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Read-Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young
This long beloved poetry treasury from acclaimed anthologist Jack Prelutsky is now available in paperback for the very first time!
America's favorite children's poet and anthologist, Jack Prelutsky has selected more than 200 poems for every occasion, every event, every experience that a young child encounters, from waking up in the morning to going to bed at night, all written by popular and well-known twentieth century poets. Each poem is artfully brought to life in the bright, playful illustrations of award-winning artist Marc Brown.
From cover to cover, this fantastic anthology is filled with timeless fun that will open young minds to the magic and meaning of words and enchant both parents and children for generations to come.
"A spirited collection, covering the day from dawn to dusk. Exuberantly illustrated." — The New York Times Book Review
America's favorite children's poet and anthologist, Jack Prelutsky has selected more than 200 poems for every occasion, every event, every experience that a young child encounters, from waking up in the morning to going to bed at night, all written by popular and well-known twentieth century poets. Each poem is artfully brought to life in the bright, playful illustrations of award-winning artist Marc Brown.
From cover to cover, this fantastic anthology is filled with timeless fun that will open young minds to the magic and meaning of words and enchant both parents and children for generations to come.
"A spirited collection, covering the day from dawn to dusk. Exuberantly illustrated." — The New York Times Book Review
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
18 people are currently reading
587 people want to read
About the author
Jack Prelutsky
148 books232 followersJack Prelutsky is an American poet. He attended New York public schools, and later the High School of Music and Art and Hunter College. Prelutsky, who has also worked as a busboy, furniture mover, folk singer, and cab driver, claims that he hated poetry in grade school because of the way it was taught. He is the author of more than 30 poetry collections including Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep< and A Pizza the Size of the Sun. He has also compiled countless children's anthologies comprised of poems of others'. Jack Prelutsky was married to Von Tre Venefue, a woman he had met in France. They divorced in 1995, but Jack remarried. He currently lives in Washington state with his wife, Carolyn. He befriended a gay poet named Espiritu Salamanca in 1997 and both now work together in writing poems and stories for children and adults alike.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
February 26, 2018
I enjoyed the poems inside this book. They are very short and simple to appeal to toddlers. The illustrations are colorful and give a fun image to compliment each poem. I believe it would be a good book for mothers or fathers to read with their very young children to practice sounds.
June 25, 2024
4.5 Great illustrations and mostly great selection of poetry and nursery rhymes.
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January 1, 2020My kids loved these rhymes and fun illustrations. This book became a beloved part of our homeschool day.
October 5, 2017
Award(s): N/A
Grade: Preschool-Grade 5
Summary: The book is filled with almost 100 pages of nursery rhymes and songs. Song lyrics and sheet music are also included to go along with it. There are classic nursery rhymes including: “Hickory Dickory Dock” “Patty-Cake” and “Miss Mary Mack.”
Review: I really like this book because it contains a number of pieces, particularly nursery rhymes, that most students will know so everyone can participate and feel included. I also like that the pieces are mostly short in length so that students will remain engaged. I think this book can be utilized as a very basic starting point for students to learn other more challenging concepts, like poetry, in a fun and unintimidating way.
In Class Use: The book can be used as a fun way to start the day having a different student every day picking one of the pieces, and singing the song and dancing/moving together. Another use can be during a mini-lesson implicitly/explicitly teaching students different areas of phonological awareness: rhyming, onset and rime, alliteration, syllables, etc.
Grade: Preschool-Grade 5
Summary: The book is filled with almost 100 pages of nursery rhymes and songs. Song lyrics and sheet music are also included to go along with it. There are classic nursery rhymes including: “Hickory Dickory Dock” “Patty-Cake” and “Miss Mary Mack.”
Review: I really like this book because it contains a number of pieces, particularly nursery rhymes, that most students will know so everyone can participate and feel included. I also like that the pieces are mostly short in length so that students will remain engaged. I think this book can be utilized as a very basic starting point for students to learn other more challenging concepts, like poetry, in a fun and unintimidating way.
In Class Use: The book can be used as a fun way to start the day having a different student every day picking one of the pieces, and singing the song and dancing/moving together. Another use can be during a mini-lesson implicitly/explicitly teaching students different areas of phonological awareness: rhyming, onset and rime, alliteration, syllables, etc.
October 14, 2018
1. Awards the book has received: none
2. Appropriate grade levels: Pre-k to 2nd grade
3. Original 3-line summary: "Read-Aloud Rhymes For the Very Young" includes a plethora of rhymes and poems for children. The book is arranged so rhymes of the same topic are located next to each other, from rain to holidays to bathtime. Almost every rhyme is accompanied by an illustration from Marc Brown.
