A Child's Treasury of Nursery Rhymes [Hardcover]

Kady MacDonald Denton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 1998 | Age Level: 4 and up

This sumptuous compendium offers a mix of more than 100 best-loved and less-familiar rhymes, lullabies, tongue twisters, riddles, and songs, gathered from near and far. Parents and educators will appreciate the unique organization by age-level -- from baby to toddler to school age child -- ensuring their read-aloud selections will always be just right for their growing listeners. Exquisitely illustrated in glowing pastel hues and watercolor washes, this collection for the ages will make a cherished gift and a longtime family treasure. Rhythmic rhymes and lullabies such as "Round and Round The Garden" and "Lavender's Blue" are sure to amuse and soothe baby. "Oh, the Grand Old Duke of York" and other lively favorites will appeal to toddlers ready to march around the house with a drum, or pillage the refrigerator for "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream." The fun continues for children three and up with such lively ditties as the French "Frere Jacques" and "Pop Goes the Weasel," while a section at the end of the book invites the whole family to "All join in."

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Denton (Would They Love a Lion?) rounds up the usual suspects, offers a smattering of mostly well-chosen newcomers, and ends up with a winning collection of more than 100 rhymes. The volume is loosely arranged in four parts: rhymes to accompany the knee-dawdling of babyhood, Mother Goose golden oldies for the toddler years, action rhymes for denizens of the schoolyard, and finally, a potpourri for encouraging participation that ranges from riddles to The Owl and the Pussycat. A few of the selections are misplaced (e.g., the jaunty lyrics of "Baby Face" don't jibe rhythmically with the rest of the poems; Robert Burns's "O, my luve is like a red, red rose..." isn't likely to capture the attention of youngsters), but the fresh discoveries far outnumber them. The gently rolling rhythm of a Nantucket lullaby evokes foamy waves and elusive whales; a charmer from Ghana soothes a disquieted little one: "Listen to the tree bear/ Crying in the night/ Crying for his mammy/ In the pale moonlight/ What will his mammy do/ When she hears him cry?/ She'll tuck him in a cocoa pod/ And sing a lullaby." Arranging Denton's playful vignettes, spot art and full-spread paintings upon clean white pages, the book's crisp layout ensures that the quantity of material never overwhelms readers. Denton's breezy, often impish watercolors (which owe a debt to Sendak's early work) shake the dust off even the most familiar ditties. Ages 3 mos.-5 yrs.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 4-Whimsical pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations make this collection of over 100 rhymes, riddles, lullabies, and songs stand out from the many other anthologies available. Jack and Jill are two mischievous kittens who, after knocking over a vase of flowers in the living room, lap up the water they've spilled on the floor. "She'll be coming round the mountain" is a rollicking two-page spread of words and pictures that nearly jumps off the page. The four sections are arranged chronologically from verses that will entertain babies, to toddlers' play-and-action rhymes, to the playground chants and nonsense verses of school-age children, to sing-alongs, tongue twisters, and limericks. Each of the sections includes an illustrated rhyme that runs along the tops of the pages, inviting children to follow along as each page is turned, or to linger over each page's detailed pictures and poems. An index of titles and first lines is included. A fine addition for all collections that serve young children.
Joan Zaleski, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Kingfisher; 1st edition (September 30, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0753451093
• ISBN-13: 978-0753451090
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 9.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #536,685 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FULL of rhymes - charming illustrations, December 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Child's Treasury of Nursery Rhymes (Hardcover)

We borrowed this book from the library,and our just-about two-year-old will receive a copy for her birthday, as she would like to read it night and day. The illustrations are pretty, yet energetic and not overly sweet, and the content will last several years. Also, this book is very well priced

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most complete of the many "colletions" books, June 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Child's Treasury of Nursery Rhymes (Hardcover)

I bought at least 4 books on collections of children's rhymes and this one is by far the most complete. The illustrations are good, although they lean a bit too much in the "Where the wild things are" direction for my taste. However, whereas some of the other collections books tend to be full of more illustrations than rhymes, this one fits the bill with a perfect balance between both.

Did you know that "Rockabye baby" actually has three verses, not one and that "Mary Had a Little Lamb" has eight verses, not four? Can you remember all the words to "This is the house that jack built" or "The Farmer takes a wife" or "I had a cat and the cat pleased me"? If you'd like to be able to answer yes to these questions, buy this book! It's truly your best choice in the "children's collection of rhymes" group.

Of course, my toddler loves the book - it's a favorite for long car rides.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My son LOVES this book!!, January 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: A Child's Treasury of Nursery Rhymes (Hardcover)

At the ripe age of one and a half, he's dog-eared this book and knows all the rhymes. When he wants to hear one, he'll start saying the first line. This book has a great collection of traditional rhymes and an interesting sprinkling of international rhymes, combined with wonderful illustrations. We never travel without this one.