Celebrating 50 years of fun, Disney publishes two new Schoolhouse Rock books!

If you were able to sing the preamble to the constitution for U.S. History class, if everyone in your English class knew what a conjunction was long before it was taught in school, if you knew that three is a magic number, you probably saw Schoolhouse Rock. It’s hard to believe we are celebrating 50 years of those amazing musical shorts which are still relevant today. Those songs left a lasting impression upon generations of fans and if you loved those little slices of magic between your favorite Saturday morning cartoons, you need these two books!

Disney through it’s Hyperion Avenue publishing arm has put out two new books to celebrate these wonderful 50 years. One is an update of a classic – Schoolhouse Rock: The Updated Official Guide, and the other is brand new – Art of Coloring: Schoolhouse Rock. The updated guide is very similar to the original but now includes songs from Money Rock. Earth Rock and Scooter Computer and Mr. Chips are not included in this selection. Earth Rock was probably not included because it was not made with original creator Tom Yohe and did not air until after his passing. As for Scooter Computer, technology has changed so rapidly those songs are no longer relevant in the way their counterparts still are even after 50 years.

What makes the official guide so worthwhile are the fascinating insights and trivia given for each song. For instance, did you know “Elementary, My Dear” did not originally feature Noah and the ark? I can’t imagine that song without it now! Or that Three-Ring Government was made but not aired for several years out of concern it might offend some politicians? Mostly, of course, you’ll love this book because it features the art from the series as well as ALL THE LYRICS (which you probably already know). But if you’re a fan, you’ll just want it to cherish those memories of years long ago.

Title: Schoolhouse Rock: The Updated Official Guide
Author: Tom Yohe and George Newall
Cost: $17.99
Publisher: Hyperion Avenue (an imprint of Buena Vista Books)
Ages: All ages!
Genre: Animation / history / retrospective

As for the coloring book, the art from Schoolhouse Rock is perfect for coloring! So often, these tribute coloring books feature images just too difficult to color well – either for adults or children. But this one is perfect! Nice solid images of your favorites with enough space to fit a crayon in those spaces and to be creative by going off-script and creating your own visual imagery. Makes for a fun day of coloring – either on your own or with your family. Everyone’s sure to find an image they want to put their own stamp on! If you’re a fan of Schoolhouse Rock, you’ll definitely want these treasures.

Title: Art of Coloring: Schoolhouse Rock
Author: Disney (with introduction from Tom Yohe and George Newall
Cost: $15.99
Publisher: Hyperion Avenue (an imprint of Buena Vista Books)
Ages: All ages!
Genre: Coloring book

Thanks to Disney Publishing for review copies of each. All opinions are my own.