4. Original 3-line review: "Read-Aloud Rhymes For the Very Young" is a beautifully put-together work of children's rhymes and poems. The poems and rhymes are very on-topic for young children's wonders and the beautiful illustrations help readers visualize the words being recited. Everyone is guaranteed to find at least one poem in the book that speaks to them.
5. 2-3 possible in class uses: This book can be used as an encyclopedia of children's poems. The way the poems are organized makes it easy for teachers or parents to find a poem to fit a specific event or occasion. This book is also very helpful in teaching young children rhyming words. With each poem containing its own rhymes there are hundreds of rhyming words at the reader's disposal.
2. Appropriate grade levels: Pre-k to 2nd grade
3. Original 3-line summary: "Read-Aloud Rhymes For the Very Young" includes a plethora of rhymes and poems for children. The book is arranged so rhymes of the same topic are located next to each other, from rain to holidays to bathtime. Almost every rhyme is accompanied by an illustration from Marc Brown.
4. Original 3-line review: "Read-Aloud Rhymes For the Very Young" is a beautifully put-together work of children's rhymes and poems. The poems and rhymes are very on-topic for young children's wonders and the beautiful illustrations help readers visualize the words being recited. Everyone is guaranteed to find at least one poem in the book that speaks to them.
5. 2-3 possible in class uses: This book can be used as an encyclopedia of children's poems. The way the poems are organized makes it easy for teachers or parents to find a poem to fit a specific event or occasion. This book is also very helpful in teaching young children rhyming words. With each poem containing its own rhymes there are hundreds of rhyming words at the reader's disposal.
February 26, 2017
Award(s): N/A
Grade(s): Birth-Grade 2
Summary: This book contains almost a hundred pages of very short nursery rhymes.
Review: The pictures are vibrant and detailed. There is an illustration that corresponds to each individual nursery rhyme. The rhymes are relatively short, as are the attention spans of small children, so one could skip around in the book and stop reading whenever.
In Class Use: Using their imagination to create art (ex- a lot of the nursery ryhmes are imaginative and are not real, they could make their own drawings in relation to what they have just read.), There's a rhyme called "I Wish", and it goes among the lines of "If I could wish, I'd be a fish (for just a day or two) ext. I would have the students illustrate and write what they would look like as a fish and what they would do.
Grade(s): Birth-Grade 2
Summary: This book contains almost a hundred pages of very short nursery rhymes.
Review: The pictures are vibrant and detailed. There is an illustration that corresponds to each individual nursery rhyme. The rhymes are relatively short, as are the attention spans of small children, so one could skip around in the book and stop reading whenever.
In Class Use: Using their imagination to create art (ex- a lot of the nursery ryhmes are imaginative and are not real, they could make their own drawings in relation to what they have just read.), There's a rhyme called "I Wish", and it goes among the lines of "If I could wish, I'd be a fish (for just a day or two) ext. I would have the students illustrate and write what they would look like as a fish and what they would do.
November 18, 2017
I am so happy to see this collection of poetry for young children back in print! It is one that I remember receiving as a gift and reading aloud from when my daughters were young.
Prelutsky shows his brilliance in selecting just the right poems and Marc Brown's illustrations are just right. I had to smile as I sang aloud the first poem -- it was a song my first grade music teacher had taught in school in the 1960's. My only wish for this book is that it were a bit more diverse visually. The lion's share of the illustrations show anthropomorphic animals in the story. While there are children of color included, they are shown in far fewer numbers in comparison. It reads very white.
Given when this was first published (1986), I think it stands the test and deserves space on the shelf for it.
Prelutsky shows his brilliance in selecting just the right poems and Marc Brown's illustrations are just right. I had to smile as I sang aloud the first poem -- it was a song my first grade music teacher had taught in school in the 1960's. My only wish for this book is that it were a bit more diverse visually. The lion's share of the illustrations show anthropomorphic animals in the story. While there are children of color included, they are shown in far fewer numbers in comparison. It reads very white.
Given when this was first published (1986), I think it stands the test and deserves space on the shelf for it.
November 16, 2017
Poetry
Awards: N/A
Appropriate Grade Levels: k-5
Summary: Read-Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young is another fantastic poem book that features poetry from some of the best and most well-known poets of the past. The poems within this book showcase many animals stories that will captivate the attention of young readers.
Review: Read-Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young is a must have for teachers of young children. Not only are the poems easy to read, but they're also captivating--making this book and excellent gateway for children into the world of poetry.
In-Class Uses:
-tool to enhance attention span of young readers; children will really enjoy this book
-inspiration for writing poetry independently
Awards: N/A
Appropriate Grade Levels: k-5
Summary: Read-Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young is another fantastic poem book that features poetry from some of the best and most well-known poets of the past. The poems within this book showcase many animals stories that will captivate the attention of young readers.
Review: Read-Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young is a must have for teachers of young children. Not only are the poems easy to read, but they're also captivating--making this book and excellent gateway for children into the world of poetry.
