Product Description

Pat a cake, pat a cake, baker's man Bake me a cake as fast as you can. Pat it and prick it and mark it with B. And put it in the oven for baby and me. This comprehensive collection contains over 100 of the best-loved rhymes, verses, and songs of childhood. In addition to all the traditional classics, Kady MacDonald Denton has also included some new and unexpected rhymes in this joyful, spirited book. Accompanied by a 45-minute CD, this beautiful package enables young children to sing along to lullabies, cheerful action rhymes, playful schoolyard ditties and favourite childhood songs. Kady MacDonald Denton's beautiful visual interpretations sparkle with humour and warmth. They will delight young children and evoke fond childhood memories in adult readers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1620016 in Books
• Published on: 2004-04-19
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 96 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Denton (Would They Love a Lion?) rounds up the usual suspects, offers a smattering of mostly well-chosen newcomers, and ends up with a winning collection of more than 100 rhymes. The volume is loosely arranged in four parts: rhymes to accompany the knee-dawdling of babyhood, Mother Goose golden oldies for the toddler years, action rhymes for denizens of the schoolyard, and finally, a potpourri for encouraging participation that ranges from riddles to The Owl and the Pussycat. A few of the selections are misplaced (e.g., the jaunty lyrics of "Baby Face" don't jibe rhythmically with the rest of the poems; Robert Burns's "O, my luve is like a red, red rose..." isn't likely to capture the attention of youngsters), but the fresh discoveries far outnumber them. The gently rolling rhythm of a Nantucket lullaby evokes foamy waves and elusive whales; a charmer from Ghana soothes a disquieted little one: "Listen to the tree bear/ Crying in the night/ Crying for his mammy/ In the pale moonlight/ What will his mammy do/ When she hears him cry?/ She'll tuck him in a cocoa pod/ And sing a lullaby." Arranging Denton's playful vignettes, spot art and full-spread paintings upon clean white pages, the book's crisp layout ensures that the quantity of material never overwhelms readers. Denton's breezy, often impish watercolors (which owe a debt to Sendak's early work) shake the dust off even the most familiar ditties. Ages 3 mos.-5 yrs.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 4-Whimsical pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations make this collection of over 100 rhymes, riddles, lullabies, and songs stand out from the many other anthologies available. Jack and Jill are two mischievous kittens who, after knocking over a vase of flowers in the living room, lap up the water they've spilled on the floor. "She'll be coming round the mountain" is a rollicking two-page spread of words and pictures that nearly jumps off the page. The four sections are arranged chronologically from verses that will entertain babies, to toddlers' play-and-action rhymes, to the playground chants and nonsense verses of school-age children, to sing-alongs, tongue twisters, and limericks. Each of the sections includes an illustrated rhyme that runs along the tops of the pages, inviting children to follow along as each page is turned, or to linger over each page's detailed pictures and poems. An index of titles and first lines is included. A fine addition for all collections that serve young children.
Joan Zaleski, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Canadian illustrator Denton's definition of nursery rhymes includes not only Mother Goose but also lots of the best folk rhymes from everywhere and even a few classic poems. The combination works perfectly for very young children. Roughly organized into four sections are chants for bouncing babies, songs that follow a toddler's day, playground rhymes and nonsense about school, and, for older kids, sing-alongs, tongue-twisters, riddles, and limericks. Also included is "My Luve Is like a Red Red Rose" (why not chant it to the baby?) and favorites such as "The Owl and the Pussycat." The selections, mainly British, are good to use with other folklore collections, such as Alvin Schwartz's And the Green Grass Grew All Around (1992). There is lots of white space on the oversize pages, and Denton's small, dancing watercolors of people and creatures are light and joyful, wild and funny, expressing the mischief, farce, and tenderness of the verses we all love. Share this with parents and caregivers who want to recite what they remember as they play with their kids. Hazel Rochman