Ways to Play

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If you already own Monty Harper's Great Green Squishy Mean Concert CD, then you know how interactive the songs are. Perhaps you've even been singing along with the audience!

Now you can move and play along as well! This page is popping with ideas to help you squeeze every drop of fun out of your new CD. Enjoy!

Table of Contents
Frog Song Learn the motions. Hanging Out With Heroes at the Library Challenge yourself with extra verses. Listen to alternate versions. Write your own verses. Pop Up Sit Down Challenge yourself with alternate versions. Find the opposites. Play the game without the music.	You're a Dinosaur Dance like a dinosaur. Big Red Fire Truck Make your own kazoo. The Legend of Old Rip Check out the story behind the song. See Monty in a documentary video. XM Satellite Radio Request Monty on XM Kids.

Frog Song On the CD you hear the audience shouting their parts, but you can't see them! Here are the motions that go along with this song. Monty's part is on the left; your response is on the right. Each action is described in two parts, which happen on beats one and three. Don't worry, it's very easy to do!
He said, “I love you.”	"Yeah," (Raise your hand in the air.) Right!" (Bring your hand down in front of you as if waving someone away.)
And then he kissed her.	"Ew," (Wipe your mouth with one hand.) "Yuck!" (Flip your hand out to the side as if flinging the kiss away.)
And so she shoved him!	"Back," (Put both hands in front of you, palms out.) "Off!" (Push both hands up and away. Don't push your neighbor!)
And then she left him.	"Good" (Bend your arm over your head to start a wave.) "Bye!" (Straighten your arm, waving your hand in an arch over your head.)
He cried his eyes out.	"Boo," (Rub a fist in each eye as if crying.) "Hoo!" (Repeat.)
Then he went searching.	"Yoo" (Look to the left with your hand shading your eyes.) "Hoo!" (Turn your head to the right.)
He found another.	"Hel-" (Wiggle your eyebrows up and down.) "lo!" (Repeat.)
That's it! Have fun!

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Hanging Out With Heroes at the Library Of course the idea with this song is to guess the name of the hero before the end of each verse. By now you probably know all the answers, so look below for a few extra verses to give you a challenge.

You can hear two alternate versions of this song by putting your CD into a personal computer. Just use a web browser to open the file named "OpenMe.html."

You'll also find an instruments-only version of this song which you can use to write your own verses! If you write one, send it to us and we'll put it here for everyone to enjoy!

Feel free to burn the extra songs to CD or put them on your iPod for your own use and convenience.

Now here are those extra verses! He's a noble-hearted canine and an old cowhand. He gets no appreciation for protecting his land. As the head of ranch security his life's on the line. Sneaking up and jumping on a porcupine. When something goes awry, he's the cowdog to thank. Trackin' trouble at the library with good ol' ?! He could fell a dozen trees with a swing of his ax. He was the undisputed champion of the lumberjacks. He dug the whole Grand Canyon by himself - no sweat. He kept a giant blue ox named Babe for a pet. He ran his logging operation on the banks of the Onion Clear some timber at the library with ?. He was raised in the desert by a coyote pack. He could lasso up a cyclone and float on its back. His Widowmaker horse, no one else would ride 'Til ol' Sloo-Foot Sue was to be his bride. She got bounced to the moon, so he howls at it still. Become a cowboy at the library with ?. This mighty pioneer never carried a gun. He was friendly and helpful to everyone. He wore a pot for a hat and he followed the breeze. And everywhere he went he planted apple trees. He was thankful for the liberty to do a good deed. At the library walk with ?. She worked hard to help her family as a young pioneer when they came by covered wagon to the new frontier. She was a little half pint to her fiddle playing pa But she grew to be a teacher and a writer and a ma. Her name was Laura Ingalls and her sister was Mary. Check out the whole series: ?. When Merlin taught him the ways of the world he turned this boy into a fish and a bird. No one ever dreamed that Wart would take the throne until the young king pulled the sword from the stone. His Round Table knights used might for right. Find ? in the library and join in the fight. This poor sooty girl had to do all the work for her two stepsisters. What a couple of jerks! Then her fairy godmother made a transformation. At the prince's ball she was a big sensation. A glass slipper made her known to her fella. Find true love at the library with ?. This princess hates doing needlework. She'd rather learn magic or read a book. When she hears she has to marry a boring prince, she volunteers instead to be a dragon's princess. She helps Kazul become the dragon king. Melt some wizards at the library with ?. He dresses in green from head to toe. He's the best you've ever seen with an arrow and bow. He's the leader of a band of merry men, running from the sheriff of Nodingham. They rob from the selfish and give to the good. You can hide out at the library with ?. She's a talented arachnid; she can read and write. Her very best friend nearly lost his life. She was a super spinner, but she wasn't very strong, so she used her brain to save her friend from harm. This spider is a hero of stupendous quality! I love hanging round with ? at the library! He's the reason all the criminals in Idaville can be found downtown at the county jail. Put a quarter on his can, he'll be your private sleuth. He always sees the clues he needs to get to the truth, and this ten-year-old detective really loves to read. Uncover ? at the library! --- The following verse was written by David and Jenny Heitler-Klevans, who are Two of a Kind at http://www.twoofakind.com/ She knew she was having a very strange day when they used flamingoes to play croquet. She got confused by Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee. The Mad Hatter asked her to have some tea. She barely escaped from the Queen of Hearts' palace. Find a wonderland of reading with a girl named ?! --- The following two verses were written by students at Pretty Prairie Grade School in Pretty Prairie, KS during one of Monty's workshops. He's a brave little fellow with furry ears. Cats and vacuum cleaners are his fears. He made himself a helmet from a ping pong ball. He races his cycle up and down the hall. A hole in the wall is his only house. Take a ride to the library with ?! He likes to sing loud and sing off key. He wears a flowered shirt from Wakiki. He's been known to surf on a piece of ice. He has several friends who are boring and nice, but this little penguin is exceedingly wacky. You'll find him at the library; his name is ?!

