Mother Goose

One of the reasons I'm so passionate about spreading the word on good children's books, is that there is a lot of junk out there. Sometimes, as a parent, it feel difficult to sift through all the poorly-written, weakly illustrated books, to find the true gems.

Lately I'm on a kick to promote the true children's classics. You know, like Babar and Tom Sawyer. And what is the most basic of all classic children's lit? Nursery Rhymes.

Besides being fun to read and (for me, at least) a sweet trip back to childhood, Mother Goose's best have a lot to offer our young children.

For instance:

*When hearing/reading nursery rhymes (and poetry in general), children learn rhyme, meter and intonation naturally.

*A lot of repetition is important for an emerging reader. Hearing a rhyme or story so often that a child memorizes it is an important step in the learning-to-read process.

*They are full of imaginative and unique characters and stories.

*Find a collection that has great illustrations, and you can add that to the list of benefits. My favorite is pictured above--Mary Engelbreit's Mother Goose: One Hundred Best-Loved Verses. Her illustrations are absolutely charming.

Blaine and I love to cozy up on the couch together and, when I am willing, he loves to listen to all one hundred. It makes me smile to think that these sweet little rhymes connect my childhood to his.