Crash! Bam! Boom! Onomatopoeic Joy!
A few years ago, I was given a set of stainless steel nesting bowls as a wedding present. I liked them and stuck them in my cabinet . . . and promptly forgot about them. They just weren't particularly useful.
And then my son reached six months of age and began to discover toys and I was rummaging among my cabinets for something to give him, and there they were! Since then, those nesting bowls have become a fundamental part of my son's toys. He adores the noise they make crashing into one another and when flung about on the floor. Pots and Pans is the perfect book to capture that activity in its essence.
A simple, rhyming book full of onomatopoeic sound words to describe the noise of pots and pans and other things, it's a clamorous joy to read aloud (and fun to add your own pots and pans to the beat!) A little baby, a puppy and cat are all busy exploring a kitchen full of pots, pans, bowls and boxes and making lots of noise in the process. The book transports you right into the middle of the activity with lively rhyme and rhythm.
Pots and pans
lids and cans
baby's in the kitchen
with pots and pans.
The pictures are soft pencil and pastel colors, but realistically drawn images of a baby, cat, dog and eventually a father who comes in at the very end when the baby has dumped over an enormous amount of stuff. Diane de Groat's sense of scene and composition make this book charming and delightful to look over the detail of the images, and yet convey the actions without making the page too busy.
One particular thing I love about this book is that the pages are a sturdy cardstock, rather than the regular paper, or bulky board book style. They're sturdy enough that I can read this to a baby or toddler and allow them to touch the pages without immediate worry that they'll rip or tear it. And believe me, my curious almost-toddler loves to try and yank the pages out of my hands--he loves turning pages!
There are few picture books I think that capture an almost universal moment in babies' (and their parents) lives with such clarity and charm. I'm very happy I discovered this little gem!
Folks who like this may also want to look for Cookie's Week by Cindy Ward and Down by the Station (our review) by Will Hillenbrand.
Happy Reading! ^_^ Shanshad
Pots and Pans
- Accelerated Reading level : n/a
- Hardcover: 24 pages
- Publisher: HarperFestival (May 16, 1998)
- ISBN-10: 0694010723
- See-a-Sample
3 comments :
I quite like Patricia Hubbell. She wrote a book about cats (called, appropriately enough, I Like Cats) which is every ailurophile's dream. (And yes, I did have to look up 'Ailurophile!)
Great word, Kara!
I'm picking up I Like Cats at the library today, along with another one you suggested on your website.
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