“Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true. Someday I’ll wish upon a star . . . .”

The Academy Award-winning song, “Over the Rainbow,” published in 1939 and immortalized by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz,” was written for the film. In 2003, the American Film Institute voted the timeless tune the number one movie song of all time. In addition, the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts named it the number one “Song of the Century.”

This beautiful picture book illustrates the Harold Arlen-Edgar Yipsel Harburg song that Judy Garland sang in the MGM film. It includes the seldom-heard [and not used in the film] introductory verse and an accompanying CD features songstress Judy Collins singing the song. [Two other songs, “White Choral Bells” and “I See the Moon” are also included on the CD.]

The hauntingly-beautiful illustrations, created by illustrator Eric Puybaret, are acrylic on linen. The exquisite pictures create a fantasy world perfect for the evocative tune.

This is a book for children of all ages; readers who know the words to the song will still find much to appreciate here; for those new to the song, this is a journey into a lovely fantasy world of joy and hope.

Highly recommended. ( )

this book is illustrated to go with the classic song “Over the Rainbow” could use in 7/8th grade to show connections because music and paintings. ( )