In-Class Uses:
-tool to enhance attention span of young readers; children will really enjoy this book
-inspiration for writing poetry independently
May 1, 2018
Title: Read - Aloud Rhymes for the very young
Award: None
Appropriate grade levels: Pre-k - 1nd grade
Summary: This book has various nursery rhymes that are perfect for young children.
Review: I would give this book a 5, I think reading or hearing these nursery rhymes is perfect for young children. The types of nursery rhymes are all different in this book so finding one that you might like is very easy.
Possible in class uses: Some uses for this book are teaching kids about nursery rhymes and then having them make their own or have students discuss what their favorite nursery rhyme is and why.
Award: None
Appropriate grade levels: Pre-k - 1nd grade
Summary: This book has various nursery rhymes that are perfect for young children.
Review: I would give this book a 5, I think reading or hearing these nursery rhymes is perfect for young children. The types of nursery rhymes are all different in this book so finding one that you might like is very easy.
Possible in class uses: Some uses for this book are teaching kids about nursery rhymes and then having them make their own or have students discuss what their favorite nursery rhyme is and why.
March 12, 2019
Awards: None
Appropriate grade levels: K-2
Summary: A fantastic selection of poems that has a vast variety of lengths and difficulties to choose from. The rhymes are accompanied with small related pictures.
Review: This collection of poems is really great. There is a wide selection of topics and lengths that make it very adaptive for many age groups. The illustrations are playful and make each poem more memorable.
In-class uses: This book is great for having children hi-light the rhyming words in a print out of the poem. With each pair of rhyming words, they could be encouraged to come up with another word that also rhymes with them.
Appropriate grade levels: K-2
Summary: A fantastic selection of poems that has a vast variety of lengths and difficulties to choose from. The rhymes are accompanied with small related pictures.
Review: This collection of poems is really great. There is a wide selection of topics and lengths that make it very adaptive for many age groups. The illustrations are playful and make each poem more memorable.
In-class uses: This book is great for having children hi-light the rhyming words in a print out of the poem. With each pair of rhyming words, they could be encouraged to come up with another word that also rhymes with them.
May 5, 2019
This book Read Aloud Rhymes For The Very Young by Jack Prelutsky is a poetry children's book for ages k-2nd grade. This poetry book is about 200 different little short poems to help young children grow. I rated this book a 4 out of 5 stars because i enjoyed everything about this book. These are very short and simple poems that i think would appeal to 2-3 year olds. The illustrations are full of color and are very vibrant that give each poem a compliment. I think that this book would be very useful for parents to read to their young children to help teach them about color. I am so glad to see a collection of poetry that is appealing to the younger children.
December 3, 2017
Genre: Poetry
Grade: Early Childhood
This poetry book is adorable! I think it is a terrific way to introduce poetry to children. There is such a wide variety of poems that are organized in a nice way. The author had similar poems, such as poems about spring, on the same page. There are cute illustrations on each page to go with different poems. I also like how this book of poetry was a collection of many different poems by different people. There is also a well-organized index in the back, which is a great addition because there are a lot of poems in this book! I recommend this book!
Grade: Early Childhood
This poetry book is adorable! I think it is a terrific way to introduce poetry to children. There is such a wide variety of poems that are organized in a nice way. The author had similar poems, such as poems about spring, on the same page. There are cute illustrations on each page to go with different poems. I also like how this book of poetry was a collection of many different poems by different people. There is also a well-organized index in the back, which is a great addition because there are a lot of poems in this book! I recommend this book!
April 15, 2018
1.) No awards.
2.) Appropriate grade levels: Preschool-2nd grade
3.) Original 3 line summary: This book is filled with over 200 short rhyming poems. There are poems about seasons, insects, animals, and much more. This rhyming book also includes various illustrations.
4.) Original 3 line review: I enjoyed reading the many different poems in this rhyming book. This book would be perfect for children who are learning about rhyming and poetry. I also liked the illustrations in this book.
5.) One in class use would be creating a "rhyme word chart" for many words found in this book.
2.) Appropriate grade levels: Preschool-2nd grade
3.) Original 3 line summary: This book is filled with over 200 short rhyming poems. There are poems about seasons, insects, animals, and much more. This rhyming book also includes various illustrations.
4.) Original 3 line review: I enjoyed reading the many different poems in this rhyming book. This book would be perfect for children who are learning about rhyming and poetry. I also liked the illustrations in this book.
5.) One in class use would be creating a "rhyme word chart" for many words found in this book.
November 26, 2018
5/5
1986
Poetry
Pre k- kindergarten
This is a must have poetry book for my future kindergarten classroom, it’s full of short poems, pages on end of scenarios that occur in real life that are brought about with a fun twist. Several poems throughout the book I read aloud, and related to all to well, and I know I could read these poems aloud while incorporating into lesson plans. From animal actions and appearances to personal adventures and failures. I find this to be a great book to teach younger students because they will grasp concepts through the idea of poetry!
