THE ITSY BITSY SPIDER AND FRIENDS

A first introduction to some of the best-known nursery rhymes, some shortened to fit the format.

Rhymes include such standards as “Humpty Dumpty,” “Three Blind Mice,” “Twinkle, Twinkle,” and more. Sturdy board pages and uncluttered illustrations guarantee that this book will hold up to use. Each page has just one rhyme in a large, readable font. As with any abbreviated telling, editorial decisions were necessary to keep some of the verses under eight lines. Presumably adult readers will know to add the verses for pigs, ducks, and horses even though only the sheep verse is included in this version of “Old MacDonald.” Inserting a “filler” verse—“Four, and then three, then two, then one— / Soon all of the five little ducks were gone!”—in the less-familiar “Five Little Ducks” song instead of counting all the ducklings down may present a problem for the uninitiated. A curious illustration decision was made on the “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep” page. While the black sheep is willing to provide three bags full, the wool shown is white, black, and brown. Skin tones are not 100-percent peach, and Little Miss Muffet is actively dark-skinned.

Any small irritations will not bother the intended audience—very young children who need a sturdy collection of nursery rhymes that can be handled and read again and again.