No film yet, but here’s the text for a silly song about a dad who doesn’t like bananas, but eats them all day anyway!

Bananaman Dad

Kylie van Dam

2022

My dad eats bananas on his breakfast.

My dad eats bananas on his lunch.

My dad eats bananas on his dinner,

‘though…

My dad doesn’t like bananas much.

I think bananas are yummy.

They’re yummy on my tongue and

Yummy in my tummy.

Yes I think bananas are great.

But with dad around,

If I wait,

It’s too late!

‘Cause…

My dad is the banana man, the banana man, the banana man,

My dad is the banana man who’d rather eat…

My dad is the banana man, the banana man, the banana man,

My dad is the banana man who’d rather eat…

My dad is the banana man, the banana man, the banana man,

My dad is the banana man who’d rather eat…

My dad is the banana man, the banana man, the banana man,

My dad is the banana man who

doesn’t…like…

bananas!

(That’s just weird!)

What does this song offer a child learning to speak English?

• meal-time names
• food names (discuss favourite foods with kids and let them choose how to fill in the last section)
• differences in the use of ‘on’ and ‘in’ – ‘on’ is used specifically here as it creates a sense of the ridiculous, therefore facilitating the story as well as the use of the two terms
• the conscious awareness of the beginning, middle and end of words
• the conscious and physical training required to move from one group of sounds to another, learning the feeling of the transitions between positions in the mouth.
• the tongue-twister element of the fast section as well as the sense of ownership when choosing a food name
• the awareness of dropped letters in spoken language versus how a word should be pronounced and written e.g.”though’ for ‘although’ and ”cause’ for ‘because’.
• a little bit of naughtiness in criticising an adult and the re-enforcement of having their own perspective within a powerful relationship given space and value.
• FUN and SILLINESS!!! (i love a bit of that myself)