HEAD, SHOULDERS, KNEES, AND TOES

The classic song presented verse by verse with animal accompaniment.

This board book “sings” readers through the childhood favorite “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.” At the Cat’s Meow Dance School, a pink kitty wearing a sweatband teaches other animals the movements that accompany the song. The book walks through the whole song twice, the second time without the step-by-step moves but with images of the animals playing instruments and dancing. The book begins with helpful encouragement to readers to sing and follow along with the movements and wraps up by suggesting another round. The illustrations show just the animals against a white background; there’s no other scene-setting save the dance studio sign. The dancing critters are cute enough, with wide cartoon eyes and childlike features. Some of the animals, like the narwhal and the octopus (which have neither knees nor toes), seem like odd choices, though the narwhal is adorable in its striped shirt. Song-to-book translations are well-tread territory, particularly for the infant and toddler population. This one, while nicely done, doesn’t present anything new or refreshing. Readers looking to add something exciting to their crowded shelves can pass this one up, while those seeking a decent presentation of a classic will be satisfied. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Not head and shoulders above similar titles.