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. After hearing Thiele’s demo tape of “What A Wonderful World,” Armstrong was keen to record the tune but Larry Newton, the president of ABC, purportedly hated it and vetoed the idea. Why couldn't each page have featured a different kid, showing how the song's lyrics tie everyone together? Armstrong re-recorded “What A Wonderful World” in 1970, a year before his death, adding a spoken intro.

What a Wonderful World! | Book Categories | CJ Fallon What a Wonderful World! | Book Categories | CJ Fallon

The Hermits' version was, according to singer Peter Noone and guitarist Keith Hopwood, done as a tribute to Cooke upon his death. Hopgood interprets this beloved ballad, written by Thiele and Weiss and made famous by Louis Armstrong. Developed children's use of 'sense' to describe how they see/smell/feel/hear/taste the world around them (outside lesson).Herman's Hermits had a major hit in the mid-1960s with an uptempo version of the song (omitting one verse) which reached number one in Canada, [6] number four in the US, and number seven in the UK. Meanwhile, John Siamas, co-founder of Keen Records, discovered the "demo" recording of "Wonderful World" among unreleased Cooke recordings.

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

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.Herman's Hermits charted with their recording of the song in 1965, reaching number one in Canada, [1] number four in the United States, and number seven in the United Kingdom, respectively. I think making this song into a picture book is such a cute thing, its giving the message that the world truly is beautiful and the pictures in the book help to show that as well.

What A Wonderful World’: Louis Armstrong’s Iconic Ballad ‘What A Wonderful World’: Louis Armstrong’s Iconic Ballad

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.

Imagine my surprise to discover that my daughter’s mother-in-law loved that song as much as I did and found a board book of that song and bought it for our granddaughter! The Garfunkel version includes a final verse not present in the original Sam Cooke recording; however, it is still credited to Adler, Alpert and Cooke.