Customer Reviews

Read-Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is the most wonderful book for young children! I bought this for my daughter when she was about two, and we both had the most wonderful time reading it. She is now 13, and this is still one of her most treasured books. Who can resist such poems as "Higglety Pigglety, Pop! The dog has eaten the mop. The pig's in a hurry, and the cat's in a flurry, Higglety pigglety, Pop! Another favorite is the one about Noise, which I read faster and faster until ending with an urgent, "STOP, STOP!". We always buy this book to give as baby gifts and you should too! And remember, "A flea and a fly and a kangaroo, jumped for a prize in a pot of glue...."

I bought this book because Jim Trelease recommends it. Jim's Read Aloud Handbook is the definitive work on how reading to children is the #1 factor in increasing intelligence. Read-Aloud Rhymes is fun, funny and I have never tired of reading its many poems over the past two years to my kids (4 year old boy, twin 2 year old girls). It is my favorite and theirs as well.

If your little ones are driving you nuts and you feel like you're stuck on an island (like they're starring in Lord of the Flies), this book could save your life! Seriously, it is the best book for children in print today. I spend tons of time and the library and this book is one you must take home to keep.

The short, unique rhymes are so fun to read. They are charming and sweet for little ones and parents and so much nicer than those awful Mother Goose nursery rhymes. They're organized by subject matter, so there's a section on rain, going to bed, the garden, etc. The illustrations by Marc Brown alone are worth the price. It's a pleasure to read so many funny, uplifting rhymes...not plotless tradgedies like humpty, dumpty and Jack and Jill. I look forward to reading to my baby as much as he does.

I purchased this for my son over a year ago, he is 3 now & this is one of his favorite books. Its a family treasure & every child should have one in their collection.

We got this book out from our library recently and within a week I had ordered a copy for us. My nearly 2 year old demands poems from it all the time (as only 2 year olds can demand!!) and her older brothers have also enjoyed them. The book has so many poems that struck a chord with us; just one small example: With recent cold weather I ended up sharing Dragon Smoke (about day being so cold you can see your own breath) with my oldest son's class at school. I have also suggested that our local pre-school buys a copy for the adult library so that the poems can be shared with the children when relevant themes / moments arise. The pictures are perfect for the poems creating a completely wonderful package. It is just an absolutely superb book and one I will be buying as a present for many other families. I think in a way the title is a bit of a pity, (although completly reasonable), as these poems will last a lot longer than just for the "very Young".

The book begins by laying things out clearly (Introduction): ". . .most adults forget that long before children become great asking machines, they are great listening machines. . . . The relevance of all this to a collection of poetry is demonstrated by the fact that the first sound a child hears is actually a poem--the rhythmic, rhyming beat-beat-beat of a mother's heart. . . . Unlike the toys we buy our children, poems cannot break."

This is a book of rhymes for younger children, by a whole variety of people. Some of the authors whose verse is used: Rose Fyleman, Evaleen Stein, Rachel Field, Ivy Eastwick, Lilian Moore, Anita Posey, Norah Smaridge, and many others.

Some cute works that struck my fancy. . . Rachel Field:

"Sing a song of picnics,
Bread and butter spread,
Greenery all around about,
And cherries overhead."

A lament from William Cole:

"It's such a shock, I almost screech,
When I find a worm inside my peach!
But then, what really makes me blue
Is to find a worm who's bit in two!"

Or a piece by Gwendolyn Brooks:

"Do you ever look in the looking glass
And see a stranger there?
A child you know and do not know,
Wearing what you wear?"

Anyhow, an affecting little book that parents can read to their kids--and maybe their kids to them, too.

These poems are so witty and fun to read. The amazing aspect of many of the poems is how the child's senses are stimulated by the words. This is a keeper! I read it to my children in the car for a long ride and my husband said, "This poetry is a lot better than adult poetry".

Although my almost three year old daughter doesn't request this book, when I bring it out she invariably ends up sitting in my lap, pointing at the illustrations, telling me which poem to read next and has begun to finish the rhymes for me as I read . For me, it has been an enjoyable book to read aloud and it is nice to see her so involved in poetry.

My 2yr old son and I absolutely LOVE this book! Started reading it to him as an infant and still top choice! The copy I own must be a newer edition as my cover has apple tree and children on it but it's a MUST HAVE! As a parent, I love that it's a fun vivid book with "newer" poetry. I tend to shy away from some "classics" as they really are hard for small children to get into, not too mention have a tendency to be not so... nice. Example: old lady who lived in a shoe with all the children. That doesn't have such a nice ending if you recall. Prelutsky's book has taken over Mother Goose's spot in our library! Hard to get bored reading this to your little ones!

I read this book over and over to my three children when they were young. It provided hours of fun and wonderful memories. I give this book to nearly everyone who has a baby. I'm about to order another for my new grand nephew. I highly recommend this book.