139. Board book: ABC Touch and Trace Nursery Rhymes

ABC Learn with Me: Touch and Trace Nursery Rhymes. Editors of  Silver Dolphin Books. 2024. 10 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars] [board book]

First sentence: A is for Apple
B is for Bee
C is for Cow
D is for Dog
E is for Elephant

Premise/plot: What you see is exactly what you get. Mostly. I would say the emphasis is definitely more on the alphabet and tracing the alphabet than on the nursery rhymes. There is at least one line from a nursery rhyme per spread, but, you have to know to look for it, perhaps. That being said if you were looking for a book of nursery rhymes, this wouldn't be the one you'd reach for anyway. 

My thoughts: The tracing element is especially well done for capital letters. There's a groove of sorts for little fingers to follow. I appreciated the tactile experience. It is not a touch and feel book by any stretch, still, there's something to engage the senses a little bit. The book is basic, but really there's nothing wrong with basics when it comes to concept books.

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Amazing Baby Clap and Sing

Amazing Baby: Clap and Sing. Emma Dodd. 2007. Silver Dolphin. 12 pages.

Rhyme time, baby, sing with me...
Clap your hands--one, two, three!

This board book features a collection of songs for young children. The CD features fifteen songs--almost a full forty minutes of music. The board book features the lyrics for all the songs on the album.

Rhyme Time, Baby, Sing With Me
Hey Diddle, Diddle
Round and Round the Garden
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
One, Two, Three, Four, Five
Baa Baa Black Sheep
I Had A Little Nut Tree
Mary Had a Little Lamb
The Grand Old Duke Of York
Little Miss Muffet
The Itsy Bitsy Spider
Sing a Song of Sixpence
Bobby Shafto
Pat-a-Cake
Old MacDonald Had A Farm

Some will probably be familiar to you. But just because you recognize the lyrics, doesn't mean that you'll recognize the song--the melody. Because these arrangements are different to say the least.

I'd describe the album as unexpected. Songs you expect to be fast are slower--much slower. (I have never heard a slower version of Row, Row, Row Your Boat. And Hey Diddle, Diddle, I expected to be a bit faster. I'm not sure why. Maybe because I sing it that way I suppose.) Some songs have quite a soulful/jazzy feel. (Especially Mary Had A Little Lamb and The Itsy Bitsy Spider). And others sound rap-inspired. Some seem to defy all description. (What can I say about their version of Old MacDonald Had A Farm?! Or Little Miss Muffet?!)

You may not like every song on the album. (I'd be surprised if you did.) But you'll probably enjoy some of the songs at least.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Five Little Ducks

Five Little Ducks. Beth Harwood. Illustrated by Emma Dodd. 2008. Amazing Baby. 10 pages.

Five little ducks went out one day,
over the hill and far away.
Mother duck said,
Quack, quack, quack!
But only four little ducks came back.
Four little ducks went out one day,
over the hill and far away...

I enjoyed this board book. It's predictable. It's repetitive. It's fun. It makes a great read aloud. If your little one loves ducks--loves hearing the quack, quack, quack--then I would definitely recommend this one!

© Becky Laney of Young Readers