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Little Poems for Tiny Ears

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The dynamic, best-selling team of Lin Oliver and Tomie dePaola have created a charming collection of baby poems that makes the perfect gift for baby showers and first birthdays.For babies and toddlers, each moment is full of wonder and discovery. This delightful collection of original poems celebrates the everyday things that enthrall little ones, such as playing peekaboo, banging pots and pans, splashing at bath time, and cuddling at bedtime. Full of contagious rhythm and rhyme, this inviting picture book introduces young children to the sound of poetry, and beloved illustrator Tomie dePaola’s engaging children are the perfect match for Lin Oliver’s lighthearted poems. Together they’ve created a book to be treasured that captures the magic and fun of being new in the world.

32 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2014

15 people are currently reading
259 people want to read

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Lin Oliver

136 books60 followers

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5 stars
171 (30%)
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3 stars
158 (27%)
2 stars
46 (8%)
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11 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
Profile Image for Bridgett.
71 reviews3 followers
June 8, 2017
We really liked this one because Ben likes to turn the pages himself but he's not old enough to be precise about which page he turns to. He liked that no matter where he turned there was a small story and mama never made him go back to the next page.
Profile Image for booklady.
2,687 reviews131 followers
January 11, 2023
This is a sweet little book which covers many aspects of infancy, baby life moving into toddlerhood, such as riding in a stroller, discovering various parts of the body, animals, car seats, mobiles, highchairs, peekaboo and bathing. Also, the artwork by Tomie dePaola is utterly charming!

So far, our grandson won't let me read it to him. He wants stories which have a plot and action. Poetry doesn't fit into his repertoire. I haven't had a chance to read it to our granddaughter, but our daughter, says she has to read books 'on the crawl' because Little One is too active to sit still and listen.

Well, it's still a fun little book; maybe for later.
23 reviews1 follower
October 14, 2015
Title: Little Poems for Tiny Ears
Author: Lin Oliver
Illustrator: Tomie dePaola
Genre: Book of Poems
Theme(s): Learning about the beginning of a baby’s life
Opening line/sentence: “I see a baby in the mirror.”
Brief Book Summary: This is a book of poems for young children such as infants to be read to by their parents. The reading level of the book is very simple, so it would be good for preschoolers or kindergarteners to start recognizing words. The poems are about the day of a young child and what they might be doing, seeing, or feeling.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Kirkus Reviews- Twenty-three original, first-person poems for the very young. Following a multiethnic cast of little ones through their day and highlighting highchairs, strollers and other important objects in their lives, Oliver pens a set of poems tailor-made for tiny ears and minds. She quietly marvels at the wonder of toes: "Way down there at the end of my feet, / I've got ten toes; they're really sweet. / I can count them, make them wiggle. / When they're tickled, watch me giggle…. / I'll bet that you have ten toes too. / Can you count them like I do?" The simple definition of sneeze is spun with whimsy: "A sneeze / Is a breeze / In / Your / Nose." Throughout, the poems compel gentle caresses and interaction between adult and child. Varied rhythm and rhyme schemes enrich a baby's exploration of sound at the time when his or her developing mind needs it most. DePaola's round-faced babes, colored with delicate shading and cozy acrylics, wrap readers in warmth, while the square frames and initial letters mimic childhood blocks, bringing a touch of comfort and nostalgia to the package. A tenderly crafted collection that captures the joyous individual moments of infant discoveries.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Publisher’s Weekly- Twenty-three short poems written in the first-person viewpoints of infants and toddlers muse on the small discoveries and quietly joyful moments that are part of early childhood. Among them: learning to make new sounds; discovering one’s toes, bellybutton, mouth, and nose (“My tongue is pink/ And wet, I think./ In and out it goes./ It’s in my mouth/ A little south/ Of where you’ll find my nose”); cozying up to a parent; and making messes (“Watch me scoot across the floor./ I’m heading for the kitchen drawer/ To knock the pots and pans around/ And throw the dish towels on the ground”). In his distinctively serene illustrations, dePaola portrays children with rounded faces and smiling eyes as they navigate their environments and engage in familiar activities. Each scene is encapsulated within a tidy box, contributing to the overall ambiance of security and comfort, while creating the impression of framed photographs of milestone moments. An ethnically diverse cast of children and the ubiquity of delights that range from beloved pets to a father’s scratchy beard give this warmhearted collection broad appeal.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: Both of these reviews talk about the twenty-three simple poems that this book is comprised of. Although both reviews make it seem as if this book is only for infants and toddlers, I disagree because I think it can be used for kindergarten-aged children who are starting to recognize letters and simple words. I do agree with both reviews about the books illustrations. These illustrations are of babies and children with bright faces and soft colors- perfect for children reading the book to stay engaged.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: The literary elements throughout this book of poems are all very child friendly especially for younger children. The setting of the book is wherever the young child in the poems is whether it's outside on the playground or inside eating. The illustrations show this setting and all use very light colors because they are of babies and toddlers. The characterization of the children in the story is relatable for young students who might be reading the book.
Consideration of Instructional Application: Although many people think this book of poems is solely for parents to read to their infants, I think the reading level can be used for early elementary students. The poems are about babies and very young children, but I think I would be able to use this in a kindergarten classroom for students who are starting to recognize sounds and letters. The words in this book are very simple and short, making the reading level appropriate for kindergarteners to start looking at even if they can’t fully read it.
29 reviews1 follower
January 31, 2018
I really enjoyed reading these poems. The book is big and colorful and funny! Its a book full of poems from a babies perspective. Some poems make you wonder, is this what my baby is thinking when she/he does this? Overall its an easy read not very many "big" words, so some children may be able to read it by themselves and It's a good read.
Profile Image for Cara Wilson.
44 reviews1 follower
May 6, 2015
Little Poems for Tiny Ears by Lin Oliver
Cara W., Spring 2015

