FIVE LITTLE FRIENDS

Taylor and Woodcock’s collection of 35 short rhymes invites children to use their fingers, arms, and even their whole bodies to bring the verses—and their imaginations—to life.

The entries range in subject matter from the mundane to the fanciful. Many deal with everyday activities such as teeth brushing, shoelace tying, and cake baking, contrasting with those concerned with more dramatic experiences, including sliding down a water slide and viewing fireworks. Rhymes about sailing on a ship and climbing a tree harness young imaginations, while “On My Phone” wryly encourages children to mimic the harried adults in their lives. Taylor’s poems are quickly paced and driven by action (“Stomp like an elephant. / Step like a cat. / Fly like an eagle. / Flitter like a bat”), while Woodcock’s illustrations employ crayoned linework and painted and spattered color to portray busy children with varied skin tones, hair textures, and abilities. She cleverly incorporates visual cues into her compositions to suggest actions for the rhymes. In “Snake,” a child’s undulating arm is encased in a diamond-patterned sleeve, with googly eyes and a forked tongue added just for fun. In “Snow,” kids’ white-frosted hands stretch like tree branches and join together to mimic pointed roofs. Fingerplays have long been used by children’s librarians, teachers, and caregivers to encourage kinesthetic learning and help with transitions during school days and storytimes; this inspired offering will ensure hours of enlightening fun.

A fresh, wonderfully creative, and visually engaging array of rhymes to get kids moving.