As a parent, if you are singing nursery rhyme to your kids, you might be telling the same poem and takes that you were told by your parents and grandparent from centuries ago! I’m sure when parents sing the nursery rhyme for the kids, they enjoy it too. There are plenty of rhyme books for kids that we are going to talk about here.
It is surely fun but more than that, it helps and teaches your kids more than you actually think of. Kids play and understand language with rhymes and these books also tell great stories to our kids and have great rhymes in them.
Rhymes Book For Kids:
Take a look at the list of rhyming books for your kids to read or to be read aloud.
1. Sing to the Sun, by Ashley Bryan: The book possesses amazingly beautiful collection of art and poetry. Ashley Bryan loves to celebrate every aspect of life which is beautiful for the kids to listen to and enjoy. From rain shower at the seashore to the beloved grandmother gathering fruits, all of it expressed with beautiful thoughts. It makes a book perfect for reading aloud to the elementary age kids. The heartfelt and warm poem touches all those who read. It is a collection of 23 poems talking about everything from animals, family, flowers, music and weather with the colorful pictures which are appealing to the reader.
2. In the Eyes of a Cat: Japanese Poetry, by Demi: The author, Demi, explains about the sea’s color on a sunny day or in winters comparing it to the eyes of the cat. The book indulges young readers to be introduced to the delicate intricacies of Japanese nature poetry. The 77 adaptations of traditional poems leave the impression of astonishment. The poems are arranged according to the seasons and the verses are interactive enough to achieve a shifting time. “The sun is setting / On the tail / Of the copper pheasant” to the text rhymes “How visibly / The gentle morning airs / Stir in the caterpillar’s / Silky hairs” the author gives a complete illustration on each page beautifully. The poetry includes poems about ducklings, kittens and horses as well as sea slugs and mud snails.
3. This Big Sky, by Pat Mora: The evocative collection of combination of poems by Pat Mora is simple yet superb words with the collage images by Steve Jenkins. He has beautifully done the textured cut-paper illustration work that evokes the power of this past where every dream has a piece of sky and every heart has home. The author has been able to capture the mystery of American Southwest, focus on the beauty and stories untold. Rich in imagination, evoking the terrain and denizens of the American Southwest in the poems.
4. The Random House Book of Poetry for Children, edited by Jack Prelutsky: The handpicked books for kids are full of colorful pictures for the kids to enjoy. It is the finest books for children recommended by experts. This book offers both funny and illuminating poems for the kids personally selected by the nation’s first Children’s Poet Laureate, Jack Prelutsky. The classic poems featuring the wealth of the past and modern glittering gems, every child feels like opening the treasure and unveils the world of surprises and delights which will instill a longingness of poetry in kids and love for it. It features 572 unforgettable poems and over 400 illustrations of one of a kind from the Caldecott- which is the winning illustration of the Frog and Toad series. This collection is simply the perfect way to introduce the kids to the world of poetry.
5. A Child’s Garden of Verses, by Robert Louis Stevenson: A Child’s Garden of Verses is a collection of poetry for kids by the author Robert Louis Stevenson. This collection first was published in 1885 under Penny Whistles, however, has been reprinted many times in illustrated versions. It has 65 poems written including classic “Foreign Children”, “The Lamplighter”, “The Land of counterpane”, “Bed in Summer”, “My Shadow” and “The swing”.
6. The Cat In The Hat by Dr. Seuss! There are umpteen reasons to love books written by Dr. Suess. “Poor Sally and her brother. It’s cold and wet and they’re stuck in the house with nothing to do . . . until a giant cat in a hat shows up, transforming the dull day into a madcap adventure and almost wrecking the place in the process!” The Cat in the Hat is the first random house beginner book that changed the way kids learn how to read. All the books by Dr. Seuss is considered to be very good for teaching the right things along with excellent phonics and connect the sounds to the letters and words, suiting all age group for children. One of the best rhyming books for kindergarten kids and to read aloud to them.
7. The Rhyme Along Board Book series by Dianne O’Quinn Burke that comes in a perfect size for the little kids to handle, tell the age old stories of Itsy Bitsy Spider etc. A great little read for the little one!