Poetry #1: NCTE Notable Poetry Book

I know I say this a lot, BUT THIS BOOK IS JUST ADORABLE. These are small poems that keep children entertained at such a young age. This would be a great read for when children are just starting to talk and trying to form new words in their heads and mouths. These poems also pertain to the children a lot.

I think this book is actually great for all ages even though the NCTE website says this is for Preschool children. I say this because if you are a teacher, this book would be great to introduce different kinds of poems and serve as a source when guiding the children to write their own poems. I will be buying this book and reading it to my baby girl when she arrives.
Profile Image for Maria Shuffit.
406 reviews20 followers
December 7, 2016
A cute collection of poems spoken from the point of view of a little tot. I thought there was a good range of different rhyme schemes and liked that it covered a lot of little curiosities, like a poem about dogs, another one about belly buttons, another about bath time, etc. The illustrations were nice and I appreciated that they were very inclusive, showing babies and families of various ethnic backgrounds. Not a book that I liked well enough to add to my personal collection, but might be perfect for another parent wanting to read to their little one!
2,684 reviews
July 13, 2017
This is a great idea but we ended up being disappointed by it. The illustrations were warm but a bit saccharine and the poems were lacking.
Profile Image for Danielle T.
1,206 reviews13 followers
September 16, 2024
Thanks, Aunt Dolly for August's book (I'll log July's Richard Scarry's 100 First Words/Las primeras 100 palabras de Richard Scarry one of these days if I haven't already, though we have read that). A lot of cute little poems with babies of various backgrounds (there is an indigenous baby that you can tell from visual cues, without anything in the poems or text to draw your attention to it), though I do think some of the poems are written for a younger audience than who they might be read to? Development is a wide range though so who knows... plopping food on the floor is gonna last a while, I think.
26 reviews1 follower
December 11, 2020
1. N/A
2. Prek
3. This book contains different poems for little kids. It has rhymes in it ans poems that little kids will enjoy, especially with something they are familiar with like peek-a-boo and more.
4. This book would be great to read to small children because it will teach them about all types of poetry.
5. For an activity we could read this together as a class and maybe even have a child read the book with the teacher.
Profile Image for Jessica.
1,175 reviews1 follower
December 30, 2021
A good collection of poems for young children. Relatable on the topics. Playful, animated, colorful, multicultural illustrations; the usual dePaola speciality. There is a poem, “My Nose” which particularly reminds me a of a poem from Shel Silverstein…almost too much similarity, though it’s been a long time since I’ve read it. Very few made up words to force the rhyme, which drives me crazy! This books makes me want to be a parent.
Profile Image for Kate M. Colby.
Author 19 books76 followers
August 30, 2024
Jack received this book from the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

