It touches my heart every time I listen to it and reading the book conjures up those feelings as well. Decades after its original release, Louis Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World” continues to inspire through its timeless message of love, peace, and harmony. The illustrations, which beautifully and literally realize the well-known lyrics in a fun, retro style, set a happy tone. He signed with RCA Victor in 1960 and "Wonderful World", then unreleased, was issued as a single in competition. Then in 1988, the song was back in the charts when its appearance on the soundtrack to the hit movie Good Morning Vietnam brought it to the attention of a new generation of listeners.

What a Wonderful World (Jean Karl Books (Hardcover))

Cooke signed to RCA Victor in 1960 but his first two singles on the major label – "Teenage Sonata" and "You Understand Me" – failed to register on the charts. Kids with autism usually learn to label colors in their first teaching programs, so color language becomes highly reinforcing.

Since then, a diverse array of cover versions – from Tony Bennett to Joey Ramone and Celine Dion to the Flaming Lips – have helped to cement “What A Wonderful World”’s iconic status. We sing through this book together, Squirt and I, and always get stuck on the rainbow page, where he picks a colour and pretends to slide down the rainbow. Its 1986 success was attributed to sound-alike versions featured in the film Witness (1985) and a Levi's 501 television commercial. Though renowned as one of the pioneers of Dixieland-style jazz in the 1920s, Armstrong was no stranger to the pop charts in the 1960s, having topped Billboard’s Hot 100 with the Grammy-winning single, “Hello Dolly,” in 1964.

Wonderful World Lyrics | Genius Lyrics Sam Cooke – Wonderful World Lyrics | Genius Lyrics

What A Wonderful World” was written in 1967 by George David Weiss together with George Douglas, an alias for Bob Thiele, Armstrong’s producer at ABC Records.Meanwhile, John Siamas, co-founder of Keen Records, discovered the "demo" recording of "Wonderful World" among unreleased Cooke recordings. The Sam Cooke version was featured in the 1978 film Animal House and gained greater recognition in the UK upon a 1986 re-release when it peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, going gold (it had peaked at number 27 on the UK singles chart on first release in 1960). The Hermits' version was, according to singer Peter Noone and guitarist Keith Hopwood, done as a tribute to Cooke upon his death. The song has been featured on several “best of” lists, including spots on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2014. My only complaint is that it misses the feel of the song - the melancholy in the joy, and the fleeting nature of it all.

What A Wonderful World - A book illustrated by Tim Hopgood What A Wonderful World - A book illustrated by Tim Hopgood

Though it flopped in Armstrong’s home country, in other places around the world, especially in Europe, “What A Wonderful World” was hugely successful; it reached No. books for Infants and Junior Classes have been completely redesigned and updated and are presented in a new, vibrant and colourful format. The song is used in the 1978 film Animal House in the well-known lunchroom scene where Bluto ( John Belushi) gathers food in preparation for a food fight. Cooke wanted to steer the song toward the subject of schooling, revised the song and decided to cut it at a recording session on March 2, 1959, five days after completing his Billie Holiday tribute album, Tribute to the Lady.But “What A Wonderful World” was very different from what he’d done before; a slow pop ballad that captured Armstrong in a rare reflective mood.