Customer Reviews

Are You Quite Polite?: Silly Dilly Manners Songs

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a funny book that I came across at the local library- my almost 4-year-old loved it so much that we still find ourselves singing these silly little songs long after we returned the book. I wouldn't expect children younger than around 4 to understand it much, and it certainly can't be used exclusively for Manners Education. (that would be our job, as parents) :) It is definitely a good way to introduce the topic of common childhood situations/behaviors (nose-picking, how to behave at parties, table manners, etc.) in a fun and non-threatening way. I am now looking to purchase this book and add it to our permanent collection of books! Highly recommended!

This book is a great addition to the other silly dilly song books. My first graders love them.

This book is so much fun to read with your children. It is a silly and fun way to learn about good manners. Singing the poems to tunes the kids already know makes it easier for them to remember and we have a great time trying to stay on beat.

Alan Katz and David Catrow's ARE YOU QUITE POLITE? tells of silly manners and creates a rollicking, fun story of manners kids might actually like to follow. Here are common rhymes with uncommon lyrics that are crazy and fun comments on a different kind of etiquette indeed.

We love these books. We love bellowing these songs at the top of our lungs, and the tunes given are generally familiar to us - Alouette, Pop Goes the Weasel, and so on, although sometimes fitting the words to the melody is a bit of a stretch.

There's definitely some potty humor in here, which appeals to most kids. For example, the song about not putting your mouth on the water fountain finishes with "And stop drinking from the toilet by the way!" (That's a weird illustration too - the toilet has a fountain attachment? Is it like a bidet?) One about not picking your nose in public shows a boy picking his friends' noses - they're not too happy about this.

And they do make sure to spell out Just What Not To Do - some people are concerned that this encourages bad behavior in and of itself. I disagree. I find that my nieces understand that the examples are over the top and chosen to be funny, not as anything to emulate!

I don't object to this at all, I think it's hilarious, but if these things concern you should, as always, read the book before buying.

I have two sons, ages 6 and 4, so I'm always on the lookout for a new bedtime book that reinforces manners and good hygiene.

This isn't that book.

The reviews said the "silly" songs are written to familiar children's tunes. But you wouldn't know which song had they not indicated as "to the tune of..." next to the titles. Here's some examples:

Don't Talk with Bean in Your Mouth (To the tune of "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore")

Don't talk with beans in you mouth
It's bad man-ners
Don't talk with beans in you mouth
Or banan-ners!

Jimmy Picks Boogers (To the tune of "The Blue-Tail Fly")

My friend Jim has a mouth that lies
A little south of his bright eyes
And in between, of course, a nose
That's where his index finger goes!

Unless your child is taking advanced music classes, it is unlikely they know these tunes: "The Blue-Tail Fly," "Red River Valley," "The Mexican Hat Dance," "Alouette" and "America the Beautiful." And, without familiarity of these songs, the "silly dilly" gimmick falls flat. As a parent, I found the lyrics better described as gross instead of silly.

If you are looking for a good book that entertains young boys and teaches them good hygiene and manners, I recommend:

The Berenstain Bears Forget Their Manners
Micro Monsters: Life Under the Microscope
Sniffles, Sneezes, Hiccups, and Coughs
The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble with Chores

I was very disappointed with this book. I purchased several books on manners to teach manners at home to my preschoolers. I found the songs to be verging on rude. The book is geared to about a child at age 12. This is not something I would even give to a 12 year old. Do not buy unless you like encouraging rudeness in your children. There are better books available!