8. The newer Padded Nursery Rhyme Board Books by Sanja Rescek which is padded covers around the corners of the book and has illustrated collection of 20 familiar nursery rhymes and lullabies for the kids.
9. My Very First Mother Goose board book series, illustrated by Rosemary Wells: Introducing the magical world to kids is very easy via such books. The admired words of Mother Goose which kids love to hear. This book captures the very simple joy and clever humor that are the essence of Mother Goose. Children along with parent find themselves exploring this volume together, savoring delightful details and funny surprises that every page has in store. The book is very promising and has power to bring quiet smiles and merry grins for the kids of all age.
10. Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae is a very cute story about a giraffe that gets giggled at because he doesn’t know how to dance. With the new found confidence that a cricket gives him about “different isn’t always bad”, he begins to dance! The illustrations are entertaining and the rhyming text has the impeccable pace to keep the story going. This is undoubtedly many kids’ favorite book.
11. Parts by Tedd Arnold is so humorous. Kids follow along as a 5-year-old boy begins observing things about his body he’d certainly not noticed earlier. Like the belly button lint, peeling skin, snot, etc. His apprehensive assumptions about his body falling apart makes you have the laugh of your day. Kids above 2 years get the humor mostly because they have it as simple as possible for the kids to enjoy. But marginally grown-up kids will be laughing hysterically at how silly the little boy’s concerns are.
12. How Big Is a Pig? By Claire Beaton is a much loved books for most of the kids. It has a lovely felt illustration which makes it even better. The elements amaze the kids and helps distract them from any other thing or get bored. The story in itself is amazing which focuses on parallels in the farm yard with a peppy rhyming text.
13. I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More! By Karen Beaumont is definite to entertain your child. Toddlers laugh and anticipate the rhyming text and have fun! To the tune of “It Ain’t Gonna Rain No More,” one imaginative kid floods his world with color, first painting the walls, then the ceiling, then of course, himself! Before he could be done, he has well painted his back, head, nose, legs, feet and …. everything you could think of. Karen Beaumont has turned an infamous childhood activity into a fun story with a silly twist of art of self-expression.
14. Granny Went to Market by Stella Blackstone: This is a fantastic book that is full of language arts, math lessons, and geography. Granny is a traveler and wherever she goes she picks up a number of souvenirs. Not only are a number of countries like Mexico, Switzerland and Peru visited, but the best part about the souvenirs is that she buys something that relates to the country’s culture and offers even more learning openings to interest the kids. The rhyming text will enthrall even the youngest world traveler, this is essential for any jet-setting family!
15. Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown is one of kid’s favorite books to read although it takes a while before they get a hang of the book. A classic barnyard story which has a lulling text and exquisite illustration by the author like following the animals in a farm as they make noises, play and roam around in the grass then return to the big red barn to fall sound asleep. A wonderful book for anytime, but especially effective before bed.
Toddlers without grabbing the book or ripping the pages are ready to pay attention to a story, but they might not be ready for lengthy stories. Books of nursery rhymes are a great change to longer books because you can read as many or as few rhymes as your infant prefers.
Activities For Kids: Indulge kids into some fun activities to interest them even more into reading and reciting nursery rhymes.
- Create world families by using the refrigerator magnets to spell a word ending with (-ap). Encouraging kids to put the letters in from of the word ending to create other rhyming words (tap, cap, map, lap).
- Fill in the blanks: Children get to answer this. You read the poems aloud and leave off the end words, letting your kid to fill the missing rhyming word.
- Jack and Jill went up the _____, to fetch a pail of water.
- Jack fell down and broke his _____, Jill came tumbling after.
- Create a rhyming dictionary: Make separate pages for the words ending with -op, -end, – ing and, -oat, -ouble etc. Give them some examples and let them work on few more words. For example for –ouble as trouble, double etc.
- Involve kids in reading poetry: When they read books, get them to read poetry too such that they learn and practice for fluency in reading with pauses and breaks.
Do you have favorite books that rhyme and we did not mention about? You know we love to hear from you, comment about your thoughts and opinions.
