Poetry for Three Year Olds

I must admit that I haven't been reading many poems to my twins. I have read many rhyming books and Mother Goose which is as close to poetry as I have come. I am also about to take an online course from the Association for Library Service to Children called Sharing Poetry with Children. So I wonder...

What are some good beginning poetry books for preschoolers?

Some recommended poetry collections are...

Read-Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young by Jack Prelutsky

anthology of 200 rhymes and verse that will turn your preschooler on to poetry.

The Fish Is Me!: Bathtime Rhymes by Neil Philip

Lather up with this collection of 18 effervescent poems about tub-time.

The Llama Who Had No Pajama by Mary Ann Hoberman

These 100 poems include silly poems as well as those that will get children to think about topics ranging from animals to family.

Eric Carle’s Animals Animals compiled by Laura Whipple.
Eric Carle’s vibrant artwork illustrates a selection of poems by a wide range of authors. Best for older preschoolers.

Are there any other favorite poets or poetry books for preschoolers that you like?

How Do Dinosaurs Series is a Favorite!

We have been enjoying the How Do Dinosaurs...series by Jane Yolen for a long time. I was reading aloud How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? when the twins were 6 months old. By the time they were one we were acting out some of the dinosaurs actions such as stomping feet and kissing goodnight. We now have the entire series and it is among our favorite read alouds. There are even 4 board books in addition to the 4 picture books. I just discovered that Scholastic has a great website on the How Do Dinosaurs... series. There are also great plush dinosaurs that go along with the books by Merrymakers. We have collected three of the dinosaur stuffed animals and the twins love to hold the dinosaur while we read the book. Now if I had an endless supply of money - I would buy these adorable dinosaur pj's....

It's All About Eric Carle...

My twins are obsessed with Eric Carle books this week. This obsession started when I borrowed The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Stories DVD from the library. It really is an adorable cartoon version of five of Eric Carle's books. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is and will always be a favorite, but the twins are asking for other Eric Carle books because of watching the DVD. First we borrowed Papa Get the Moon For Me. This book is excellent because of the fold out and pop out pages. They also enjoy the Mixed Up Chameleon. They seem to compare the book version to the movie version and tell me which parts are missing from the book. On our next library trip they would like to find The Very Quiet Cricket. I am very aware that sometimes the cricket sound is not working in the library's copy of the book and it really is important to the story that the cricket sound works properly. (As a librarian - this is the difficulty of Eric Carle's books...they are just not library friendly). I also want to find the Clumsy Click Beetle...another noise making insect story.

I really enjoy visiting the official website of Eric Carle. I also hope to visit the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art as well in the future. I'm not sure who will like the museum more - me or the twins.

What are some of your favorite Eric Carle books?