FAVORITE BOOKS/SONGS RIGHT NOW FOR THE TODDLER?

[mary b]

Hi, I am finding we are in need of some new books at get at the library. We have TONS of books, but they are mainly picture/learing/ABC or the Curious George and Dr. Seuss ones. We have started to "talk" about the stories more and I would love to konw everyone's favorites for the curious toddler that are relatively short so she can remember parts of the story.


Also, any fun games/songs right now?
Our favorite is one I sang when I saw a girl and I asked a friend for the lyrics since I couldn't remember all of it. We sit in DD's playhouse in the backyard and sing See See my playhouse and do the clapping with it at the same time. Anyone remember this??

See See my playhouse, come out and play with me,
and my dollies 3
climb up my appletree,
slide down my rainbarrel
unto my cellar door
and we'll be jolly friends
for ever more, 1-2-3-4. (the words might be slightly off!)


Mary
mom to Noelle and Lindsey

[August Mom]

The Kissing Hand is a wonderful book, especially if preschool/daycare/school is in the picture. It is a very touching book, but with a simple concept. http://tinyurl.com/yuunb

The Gigantic Turnip is very fun and is somewhat of a counting/animal identification book with an overall theme of working together. http://tinyurl.com/yvrqa

I would check out some of the Barefoot Books (publisher). I have found the ones I've seen to be nicely illustrated with good messages and interesting/easy stories. http://www.barefoot-books.com/us/site/pages/home.php

[MelissaTC]

Matthew loves the Sandra Boynton books. After reading the rave reviews for "Philadelphia Chickens" cd, I bought it for him. He absolutely LOVES it! His favorites are "Snugglepuppy" and "It's Pajama Time". He BEGS me to read these books to him and to play the cd so we can sing along. It is too cute.

[Lucia]

Here are a few books my son has been enjoying lately:

*Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (hardback version, more complete than board book)

*Baby Beluga board book (nicely illustrated book version of the Raffi song)

*The I Spy board books (he just recently started liking these...kind of an exciting little search and find game)

Any Sandra Boyton book

Any lift-the-flap book


My son also loves songs with finger actions. His favorites are itsy -bitsy spider, where is thumbkin?, twinkle-twinkle little star, and head-shoulder-knees and toes. I am not familiar with the song you printed above, but it sounds cute.

Lucia
mom to Noah

[Lucia]

You might also enjoy checking out Chinaberry books....great book cataglogue with wonderful reviews about books for all ages! Here is their website:

www.chinaberrybooks.com

Have fun reading!

Lucia

[trumansmom]

That was my favorite rhyme/hand game as a little girl! I can't wait to teach that to Eleanor some day! The words we used were only slightly different. I grew up saying, "Say, say, oh playmate..." and ending with "forever more, more, more!"

Thanks for reminding me of that!

And I second the "I Spy" books. We're going on a car trip later this month, and I was going to pick up some more of these. DS LOVES them.

Jeanne
Mom to Truman 11/29/01 and Eleanor 4/14/04

[phirey]

If it's something you can describe easily, what are the finger actions for twinkle twinkle little star???

DD is really into finger plays, but all I know is itsy bitsy spider and bringin' home a baby bumblebee. I know there's 5 little monkeys, too, but I don't know the finger actions. Can anyone help on these and others?

Thanks

[Lucia]

Here's what we do for twinkle twinkle little star:

*open and shut fingers while singing the twinkle part

*wave arms above head during "up above the world so high"

*form a diamond using thumbs and index fingers during the "like a diamond in the sky.


Another fun finger play song is "where is thumbkin?" Do you know this one?

I would love to know the song about five monkeys, please share!

Thanks,
Lucia
mom to Noah 2/2003

[Hallie_D]

DS can recite Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? pretty much by heart. He loves loves loves that book. Sometimes he wakes up in the morning and immediately starts telling the story!

Other current favorites include How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight, Where the Wild Things Are, Goodnight Moon, Baby Colors and Baby Animals Counting Book.

[mhanscom]

Squiggles really likes "I wear my tutu everywhere" and "Little Quack" It is a version of 5 little ducks. She also still loves to read Nursery Rhymes, which are very important in learning how to read-studies have shown that rhyming is very important.

Hope this helps!

[KarenNYC]

Ryan LOVES The Wheels on the Bus by Paul O. Zelinsky - it has moveable parts and he can sit for ages "reading" it and making the wheels go round and the wipers swish etc....

Karen

[jlcana]

Here's the monkey song we sing in playgroup every week:

The verse is first, then hand motions. Start with whatever number you want, this is how many times you sing the verse.

3 little monkeys jumping on the bed-3 fingers bouncing on open palm.
1 fell off and bumped his head-raise fingers to forehead.
Mommy call the Dr. and the Dr. said-make phone with hand to ear.
No more monkeys jumping on the bed-shake index finger like "no".

2 little monkeys, 1 little monkey etc.

No little monkeys jumping on the bed-open palms facing up.
None fell off and bumper his head-raise fingers to forehead.
Mommy called the Dr. and the Dr. said-make phone with hand to ear.
Put those monkeys back on the bed!

We have sang this so much, it sometimes runs through my head when I'm bored!

Lisa
Christopher 3/18/02
Another boy EDD 9/20/04

[AngelaS]

Gabrielle's favorite is a Veggie Tales book called Bob and Larry's ABC. She calls it "Bobby A" and it gets read about 5 times a day here! When we're done with that Bob book, she gets "an aloe Bob" which would be 'another Bob'.... We have 6 and we generally sit and read them ALL at once. :D

[raynjen]

My Noelle likes: That's Good/That's Bad; Go Dog Go!; What Shall We Do, Blue Kangaroo?; No Jumping On The Bed; If You Give A Mouse A Cookie; Bear Snores On; Where's Wallace?; Mike Mulligan and Maryanne; and a bunch more.

We also used to sing that song, but we had two verses for it

Say, say my playmate
come out and play with me
I'll bring my dollies three
climb up my apple tree
slide down my rainbow
into my bedroom door
and we'll be jolly friends
forever more, more, more, 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 4

and then...

Say, say my enemy
come out and fight with me
I'll bring my bulldogs three
climb up my thornbrush tree
slide down my razorblades (!)
into my dungeon door
and we'll be jolly enemies
.....

bloodthirsty lot, weren't we?

Our two most requested songs right now are; Eddie Stone Light and Houvan, Houvan - both songs my father sang to me as a child.

Eddie Stone Light has sound effects and hand signs (I think my dad made them up, not sure on that) Houvan, Houvan has no hand signs, but it has a lot of repetition which I think she likes...

Jen in Okinawa
Mom to a wonderful preschooler,
who is almost three, Noelle!

[jadamom]

This website has the lyrics to many songs and nursery rhymes:
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~pfa/dreamhouse/nursery/rhymes.html