Fly Like a Bird! ¦ Yes It Does, No It Doesn't; Row ¦ Row, Row the Boat ¦ Now You Try!

Books which invite active participation on behalf of the learner reader are in theory a very good idea for beginners but these four 'Reading Games' titles in the Early Learn Together series aimed at three to five-year-olds and their parents require far too much in the way of physical activity thus diverting attention away from the books. Three of the series invite participants through captions and cartoon-style pictures to jump, hop, leapfrog and so on whilst Yes It Does, No It Doesn't poses questions which remind me all too much of a well-known reading test. Anyone prepared to devote the time and effort required to share these books and activities would be better employed reading and sharing the numerous pictures books and rhymes that are available. If approached in the right manner reading itself is a play-like activity but the focus of attention is the thing itself i.e. reading and the text.