Most people will, at one time or another, have sung the nursery rhymes and songs in this book. These traditional songs have been passed down for many generations and often exist in several versions, each quite different to the other. Although the tunes of the songs remain as fresh as ever, the original words can, however, mean very little to a young child. Often the true meaning of the lyrics has become confused over the years and occasionally the implications of the words are simply not in keeping with contemporary tastes.

The aim of Oranges and Lemons has been to produce a book with lively songs and easy percussion parts for children to play along with their parents and teachers. The blending of the traditional tunes and new lyrics gives both adult and child a head start - almost everybody will know Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, Old MacDonald Had a Farm and so on. It also means that the new words can relate directly to today's world.

The percussion suggestions are aimed at classroom and school concert performance. Each percussion indication is set out clearly in the teacher's notes and, of course, all the parts are easy enough to be taught by rote. Teachers and parents will find the songs in this book refreshing to sing and stimulating to teach.