The Lap-Time Song and Play Book [Library Binding]

Jane Yolen (Editor), Margot Tomes (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1989

Perfect for sharing between parent and child, this book is filled with some of the most popular childhood songs and games--"I'm a Little Teapot," "The Eensy Weensy Spider," and more. Full color.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-- A collection of Yolen's favorite English and American activity rhymes and songs for infants and toddlers. The ten songs, including "The Noble Duke of York," "John Brown's Baby," "I'm a Little Teapot," and "Down by the Station," are presented in double-page spreads with music for piano and guitar. Six single pages are devoted to" simple tuneless games" such as,"Here is the Church," "Here Are My Lady's Knives and Forks," and "This Little Piggie." Each game is accompanied by instructions for the corresponding actions and a note on its origin and/or historical context. Lovely, expressive gouache illustrations in warm earth tones depict Caucasian parents and children in New England colonial settings. No attempt has been made to be comprehensive, and most of the material is quite familiar and readily available elsewhere--Brown's Play Rhymes (Dutton, 1987), Glazer's, Eye Winker, Tom Tinker, Chin Chopper (Doubleday, 1978), and Beall's Wee Sing (Price Stern Sloan, 1982). However, the pleasing format and exquisite design of this volume is sure to attract parents seeking a refresher course in games to play with their very young children. --Starr LaTronica, North Berkeley Library, CA
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Childrens Books (J); First Edition edition (September 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152435883
• ISBN-13: 978-0152435882
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,626,766 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born and raised in New York City, Jane Yolen now lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts. She attended Smith College and received her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. The distinguished author of more than 170 books, Jane Yolen is a person of many talents. When she is not writing, Yolen composes songs, is a professional storyteller on the stage, and is the busy wife of a university professor, the mother of three grown children, and a grandmother. Active in several organizations, Yolen has been on the Board of Directors of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, was president of the Science Fiction Writers of America from 1986 to 1988, is on the editorial board of several magazines, and was a founding member of the Western New England Storytellers Guild, the Western Massachusetts Illustrators Guild, and the Bay State Writers Guild. For twenty years, she ran a monthly writer's workshop for new children's book authors. In 1980, when Yolen was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree by Our Lady of the Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts, the citation recognized that "throughout her writing career she has remained true to her primary source of inspiration--folk culture." Folklore is the "perfect second skin," writes Yolen. "From under its hide, we can see all the shimmering, shadowy uncertainties of the world." Folklore, she believes, is the universal human language, a language that children instinctively feel in their hearts. All of Yolen's stories and poems are somehow rooted in her sense of family and self. The Emperor and the Kite, which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1983 for its intricate papercut illustrations by Ed Young, was based on Yolen's relationship with her late father, who was an international kite-flying champion. Owl Moon, winner of the 1988 Caldecott Medal for John Schoenherr's exquisite watercolors, was inspired by her husband's interest in birding. Yolen's graceful rhythms and outrageous rhymes have been gathered in numerous collections. She has earned many awards over the years: the Regina Medal, the Kerlan Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Society of Children's Book Writers Award, the Mythopoetic Society's Aslan Award, the Christopher Medal, the Boy's Club Jr. Book Award, the Garden State Children's Book Award, the Daedalus Award, a number of Parents' Choice Magazine Awards, and many more. Her books and stories have been translated into Japanese, French, Spanish, Chinese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Afrikaans, !Xhosa, Portuguese, and Braille. With a versatility that has led her to be called "America's Hans Christian Andersen," Yolen, the child of two writers, is a gifted and natural storyteller. Perhaps the best explanation for her outstanding accomplishments comes from Jane Yolen herself: "I don't care whether the story is real or fantastical. I tell the story that needs to be told."