Have you ever heard the popular song "Witch Doctor"? It's a catchy tune that has been covered by many artists over the years. But have you ever wondered if there is a kid-friendly version of this song? Well, you're in luck! There are actually a few covers of "Witch Doctor" that are perfect for little ears. One of the most well-known kid-friendly covers of "Witch Doctor" is by the Chipmunks. The Chipmunks are a group of fictional singing chipmunks that have been entertaining kids for decades. In their version of "Witch Doctor," they sing in their signature high-pitched voices and add fun, playful elements to the song. This cover is a hit with young children who love the Chipmunks' animated antics.
“if you’re looking for a title about kids on a quest, there are certainly others I would recommend instead.” Could you suggest some titles? My Bone kids are hungry, and I have little of GN epic/quest that reaches a younger audience. (I have K-4 and sometimes 5). I’d give Amulet a better than “meh” rating, just for the strong family/emotional content. Time and sequels will be telling.
I’m optimistic. ‘Course, sometimes the glass IS half empty. Meh. Ifahren
I have it in my grade 9 classroom library, and it s my go-to book for reluctant readers, especially those of the male variety although lots of girls read it too. For example Jellaby was this perfect little book that also happened to be the first in a series and didn t need subsequent titles to make the first one strong.
This cover is a hit with young children who love the Chipmunks' animated antics. Another popular kid-friendly cover of "Witch Doctor" is by the children's musical group Kidz Bop. Kidz Bop is known for their covers of popular songs that are reimagined and performed by kids for kids.
Tim Stout
Spoiler Warning! Below is the plot structure of Amulet Book One: The Stonekeeper using Blake Snyder’s Beat Sheet as the basis for the breakdown (see my review of Blake Snyder’s book Save the Cat, an excellent storytelling resource). For an explanation of each “beat” please refer to Blake Snyder’s Beat Sheet. Thanks!
Premise: Amulet is a superhero tale about Emily Hayes, a young girl who must learn to use the power of a magical amulet to save her family from a world of fantasy and danger.
Opening Image: The story starts with a pretty heavy prologue as our protagonist, Emily, and her mom try to pull her dad from the wreckage of a car accident before the car topples over the edge of a cliff. They don’t succeed and Emily’s dad dies. By Emily’s facial expression, we know this story will deal with the emotional weight of this moment. A hero will be born from these ashes.
Set-up: Two years later, Emily, her little brother, Navin and their mom move into an old family-owned house, hoping to start anew. While exploring the house, Emily finds the study where weird-looking bird skulls are mounted on the wall, old robotic machinery is lying around and a book rests on a podium in the middle of the room (handwritten notes about “stones of power” are written on a page).
Theme Stated: Emily’s mom tells her the study belonged to their relative, Silas Charnon. Emily tries to use the artifacts of Silas’ genius around the room as proof that attending a new school and learning things that are “not useful in the real world”, like algebra, are not worth her time. She can be like Silas and learn more on her own. Her mom says that Silas was an eccentric and not someone to emulate. “It’s better to lead a normal life.
Catalyst: When their mom leaves the room, Emily and Navin find an imprint on the podium for a hand. Emily touches it causing it to flash with light and flip over, revealing a stone necklace: The Amulet. Emily puts it on and tells Navin not to tell their mom. They don’t notice a ghost-like spirit with cat-shaped pupils and a figure kept in shadow are also in the room, watching them.
Debate: But why? What do they want? That night, the Amulet speaks to Emily, warning her that she and her family are in danger. At that moment, they hear a noise coming from the basement. Mom goes to check and a giant creature (later called an Arachnopod) attacks her. The kids run down to the basement and find their mother gone. They open a door nearby and find a staircase into darkness (a rabbit hole to another world).
Choosing Act Two: Together, they cross through the doorway and as they run down the stairs the staircase reforms into a brick wall. There is no way back to the “normal” world.
Fun n’ Games (Promise of the Premise): The Arachnopod is there, waiting for them. It grabs Navin and stores him in its belly with their mom before attacking Emily. Fortunately, Emily’s anger accidentally triggers the power of the Amulet, stunning the Arachnopod. As it flees, Navin is able to escape – their mom is unable – and the Amulet directs the two kids toward Silas’ house, advising Emily on how to use the Amulet’s power to protect them as they go, calling her “Stonekeeper”. Nearing Silas’ house (located on the top of a small island of rock), the shadowed figure from the study confronts them. He looks like an elf (tall, pointed ears, silver hair), and similar to the ghost-like spirit, he has cat-shaped pupils. He, too, has an amulet and is about to attack the kids when a large man in a hat and trench coat saves them, whisking them away across the body of water to the house.