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Pop Up Sit Down This song is a listening game. It's very simple - when Monty says "pop up" you stand up and when he says "sit down" you sit down. (If you're in the car you can just raise and lower your arms.) But Monty gets tricky with words like "pop tart" and "pop a wheelie!" By now you probably know all the tricks, so we've provided you with three alternate versions of this song. You can find them by putting your CD into a personal computer. Just use a web browser to open the file named "OpenMe.html."

Feel free to burn the extra songs to CD or put them on your iPod for your own use and convenience. It's tough to tell which version you're listening to, so once you have them all on one CD you can add to the fun by using random play, making it even harder to know what's coming up.

Here's another game you can play with this song: count the pairs of opposites. The lyric contains many sets of opposite words. See who in your family can find the most!

You can play "Pop Up Sit Down" without the music. It works kind of like Simon Says. An older child or adult can be the leader. First the leader begins a clapping rhythm. Clap your hands and slap your legs to any regular beat. Every eighth beat say either "pop up" or "sit down." Like this: 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 pop up 2 3 4 1 2 3 sit down 2 3 4 1 2 3 pop up 2 3 4 1 2 3 sit down... etc. (Count the numbers in your head.) Once the group is good at following this, the leader begins to play tricks. There are several things you can do: - Double the time. That is, say pop up and sit down every four beats instead of every eight. Like this: 1 2 3 pop up 2 3 sit down 2 3 pop up 23 sit down. Then go back to the regular time. - Skip a beat. Instead of saying "sit down" where expected, wait, and see if anyone sits down anyway. Like this: 1 2 3 pop up 2 3 sit down 2 3 pop up 2 3 4 1 2 3 4... - Say the wrong word. Use any word you want, but if it starts with "pop" that makes it easier to fool the group. Here are some suggestions: pop tart, pop music, popsicle, pop a wheelie, Papa John's Pizza, pop a bubble, pop a zit, pop goes the weasel, paparazzi, pop art. Or how about situation, sitcom, sister, or sibling instead of "sit." Take turns being the leader. It takes a little practice to be able to fool the group, but soon I'm sure you'll come up with your own techniques!

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You're a Dinosaur Each dino in this song has it's own dance step based on scientific theories of dinosaur behavior. Here are the movements (and a few theories) so you can dance along at home.
Triceratops Bop	Scientists think triceratops was territorial, and would shake his frill to warn other triceratops away from his land. To do the dance, make three horns on your head with your fingers. Stick the back of one fist to your forehead. Stick out your first two fingers and your thumb - those are the three horns. Now bob your head up and down.
Stegosaur Swing	Stegosaurs had three spikes on their tails, which they could swing at a predator for self defense. To do this dance, just swing your tail!
Hadrosaur Hoot	Hadrosaurs were a type of duckbill dinosaur. Scientists speculate that some types of Hadrosaurs may have had inflatable sacs on their snouts which they could use to make sounds, kind of like a bullfrog. Cup your hands together over your mouth and nose to form a pouch. Then pull them out slightly to expand the pouch while making a noise with your mouth and lips. We don't know what dinosaurs really sounded like, so you have to use your imagination!
Seismosaur Stomp	Seismosaurs were huge sauropods, or long-necked dinosaurs. Put your arm up over your head to make a long neck; your hand can be your little mouth at the top. Then stomp your feet slowly. Remember these dinos were big and heavy and slow.
Tyrannosaur Crunch	As you probably know, Tyrannosaurus Rex was the most fearsome meat-eating dinosaur. To do this dance, you will form a huge mouth in front of your face using your two hands. Your arms become jaws and your fingers become jagged teeth. Open wide and snap shut.

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Big Red Fire Truck A "quint" is a combination fire truck that includes an aerial ladder, ground ladders, a water tank, a pump, and a hose. In this song Monty uses a kazoo to make a siren sound for Quint, the fire truck. You can play along by making a siren sound with your own kazoo.

