Pease Porridge Hot

July 1, 2011

PreS-Each of these books includes activities and a page describing the "Benefits of Nursery Rhymes and Activity Songs." The first selection is mundane compared to Rosemary Wells's charming board book (Scholastic, 2006). The bear climbs up the mountain, looks around, starts down the other side, trips and falls, and at the bottom shrugs his shoulders. Wells's little bear gathers flowers along the way and at the end gives them to his mother, shouting, "Hooray!" There are more appealing versions of The Farmer in the Dell, including the one illustrated by Ilse Plume (Godine, 2004), which takes place in a Pennsylvania Dutch community. There are seven verses in London Bridge. The well-executed art has a dark aspect to it with the animals looking more malevolent than harmless, especially the crow. Pease Porridge Hot is sweetly illustrated in pastel colors and depicts a little girl feeding her dolls and stuffed animals. Overall, these are additional purchases for larger collections with gaps to be filled.-Elaine Lesh Morgan, formerly at Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2011
Preschool-K The slim volumes in the Childrens Favorite Activity Songs series each contain a page explaining the benefits of nursery rhymes and activity songs. The bullet-pointed list notes that singing along helps memory, expands vocabulary, builds a childs self-confidence, and sharpens listening skills, among other reasons. The songs themselves will already be familiar to some children; regardless, information at the back explains the activity. The short rhyme of Pease Porridge Hot is bolstered by a hand-clapping game. The colorful art features front-and-center characters against white space, all of whom seem to be having a fine time.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)