it all to my pirate accents! I can’t help it–the captain Braid Beard in this book is just so fun and written so wonderfully! He says things like, “Down the hatch, me hearties!” and “Pirates don’t tuck!”. Plus “scurvy dog”. Tell me you aren’t doing an accent in your head!

This is also one of our favorite books because Staci gave it to me at Asa’s shower and all my friends and family signed it for him!

6. I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato (Charlie & Lola)

My mom gave me this book when Lydia was a baby because I WILL NEVER NOT EVER EAT A TOMATO. *shudder* Lydia loved this book more than any other. I remember on our flight to California when she was like 9 months old, I read it to her 12 times in a row and she never got tired of it. I didn’t do my British accent on the plane, of course. But at home–I’m not afraid!

7. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type

OK, so Moo and Quack aren’t accents. But if I don’t do a REAL “moo” or “quack”, my kids are on me! Moo is pronounced, “Mooooooooo!” and Quack is at least a 3 syllable word. And don’t even get me started on Thump, Quack, Moo.

8. Harry Potter Audio Collection

Well, I can’t really do all the accents for the eleventybillion characters in these books. But Jim Dale can. And he does! I’ve never heard so many dialects come from one man. He’s simply amazing. If you’re into accents, he’s the best to try to imitate. Not that I ever have, of course.

9. {I’m stumped. All the kids books are upstairs. Can I get back to you on this one?}

10. Which book makes your inner actor shine?

Link up your Top Ten list and join in the Top Ten {Tuesday} fun! All you have to do is WRITE a top ten list, PASTE it  below, LINK back to me in your post & then start LOVIN’ on the rest of the participants with facebook likes, stumbles, comments and tweets! For better and more succinct guidelines see my Top Ten {Tuesday} page!

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