How to Play the Kazoo To play a kazoo you just hum into the wider end. That's it! Hum, don't blow. Your voice causes a membrane on the side of the kazoo to vibrate and that's what gives it the interesting buzzy sound. Anything that you can hum, you can play on a kazoo. Experiment - make your voice go high and low and find out where you get the best sound.

Where to Get a Kazoo A good metal kazoo is very inexpensive and can be purchased in just about any music store. You might also find them in the toy section at your favorite department store. And they can be ordered online. Just search for "kazoo"!

How to Make a Kazoo It's easy to make your own kazoo. There are many ways to do it, so here are some guidelines that you can experiment with. Start with a short hollow tube, open on both ends. Cardboard works well. You're thinking toilet paper roll now, aren't you? Those can work but they are kind of fat so it helps to pinch one end flat. If the air goes through too fast, it can be difficult to play. Some candy comes in tube-shaped containers that might work well. You can also make a tube by rolling up a piece of card stock. Experiment with rolling it at an angle so that one end has a larger opening. That's the end to hum into. Now cut a round hole into the side of your tube. The size of the hole depends on the size of the tube, but it should be relatively small. Now cover the hole with some buzzy paper. Some papers that buzz well are wax paper and tissue paper. (Not toilet tissue - the kind of tissue you might wrap a present in.) Cut a piece big enough to completely cover the hole in the side of your tube. Fasten the paper over the hole with tape, glue, rubber bands - whatever works. But don't fasten it tightly all the way around. The paper needs to have room to move so it can buzz. This is another area where you can experiment. That's it. Now hum into the larger end of the tube and see what kind of sound you get!

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The Legend of Old Rip This song is based on a true story! All the events in the song actually happened, according to some. Whether a horned lizard could really survive for thirty one years inside the cornerstone of a building is up to you to decide.

Here is a summary of the legend: "The story began in 1897, when a horned lizard, the animal's proper designation, was placed in the cornerstone of the county's third courthouse. When that edifice was demolished in February 1928 to make way for the current Art Deco model, the cornerstone was opened. "According to published accounts, a crowd of three thousand showed up to see the opening of the old building's time capsule. Much to everyone's surprise, when the marble box was opened the interred lizard was still alive (!?) 31 years later. "Despite skeptics who questioned how the critter could have survived, the lizard was dubbed Old Rip (after Rip Van Winkle) and became an instant celebrity. Town folks took him on a tour of the nation that included a stop in Washington D.C. to meet President Calvin Coolidge. " - from the Eastland County Texas Community Network.

Here are a couple of other Old Rip links. Texas Twisted Texas Monthly

Old Rip, the Movie! Toad Spotting is a documentary about Old Rip featuring Monty's performance of "The Legend of Old Rip" at the horny toad festival in downtown Eastland, Texas, right on the steps to the courthouse where Old Rip himself now resides. On the Toad Spotting website you can watch a movie trailer which includes a good portion of Monty's performance.

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Monty on XMKids! Hey, are you a fan of "The Animal Farm" with Kenny Curtis? Absolutely Mindy? Jinx Blog? We are too! We think it's fantastic that XMKids takes requests from all across the nation. It's the ultimate interactive children's music extravaganza! You can hear songs from The Great Green Squishy Mean Bibliovore on XMKids. All you have to do is ask. Below is some advice on making a request. Of course you can use it to request any of your favorite songs by any of your favorite children's artists!

Phone In The number to dial is: 1 866 328 2345 Program this number into your cell phone so you can call from your car, if that's where you listen. Also, that way it's convenient to re-dial. The best time to call is when they are asking for calls. The phone number will come up on your XM Radio display. When you call, the phone will ring for a long time. Then you'll hear Kenny's humorous answering machine message. Speak slowly and clearly. Tell them your name, age, city, state, what song you want to hear and who it's by. On the other hand, you don't have to settle for leaving a message. If you hang up and dial again, and keep trying, you will eventually get through. After you make a connection you'll probably have to wait for a while until the DJ can talk. You'll hear everything that's happening on the air through your telephone. Turn the volume on your own radio down so you won't cause any feedback. When you talk to the DJ, you might get to be on the air, or you might not. Either way, they are friendly and fun to talk to. They'll ask your name, age, where you're from and what song you want. If it's Mindy, who knows what she'll ask you! The other day she wanted to know what to do with some dead shrimp!

Send it by Email You can also email your requests to . Make sure you include your name, age, city, state, the song you want, and who it's by. If you want to get really creative, you can suggest a K-Kluster. A K-Kluster is three songs with something in common. If you can think of two other songs you've heard on XM Kids that would match with one of the songs on The Great Green Squishy Mean Concert CD, then you can request all three as a K-Kluster. If you listen in the afternoons, visit Absolutely Mindy's website and click on "Ask Mindy" to make your request. She'll receive your email in the form of a message in a milk bottle, which just shows up in her bathtub! Be sure not to leave any milk in it or you'll make her grumpy.

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