He enjoys the “audiobook” experience in which I read to him while he plays, so I thought these poems would be perfect for that. It worked well. He enjoyed listening to them and would stop to inspect the book when a subject interested him—like the nose, belly button, and cat poems. The poems are short and silly, but really capture the baby spirit.
40 reviews
November 3, 2020
I thought this was a very cute book for babies and toddlers, as it had very simple poems about content that is relatable to very young readers. This would be a good way to introduce very early literacy as children may pick up on the rhymes as it is repetitively read to them. The pictures in this poetry collection were very cute and complimented the poems as well.
Profile Image for Sara.
2,047 reviews14 followers
August 6, 2018
My daughter loves this book of poems. She really interacts with it. There is a peekaboo poems and when I read it to her, she plays peekaboo along with the poem. Really lovely. It got bent up a little in the mail, but it's still in good condition.
Profile Image for Marissa.
195 reviews2 followers
October 12, 2018
I like this book primarily because it's a collection of short poems related to being a baby that use simple words. The poems are entertaining, you can read only one or two at a time, and it's a good introduction to hearing different forms of spoken language.
24 reviews2 followers
Read
May 4, 2020
This book is full of everything new plus rhythm and rhymes to keep the children intrigued. It has many poems that are simplistic but teach the children new things that are fun to do and play. Poems are a great way to keep children’s attention.
43 reviews
April 22, 2021
This is a really cute book that my friend told me about after saying I was struggling with finding kids poetry that I like. While this book is based around pre-schooling age, it uses easy language that would be possible for a younger student to read.
Profile Image for Gabrielle Stoller.
2,249 reviews43 followers
January 21, 2022
This book isn't bad per se. Some of the poems are sweet. some are odd. I do love that the poems basically progress through a baby's day--from digging in the kitchen drawers to the blanket they sleep with. Still, I know there are books very similar that I like better.
Profile Image for Belinda Grimbeek.
Author 4 books2 followers
July 8, 2022
A lovely book with lovely poems and lovely pictures to be read by lovely parents to their lovely children for lovely family moments.

Just lovely!

#kidspicturebooks #childrensbooks #poemsforchildren
71 reviews
March 20, 2023
I loved this book and I think it's a great way to introduce poems at a young age. I would recommend this book for young children ages birth-3. This book talks all about different aspects of life at such a young age.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
12.6k reviews479 followers
May 4, 2023
I almost gave it two stars because the rhymes and vocabulary are important for tiny ears. But there are so many collections that are so much better. I found this trivial and almost everything about to be instantly forgettable. LFL find.
Profile Image for Jack.
52 reviews16 followers
August 7, 2024
This was a gift from a dear friend, and what a lovely little book of poems! The illustrations are precious, and the whole thing is the perfect length for a bedtime story, at least for an 11-month-old.
Profile Image for Jennifer Wilson.
Author 2 books40 followers
December 31, 2017
There are a few standout poems in the bunch and a few that I tend to skip, but overall this is a very sweet book to read to little ones. I highly recommend it. A great introduction to the genre.
Profile Image for Lori.
1,164 reviews53 followers
February 4, 2018
Illustrations are better than than the poems in this one. Audience level for this title is probably about 18 to 30 months.
Profile Image for Heather Jo.
1,879 reviews9 followers
August 9, 2018
megan summer reading 2018, children's book, picture book, rhymes,
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Leslie.
1,924 reviews20 followers
April 27, 2019
I love this book of poems for babies! It's a great introduction to poetry and the illustrations are Tomie dePaola at his best. A great baby gift.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews

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