Review: MARC BROWNS PLAYTIME RHYMES

I'm a huge fan of Marc Brown and children's rhymes, so it's not surprising that that I love this book.  

One of the things I always did when my children were younger, and still do, is to read them poetry.  When they were little rhymes served to provide them with great, kid-friendly memory exercises; and poems and rhymes taught them about language structure-- which is probably one of the reasons they have always scored high on vocabulary assays.

What's nice about Marc Brown's new book is that he has incorporated finger play reminders, so moms, dads and others can also share those with their little ones.  (I don't know about you, but I don't always remember what the finger plays are, so a reminder is appreciated.)  If you look at the sample page below, you can see the little boxes which harbor the hints.

Facing page for the Little Turtle poem

There are 20 poems in this collection.

Table of Contents

Whoop! Johnny
The Counting Game
Do Your Ears Hang Low?
Teddy Bear
Wheels on the Bus
I'm a Little Teapot
The Itsy Bitsy Spider
Two Little Monkeys
Five Little Pigs
The Church
Here is the Beehive
Grammy's Glasses
Little Bunny
Sleepy Fingers
The Squirrel
There was a Little Turtle
Five Little Goblins
Snowflakes
The Snowman
My Book

Some I'm 'overly' familiar with; and some were new to me.  (Which I love.)

Overall this is a really pretty book.  The artwork is in soft tones and I think it would make a nice gift, or good book to add to the home shelves.

Pam~



MARC BROWNS PLAYTIME RHYMES
A Treasury for Families to Learn and Play Together
by Marc Brown (of aardvark Arthur fame)

no reading information available
Page Count:  40
-- sample pages and price

Other reviews you might be interested in

•  April is Poetry Month!
•  MICE by Lois Ehlert
• Sylvia Long's Mother Goose
• Best Loved Nursery Rhymes

Review: YOU WERE THE FIRST

Oh my. This one made me teary eyed.  YOU WERE THE FIRST is just a beautiful book and I loved it.

I love the sentiment--because there really is something astonishing and wondrous about your first child.

Whether boy or girl, the new baby changes your world.  Your perspective is altered as you weigh and reconsider what's really important.  And your physical world is changed as you don't get to sleep the same hours and you suddenly have to tote around a ton of extra gear.

You were the first to laugh at the dog...

I also love YOU WERE THE FIRST's soft warm palette.  Stephanie Craegin's drawings are perfectly matched with Patricia MacLachlan's gentle text.

You were the first to lay your

head on our shoulders to sleep.

You were the first to blow a kiss.

YOU WERE THE FIRST is on my short-list of books to give friends who are expecting.  It will be a beautiful book for them to read before their child arrives.  And a wonderful book for them to read to their first child when they are old enough to share it.  And again, if it's necessary when that child has a brother or sister coming.  I think the message that they are special will be a comforting.  I know it made me tear up thinking about how my big girl (13!) was once a tiny first baby.

Pam~

Inside paper

YOU WERE THE FIRST
by Patricia MacLachlan
Stephanie Craegin

Page Count:  40

-- sample pages and price