Big Green Crocodile: Rhymes to Say and Play

“Stripy tigers, stripy zebras…”, “Bibb-ly, bobb-ly, Bibb-ly, bobb-ly. Brontosaurus ride…”, “Fishy in the ocean, Fishy in the sea…” these cheerful little rhymes trip off the tongue inviting participation and the enjoyment of sounds and actions as they are meant to do. This is a lively and engaging collection of contemporary action rhymes to be chanted (or just recited) with actions for babies and toddlers; the suggested actions are detailed in neat inserts with each verse, no equipment required, just you and the child – and hands, feet and faces. There is no pretension – Jane Newberry captures the mood of a Rhyme Time or that moment between granny and baby (or toddler). Here there is no abstruse vocabulary, no difficult sentiments, this is for today. Accompanying each rhyme are illustrations by Carolina Rabei. They are a perfect match. Her child-friendly images bounce, zoom, creep and bump off the pages filling the space with a lively visual experience. The colours are vibrant and textured – in tune with the immediacy of the words. This is a book that fills that gap – what to give for the new arrival in the family or what to use in a Story Time designed for the very, very youngest; something that can find immediate use. So get zooming to the moon or tap,tap,tapping with those wooden spoons – it will be fun.