Ramo is a song written by Phyllis Hiller, MS. It was awarded a 4-star rating by Billboard magazine as an "outstanding children's album." The history and success of it are profound. Here is a description of the philosophy behind the story and songs of Ramo, a young elephant with skin so thin it changes color with his feelings and then allows his big red heart to show through.

Ramo is a symbol of love, being oneself, and coping with teasing and differences. It creates a framework for understanding differences, conflicts, and relationships. It focuses on a child's natural ability to be expressive and caring, as opposed to simply conforming to an attitude that may disregard respect for and appreciation of others, thus negating a child's importance as an individual. Eleven songs enrich the dynamics of this work and engage the expressiveness of children, further inviting them to think for themselves as they learn to get along with others. The message relates to a wide variety of ages, creating an environment of love and caring. "Love is a Circle," one of the eleven songs, has been and is being used widely in UU curriculum.

Ramo Song:

• Cassette Recording
• Reading Book (also available in Spanish translation)
• Songbook

• Individual Teaching
• Classroom Reading
• Drama Kit

Ramo and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Marin: Merging the spirit, values, and the joy of singing is what happened when the children of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Marin in San Rafael, CA, presented Ramo, a musical play for children by Phyllis Hiller, a member of that congregation.

Ramo confronts such issues with the other jungle animals ("the only friends I've got!"). Love, caring, empathy, and respect for self and others are the essence of the Ramo story. A very simplified stage setting was developed by the director and the play took place in the sanctuary as part of a regular church service. The eight actors, ranging in age from 4 to 9, wore simple clothing with headdresses. Beautiful artwork by the children was produced under the supervision of the assistant director. The DRE was on hand during the rehearsals to be helpful when needed and to generally cheer the entire cast on to success.

In this case the author/composer accompanied the performance on the piano but this could easily have been done by another pianist. Since we only had six rehearsals, the DRE invited the choir to join in the singing of the eleven songs, which they loved doing. The service ended with the whole congregation singing "Love is a Circle."