The Lap-Time Song and Play Book

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.