I forget when Elka first recited a nursery rhyme. That should be one of the things you include in a baby book. I know that at Christmas last year, not even two, she stood beside my Uncle Paul way after her bed time and lead eighteen of us in nursery rhyme after nursery rhyme. After each one, she demanded More! And so it went – baa baa after twinkle twinkle until she collapsed in a state of post nursery rhyme bliss.
Australian children’s author, Mem Fox, says that if a child knows six nursery rhymes by heart before the age of four, there’s a fairly good chance the child will be a great reader by the age of eight. Not that I particularly mind if Elka can read or not by the time she is eight (I’m a bit of a un-schooler at heart), I think she’s well on her way to being an avid reader, if Mem’s prediction is true.
There is something potent about nursery rhymes; strange little stories that they are. How about See-saw Margery Daw. Johnny should have a new master. He should have but a penny a day because he can’t work any faster? A little mean. Poor Johnny. This was obviously written before the French Revolution. Or Rock-a-bye baby on the tree top. When the wind blows, the cradle will rock. When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall. Down will come baby, cradle and all. I can never bring myself to sing it aloud.
Of all the books (wonderful books) Elka has on her book shelf, the one we return to night after night is the book of nursery rhymes. The rhymes are simple. Easy to remember. (Completely unethical). Most of them are recited on CDs we listen to in the car or are performed on Playschool. I cringe reading them – but Elka loves them.
Mem Fox wrote Good Night, Sleep Tight in 1988 to help children engage with nursery rhymes so they may potentially remember at least six before the age of four. The book has been re-created and released this year.
Judy Horacek, who illustrated one of Mem Fox’s most popular books, The Green Sheep, has breathed fresh life into Good Night, Sleep Tight.
It’s a beautiful, simple read. Skinny Doug, the favourite babysitter, recites nursery rhymes to Bonnie and Ben – two sleepy children. And the best part it, after you have read it once, you barely have to read it again, if the nursery rhymes are already familiar. You simply need to turn the pages, and the images prompt your memory so that the rhyme can fall playfully from your tongue.
I asked Elka – the best critic I know – for a verdict. She replied: Read it again. You can’t get a better credential.
Later that evening, she was sitting on the couch, alone, Good Night, Sleep Tight in lap. She is nearly three, and she was reciting the book cover to cover. Her love of the good old-fashioned nursery rhyme has primed her well for this lovely book.
Do you have a favourite Mem Fox book?
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{Linking with Jess at Essentially Jess for the last IBOT of the year.}
December 18, 2012 at 8:43 am
Both my girls adored ‘Green Sheep’. What a great book!! Teaching children to enjoy reading is a wonderful gift to give them. Rachel xx
December 18, 2012 at 9:30 am
Yes, the Green Sheep’s a classic x
December 18, 2012 at 8:44 am
Haven’t read a lot of Mem Fox, but we have had lots of books that have been recited and read over and over again. I need to make more time to read with the kids actually. Thanks for the reminder. xx
December 18, 2012 at 9:12 am
I love the Magic Hat. Love the rhyme.
December 18, 2012 at 9:12 am
I love the Magic Hat, love the rhyme.
December 18, 2012 at 9:32 am
I love Possum Magic, Ten Little Fingers and Green Sheep 🙂 I got to meet Mem Fox last week and we’ve been reading and rereading Good Night, Sleep Tight over and over again 🙂
December 18, 2012 at 10:23 am
Possum Magic was a favourite for me growing up, so it was one of the first books I bought my son! I don’t know about nursery rhymes, but I do remember the first time he recited The Very Hungry Caterpillar by heart and I was blown away!! I love that he loves to read! We were visiting the school he’s starting in January and one of the prep boys there read very well, and he wouldn’t have even been 6 yet!
December 18, 2012 at 9:34 pm
That’s amazing. Both those books were my favourites as a child and are now amongst my daughter’s favourites. x
December 18, 2012 at 10:27 am
Love Mem Fox’s stuff. Green Sheep has always been a winner at our place (if only the Small Child would take a leaf out of Green Sheep’s book and be fast asleep!!).
Also love Jackie French’s Diary of a Wombat.
December 18, 2012 at 9:34 pm
Green Sheep is so awesome. I sent it to our American family. They too loved it.
December 18, 2012 at 12:22 pm
Thank you, I am adding this to my -to buy- list for my 2 yr old’s Christmas gifts.
One of our Kinder teachers, who came new to the school 2 years ago, uses nursery rhymes as the foundation for the entire year. I thought that was such a wonderful idea.
December 18, 2012 at 9:33 pm
That is a great idea! Glad to have inspired a Chrissy present. x
December 18, 2012 at 12:36 pm
We like Hattie and the Fox. See saw marjorie daw is the song I sing for Summer, its hers. I can’t sing rock a bye out loud either, I was scared it would give the kids nightmares. Rhyme time at libraries is awesome for teaching nursery rhymes too, Izzy is three and sings along to every one now.
December 18, 2012 at 9:31 pm
Yes, Hattie and the Fox is a favourite here too. I think the book we have was mine as a child.
December 18, 2012 at 2:49 pm
we have hundreds of books but I don’t think we have any Mem Fox ones, I’ll have to remedy that. We have a huge book of nursery rhymes, Dex always goes to it when we say ‘just one more book’ because he knows he can get value out of it.
December 18, 2012 at 3:04 pm
Oh Zanni! This book will be perfect for my boys as we’ve been trying to find an easy bedtime book.
We love “Ten Little Fingers, Ten Little Toes” I remember when I first read it in a book store before I had the twins. I cried because it was just so beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
December 18, 2012 at 9:15 pm
You’re welcome Grace! Yes, a lovely present.