Clare Beaton's Farmyard Rhymes

Review also includes Clare Beaton’s Bedtime Rhymes, 978-1846867378

These two small, square board books have themes that are entirely appropriate for the very youngest children. There are seven rhymes per book, each rhyme being allocated a double page spread. A donkey, Mrs Hen and her chicks, a pig, a cow, ducks and ‘Horsie’ are the animals featured in Farmyard Rhymes. The rhymes are thoughtfully sequenced so that in the opening pages, Donkey brays to wake the sleepy world through to Horsie and child passengers bound for home as evening falls.

In Bedtime Rhymes we start with the crow calling children to bed and move through a promise of Nanny Button-Cap, Willie Winkie, owls, a coach and horses, Brahms lullaby and a final lunar blessing.

In both books, every rhyme is graced by a beautifully hand crafted fabric collage illustration in which clever use is made of sequins, buttons, trimmings and other items one might find in a sewing box. These two lovely books are perfect for babies. There is so much for sheer enjoyment and alongside, enormous potential for visual and verbal development. In addition they can be used and enjoyed by children in early years settings who can begin to pick out the words in favourite familiar rhymes.