SCHOOLYARD RHYMES: KIDS' OWN RHYMES FOR ROPE SKIPPING, HAND CLAPPING, BALL BOUNCING, AND JUST PLAIN FUN

Selected by Judy Sierra
Illustrated by Melissa Sweet
ISBN: 9780375825163

Bibliography:
Sierra, Judy, and Melissa Sweet. 2005. Schoolyard Rhymes: Kids' Own Rhymes for Rope Skipping, Hand Clapping, Ball Bouncing, and Just Plain Fun. New York: Knopf.

Plot:
This book features a selection of rhymes and chants often heard on school playgrounds.

Analysis:
The bright, colorful pictures throughout this book will certainly capture a reader's interest. The rhymes are fun and easy to read. The repetitive, rhythmic patterns encourage the reader in a captivating way. Adult readers will also enjoy this book as it will allow them to reminisce about the times that they shared similar rhymes. These rhymes provide a bridge that connects the children of the past to the children of today.

Review Excerpts:
School Library Journal: "Sweet's animated watercolor-and-collage illustrations fill the pages with expressive faces, thin lines of verse shaped into jump ropes and borders, and hilarious interpretive scenes from the rhymes. This is a definite winner, as it will be enormously popular with children. "

Connections:
*These rhymes can be used throughout the school day to practice fluency skills.

*This book would serve as a great introduction to a poetry unit.