Hot Potato: Mealtime Rhymes [Hardcover]

Neil Philip (Author), Claire Henley (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

This feast of poetry will satisfy even the pickiest of readers. Neil Philip’s joyous celebration of the table includes classic and contemporary selections from around the world, featuring poets like Lewis Carroll, Douglas Florian, Mary Ann Hoberman, Christina Rossetti, and A. A. Milne. Claire Henley’s mouth-watering illustrations make this delicious book perfect for sharing at mealtime, or anytime.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-These 18 lighthearted poems and limericks address the subject of food and eating. The poets include Edward Lear, Arnold Adoff, John Ciardi, Douglas Florian, Christina Rossetti, and A. A. Milne. All of the entries have been previously published. Done in acrylics, the humorous single- and double-page paintings perfectly capture the playful spirit of the selections. The colorful spreads show children of different ethnic backgrounds enjoying their food, often interacting with their parents. This tempting collection would be fun to share with youngsters at mealtime or anytime. Serve it up with Lee Bennett Hopkins's Munching: Poems about Eating (Little, Brown, 1985; o.p.) and Nadine Bernard Westcott's Never Take a Pig to Lunch (Orchard, 1994).
Sally R. Dow, Ossining Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 1. "Mix a pancake, / stir a pancake, / Pop it in the pan; / Fry the pancake, / Toss the pancake-- / Catch it if you can." Written mostly by familiar poets for children, the selections in this picture-book collection find the delicious rhythm, action, and noise in dining. There's an Edward Lear limerick as well as some nursery rhyme nonsense. Most poems, though, are rhymed couplets with a rolling beat that will encourage children to chant along. Kids will laugh out loud, too. From Mary Ann Hoberman's tongue-twister "Yellow Butter" to Douglas Florian's birthday cake made of glue ("The children sit so quiet now. / Andchewandchewandchew"), there are plenty of opportunities for giggles. The acrylic paintings--in bright, almost garish hues and with the sugary, glossy texture of cake icing--illustrate the action and extend the giddy, playful sense in the words. Very young children may want to add their own claps and wriggles to the up-tempo, fanciful poems that find rowdy fun in an everyday subject. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (April 19, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618315543
• ISBN-13: 978-0618315543
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,230,770 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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