Here’s a peek behind the music: Grammy-winning children’s musician, Joanie Leeds, teamed up with, undoubtedly, her favorite collaborator ever: six-year-old daughter, Joya, to write and sing this adorable and timely duet. (I guess there’s an unwritten rule that musicians must bestow upon their offspring, botanical-ish Bohemian names?) The accompanying animated music video is upbeat, sweet, and includes the lyrics on the screen for an interactive sing-a-long. The chorus is instantly catchy and contains a sprightly mini-lesson on rhyming (and inventing semi-fake words). We’re talking: Fauci, ouchie, couchie, slouchy, pouchy, grouchy! Without being too political or preachy, the focus is on protecting your community and looking out for others (including shout-outs to the grandmas, librarians, and even the grocers at Whole Foods). If you’ve decided to vax your family, but your younger one is understandably scared of that pesky needle, this video is a fun and easy way to ease your kid’s anxieties and realize that a jab is “not that bad.” There’s also a quick mini-lesson on antibodies. So: science! Besides its cuteness and kid-friendly breakdown of a hot button topic, what’s so great about “Fauci Ouchie” is that it honors the POV of a small child, sharing her experience of getting the vaccine with other children. The creation of the song itself is a shiny example for kids to use their own voices (literally) to explore issues that matter to them. A cool literacy tie-in: the catalyst for this jam came from little Joya’s fascination with the picture book: Dr. Fauci: How a Boy from Brooklyn Became America’s Doctor by Kate Messner. So after your little one has been slapped with a cheery bandaid and (fingers crossed!) an awesome sticker, maybe head over to your fave Indie bookstore and pick up a copy of the definitive Fauci KidLit biography that inspired music too.