B Story: The man in the trench coat turns out to be a robot controlled by a smaller robot named Miskit (a talking pink bunny rabbit). Miskit introduces the kids to Silas, who has been waiting on his deathbed to tell Emily about the Amulet. By wielding power of the Amulet and listening to its guidance, Emily will be able to save their mom, rule the land of Alledia – the “alternate” version of planet Earth that they are in – and even turn back time (Emily thinks of her dad). With that, Silas dies, leaving Emily to make a choice: trust the Amulet’s guidance or try to save their mom on their own, without a magical power (normal).
Midpoint: She chooses to trust in the Amulet and becomes the new leader of the house in Silas’ stead. With the help of the robots, they locate the Arachnopod that has her mom and determine how to head it off: fly a plane through a dangerous passageway called “The Gauntlet”.
Bad Guys Close In: Emily, Navin and Miskit board the plane and together they fly through the Gauntlet. Emily begins to use the Amulet’s power with more confidence, battling the creatures that try to attack them. They pass through the Gauntlet and spot the Arachnopod with their mom, traveling with a number of other Arachnopods. Using the Amulet, Emily tries to save her but must stop when the plane is attacked by the other Arachnopods.
All is Lost (& Whiff of Death): The plane crashes and is ripped to pieces by the impact. It begins to rain as Emily chases after the Arachnopods, alone. Emily struggles to keep up but eventually finds that the Arachnopod with her mom has been cut off by the elf. Using his amulet, he kills the Arachnopod, retrieves Emily’s mom (unconscious) and holds Emily captive.
Dark Night of the Soul: Emily offers the Amulet to him if he’ll let them both go. He laughs. He’s not after the Amulet; he’s after HER. It has been prophesized that she will kill his father, the Elf King, and the elf wants to help her. Together, they can free Alledia and she can “finish what Silas started”. All she has to do is let the ghost-like spirit enter her mind and take over — no more problems, no more worries.
Choosing Act Three: Emily refuses. As the spirit attacks Emily, she uses the power of the Amulet to destroy it. The power flows through Emily, telling her to kill the elf. But as the elf cowers, completely vulnerable, Emily spares him and warns him to never come near her family again. He flees and Emily looks after her mom.
Finale: Back in the house, we learn that the Arachnopod poisoned Emily’s mom as she tried to escape. They need an antidote and the Amulet won’t help them (it is angry with Emily for not killing the elf). Emily begins to doubt her decision to trust the Amulet. Feeling responsible for how un-normal their lives have become, Emily cries, saying, “I’m sorry” to her unconscious mother.
Final Image: This installment of the Amulet series ends with Silas’ house transforming into a giant robot able to walk across land and tall enough to travel through water. They need to get to a town 300 miles away for the antidote, but will they get there in time?
Emily’s life is now as completely opposite of normal as it can get. She is special in ways she never imagined and must learn what to do with her power to save her mom… in Amulet Book Two!
TO BE CONTINUED…
Their version of "Witch Doctor" takes the original catchy tune and adds kid-friendly lyrics that are easy for young children to sing along to. This cover is a great choice for parents looking for music that their kids can enjoy without worrying about inappropriate content. In both the Chipmunks and Kidz Bop versions of "Witch Doctor," the main idea is to take a popular song and make it accessible and enjoyable for kids. The covers retain the catchy melody and upbeat tempo of the original song while adding kid-friendly elements such as playful voices and age-appropriate lyrics. So, if you're looking for a kid-friendly version of "Witch Doctor" that your child will love, check out the cover by the Chipmunks or Kidz Bop. These versions are a fun and entertaining way for kids to enjoy this popular song without any worry of inappropriate content..
Reviews for "Teach Your Kids the Fun Dance Moves to "Witch Doctor" with a Kid-Friendly Cover"
1. Sara - ★☆☆☆☆
I was really disappointed with the "Kid friendly cover of witch doctor" rendition. The vocals were barely audible and the overall production quality was subpar. It lacked the energy and enthusiasm that made the original version so catchy. It seemed like a lazy attempt to capitalize on the popularity of the song without putting any effort into making it unique or enjoyable for kids. I would not recommend this cover to anyone looking for a fun and engaging version of "Witch Doctor".
2. Mark - ★★☆☆☆
While I appreciate the intention behind creating a kid-friendly cover of "Witch Doctor", I felt that it fell short in execution. The lyrics were simplified to cater to a younger audience, but in doing so, it lost the charm and wit of the original song. Additionally, the vocal performance lacked the energy and playfulness that is expected from a children's song. Overall, it felt like a watered-down version of the original, and I believe there are better options out there for parents looking to introduce their kids to catchy and entertaining music.
3. Emily - ★★☆☆☆
As a fan of the original "Witch Doctor" song, I was hopeful that the kid-friendly cover would be a fun adaptation. However, I was left disappointed with the result. The tempo felt too slow and the vocals lacked the excitement and rhythm of the original. It seemed like the cover was trying too hard to be cute and catchy for kids, but it ended up sounding forced and uninspired. I would recommend sticking to the original version for a more enjoyable and engaging experience.