Down by the River: Afro-Caribbean Rhymes, Games, and Songs for Children [Hardcover]

Grace Hallworth (Author), Caroline Binch (Illustrator)

Book Description

A distinctive Caribbean flavor pulses through twenty-seven rhymes, songs, chants, and games included in a lively tribute to sunny African-Caribbean customs.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4-Binch's beautiful watercolor illustrations of happy children, with their many brown skin tones and various textures and colors of hair, represent the strength of this appealing oversized offering. The collection of rhymes, games, and songs, however, is uneven and lacks notes and directions for playing the games. Experienced teachers will recognize "This way, Valerie" as a variant of the very popular strut-your-stuff American partner/line game "Hey, Miss Susie." The book also lacks a table of contents and index; one must page through the rhymes in order to find specific kinds, such as "Jumping Rope" rhymes. American children will be familiar with most of the rhymes, including second or third verses not in this compilation. John and Carol Langstaff's Shimmy Shimmy Coke-Ca-Pop! (Doubleday, 1973; o.p.) and Barbara Michels and Bettye White's Apples on Stick (Putnam, 1983; o.p.) provide much better material for anyone searching for appropriate games and rhymes with the accompanying actions. The Opies' The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren (Oxford, 1959; o.p.) is another source to consult. Down by the River is an attractive additional purchase.
Marie T. Wright, University Library, Indianapolis, IN
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 2^-6. With exuberant watercolor pictures of smiling girls and boys at play--singing, clapping, shouting, jumping rope, laughing out loud, dressing up--this large-size anthology celebrates more than 20 playground folk rhymes from the Caribbean. Hallworth says in her autobiographical note that she remembers most of these songs and games from her childhood in Trinidad; only as an adult did she discover that many have African, European, and American roots. Some are familiar ("Rain, rain, go away" and "One potato" ); some will be new to most U.S. families; and Hallworth provides brief notes to local references and directions for playing the circle games. The rhymes are grouped on double-page spreads, including "Wake-up Time," "In the Playground," "Taunts and Teases," "Friendship," and "Time for Bed." Binch's paintings move from the more individualized focus of Amazing Grace (1991) and Hue Boy (1993) to a big cast of joyful children having fun together in a sunlit Caribbean paradise. Her pictures capture the rhythm and movement of the old loved rhymes that will be around for a long time. Of course, Caribbean American families will be thrilled with this collection, and so will all kids who love singing games and nonsense rhymes. Use this with Mother Goose and with Alvin Schwartz's folk rhyme collection And the Green Grass Grew All Around (1992). Hazel Rochman

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Scholastic; 1st American ed edition (October 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590693204
• ISBN-13: 978-0590693202
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 9.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,526,990 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)