SING WITH ME!
Action Songs Every Child Should Know
illustrated by Naoko Stoop
Thirteen nursery songs, with hand motions included, to share with young ones.
Many of the songs are classics, a few more obscure, but each is delightfully illustrated with Stoop’s cozy warmth. “Down by the Station” features a bunny-faced locomotive, with rabbit engineer (paw firmly ready to pull the whistle), toting a train full of animal friends. The “Itsy-Bitsy Spider” makes its perilous journey as per usual, but Stoop’s elongated raindrops have hints of collaged text hidden in their shine. Other songs include “Pat-a-Cake” (with four-layer cake, topped with the letter “B”), “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” and “Polly Put the Kettle On.” The majority of the children featured have the same stark white skin as Stoop’s previous heroine, Red Knit Cap Girl (2012), though hair color and styles differ. The only variety can be found on the cover image (repeated on the rear endpapers) and in one interior spread. Stoop’s plywood canvas, with wood grain peeking through, echoes the aged, deep tradition of the songs, while the hazy shades of blues, greens, and oranges are like a snug hug.
Plenty of opportunity for adult-baby interaction and early-literacy singing skills
. (Picture book. 1-4)