1986
Poetry
Pre k- kindergarten
This is a must have poetry book for my future kindergarten classroom, it’s full of short poems, pages on end of scenarios that occur in real life that are brought about with a fun twist. Several poems throughout the book I read aloud, and related to all to well, and I know I could read these poems aloud while incorporating into lesson plans. From animal actions and appearances to personal adventures and failures. I find this to be a great book to teach younger students because they will grasp concepts through the idea of poetry!
September 24, 2020
Genre: Nursery rhymes – poetry
Awards: n/a
Source: https://www.weareteachers.com/best-po...
Grade level: pre-k – 2nd
• This book is a collection of nursery rhymes by multiple different authors. One thing they all have in common is they are all lyrical poems. When reading them, you can practically sing it. They all rhyme in a way and are like songs.
• One poetic element used in this book is rhyme. While all of the poems rhyme, their rhyme schemes differ. For example, The Raggedy Dog has a abab rhyme scheme while the Higglety, Pigglety, Pop has a aabba rhyme scheme.
Awards: n/a
Source: https://www.weareteachers.com/best-po...
Grade level: pre-k – 2nd
• This book is a collection of nursery rhymes by multiple different authors. One thing they all have in common is they are all lyrical poems. When reading them, you can practically sing it. They all rhyme in a way and are like songs.
• One poetic element used in this book is rhyme. While all of the poems rhyme, their rhyme schemes differ. For example, The Raggedy Dog has a abab rhyme scheme while the Higglety, Pigglety, Pop has a aabba rhyme scheme.
April 27, 2020
With more than 200 short and sweet, mostly rhyming and rhythmic poems about things children see and experience in their everyday lives (bedtime, cats, baths, Halloween, meals, animals, sneezes, and more, this is the perfect poetry book for your youngest listener. Be sure to spend some time with Trelease's introduction, as Trelease argues more compellingly than just about anyone for the importance of not only reading with our children, but also reading poetry with our children.
October 23, 2017
Genre: Poetry
Grade Range: K-1
Review:
This is a very fun collection of poems. Each one is relative to young children. This is a great way to introduce poems to younger students, even Pre-K and younger. I also thought the index of first lines was really cool too! So if you remember the first line of a poem but not the rest of it you can look it up in the index and see what page it's on.
Grade Range: K-1
Review:
This is a very fun collection of poems. Each one is relative to young children. This is a great way to introduce poems to younger students, even Pre-K and younger. I also thought the index of first lines was really cool too! So if you remember the first line of a poem but not the rest of it you can look it up in the index and see what page it's on.
August 11, 2017
The secret of the polar bear
is that he wears long underwear.
--All the poetry I know by heart is in this book.
is that he wears long underwear.
--All the poetry I know by heart is in this book.
July 28, 2018
3+ stars. Fun collection.
July 22, 2019
Our toddler brings this book to us constantly to have portions read to her.
November 11, 2019
Read- Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young By Jack Prelutsky. Poetry. The teaching point of this book is to introduce early readers to different writing strategies and sounds such as rhyming.
September 22, 2020
Beautiful poem collection
November 24, 2022
This one I loved! The poems were funny and whimsical.
May 30, 2023
Charming, wholesome and upbeat. Love it.
hardcopy-review-to-read
June 23, 2023The copy sent to me is not what I ordered, but I believe the interior may be the same. My copy has a very juvenile and not beautiful cover with yellow and polka dots.
November 2, 2023
I think this book is outdated in certain ways, but overall it’s a sweet book.
April 28, 2024
Excellent book for young children. Read along with them and have fun with the rhymes.
July 19, 2024
The kiddos enjoyed these silly rhymes
December 22, 2025
This book is an odd collection of all sorts of fun rhymes and poems for children. Each page is illustrated with the theme of the poems on that particular page.
December 7, 2020
Awards the book has received: N/A
Appropriate grade levels: 3 - 7 years
Original summary: this fantastic anthology is filled with timeless fun that will open young minds to the magic and meaning of words and enchant both parents and children for generations to come. It is filled with many poems for young children.
Original review: This book has a variety of poems that are fun and have great illustrations. It is something that can be shared with parents and children alike.
1-2 possible in-class uses: Teaching rhyming and poetry
Appropriate grade levels: 3 - 7 years
Original summary: this fantastic anthology is filled with timeless fun that will open young minds to the magic and meaning of words and enchant both parents and children for generations to come. It is filled with many poems for young children.
Original review: This book has a variety of poems that are fun and have great illustrations. It is something that can be shared with parents and children alike.
1-2 possible in-class uses: Teaching rhyming and poetry
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews