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Steppin' Out: Jaunty Rhymes for Playful Times
Capturing the magic and fun of early childhood, this lively collection of poems, from the creators of Little Poems for Tiny Ears , is a book to be treasured.
Being a preschooler means days full of discovery every time you step out of your door. It’s a time filled with wonder, at all the sights and sounds of the outdoors and at the huge variety of people there are to meet. This collection of nineteen original poems features little ones eager to explore, whether it’s splashing in puddles, riding in an elevator or through a car wash, or visiting the library. They go full-steam ahead to the park, the beach, and dance class, somewhat begrudgingly learn to share and get their first haircut, and enjoy lots of time with their families. Full of contagious rhythm and rhyme, this inviting picture book introduces young children to the sounds of poetry through familiar childhood activities, and beloved illustrator Tomie dePaola’s engaging children are the perfect match for Lin Oliver’s bouncy poems.
Being a preschooler means days full of discovery every time you step out of your door. It’s a time filled with wonder, at all the sights and sounds of the outdoors and at the huge variety of people there are to meet. This collection of nineteen original poems features little ones eager to explore, whether it’s splashing in puddles, riding in an elevator or through a car wash, or visiting the library. They go full-steam ahead to the park, the beach, and dance class, somewhat begrudgingly learn to share and get their first haircut, and enjoy lots of time with their families. Full of contagious rhythm and rhyme, this inviting picture book introduces young children to the sounds of poetry through familiar childhood activities, and beloved illustrator Tomie dePaola’s engaging children are the perfect match for Lin Oliver’s bouncy poems.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published February 21, 2017
21 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
March 6, 2017
First sentence: When I open my front door,/ There's a whole world to explore.
Premise/plot: The book is a collection of poetry written to be shared with little ones--preschoolers to be exact. The common theme is 'steppin' out.' These are poems about little ones experiencing the world around them: going to the library, eating out, playing outside, visiting family, going up and down on elevators and escalators, going to the car wash, shopping at the mall, getting a hair cut, buying groceries, going to the beach, playing on the playground, sharing with other kids, being in a dance class, going to preschool or daycare. These are all common-place experiences, ordinary moments that Lin Oliver has used as inspiration for her verses.
My thoughts: I think my favorite poem may have been "At the Mall." In this one, a little girl is shopping with her Mom at the mall. She's told she can pick ONE THING and only one thing. She picks out a pink koala bear, and, when she gets home, she shares it with her baby sister. Is it realistic? Maybe, maybe not. Is it cute and sweet? Definitely!
From Playground Fling:
The swing
is a fling
in
the
air.
From Rainy Day at Grandpa's:
There's nothing like a rainy day
When streets are seas of puddles,
And afterward a cup of tea
with snuggly Grandpa cuddles.
Premise/plot: The book is a collection of poetry written to be shared with little ones--preschoolers to be exact. The common theme is 'steppin' out.' These are poems about little ones experiencing the world around them: going to the library, eating out, playing outside, visiting family, going up and down on elevators and escalators, going to the car wash, shopping at the mall, getting a hair cut, buying groceries, going to the beach, playing on the playground, sharing with other kids, being in a dance class, going to preschool or daycare. These are all common-place experiences, ordinary moments that Lin Oliver has used as inspiration for her verses.
My thoughts: I think my favorite poem may have been "At the Mall." In this one, a little girl is shopping with her Mom at the mall. She's told she can pick ONE THING and only one thing. She picks out a pink koala bear, and, when she gets home, she shares it with her baby sister. Is it realistic? Maybe, maybe not. Is it cute and sweet? Definitely!
From Playground Fling:
The swing
is a fling
in
the
air.
From Rainy Day at Grandpa's:
There's nothing like a rainy day
When streets are seas of puddles,
And afterward a cup of tea
with snuggly Grandpa cuddles.
January 24, 2017
Review to come
June 26, 2017
What awaits eager children when they step out of their homes in the morning? A world of possibility and exploration, of course! Set to simple, catchy rhythms and rhymes by Lin Oliver, we journey to the library, the mall, the car wash, relatives, the playground and more. The classic art style of Tomie DePoala captures a wonderful array of children’s faces and colorful scenes which bring the poems to life. Many of the quatrains and free verse will have you tapping out the rhythm as you read - which is exactly the point of the journey. So step out of your usual poetry collection and step into familiar yet new world of an early learner.
THOUGHTS: This would go well with Kindergarten or Pre-school units about towns and places. It also does an outstanding job of representing diverse children in the illustrations; even while the poems remain fairly neutral in their voice. Classic DePaola at work!
THOUGHTS: This would go well with Kindergarten or Pre-school units about towns and places. It also does an outstanding job of representing diverse children in the illustrations; even while the poems remain fairly neutral in their voice. Classic DePaola at work!
October 30, 2017
I enjoyed the poems but I find dePaola's illustrations of the children of color potentially problematic. He seems to have one way to portray Asian children - with bowl cuts and eyes that slant downward. Other children in the book have slanted eyes, but they are curved or slanted up. Others have dots for eyes. Only the Asian children are portrayed the way they are. Also, the two (only two) African American girls portrayed in the whole book both have the same hair. It seems that dePaola is a bit limited in his imagination when it comes to portraying certain types of children.
December 18, 2017
Yikes. DePaola's illustrations are as charming as ever, but these poems are full of awkward rhymes and cringe-worthy phrasing. (The one called "Dance Class" includes the dreadful line "Wave your arms and shake your butt / Show the world how you can strut." The audience for this book is preschoolers, so that just sounds gross to me.) There are so many wonderful poetry collections out there that there is no need to subject kids to this set of mediocre poems. I'd give the text 1 star on its own, but DePaola's artwork bumps my overall rating up to 3 stars.
December 6, 2017
Not the most amazing poems, but really cute and ones children should be able to relate to very well. Especially appreciate that the library was included. The pictures were classic dePaola and added to the fun child-ness of it. While it may not be my favorite from the long list, I think this could go far with kids.
March 23, 2017
Destined to become a classic! Preschoolers will enjoy seeing their exciting adventures come to life with Tomie DePaola's equisite illustrations. The modern experiences depicted in poetry are many, including going to the super market; attending dance class; visiting the mall; riding an elevator; going through a car wash; and others.
These universal American experiences are illustrated by a cast of multi-hued preschoolers.
These universal American experiences are illustrated by a cast of multi-hued preschoolers.
September 9, 2018
This book is full of playful rhymes. It would be a great way to stat each reading lesson or day with a different page! I enjoyed the different concepts used for each different rhyme. Tomie DePaola's illustrations add a great effect as well! I will definitely get my hands on a copy of this book!
December 17, 2018
Always enjoy Tomi dePaola’s illustrations, but didn’t enjoy Lin Oliver’s poems very well. At the end of the book there were three poems that were had a much more active tone and appealed to me, “Playground Fling”, “Little Treasures”, and “Dance Class”.
November 24, 2020
This is a book for younger children, the poems are about the outdoors and what a child can find when they go outside. There are poems about puddles, parks, and much more. The pictures are colorful and would catch any child's attention.
May 8, 2017
Playful poems about everyday events and experiences that toddlers would have. Perfect illustrations.
June 6, 2017
Reads like poetic short stories centered on childhood experiences ranging from first haircuts to playground fun to time spent at school.
Acrylic artwork. PreK-2.
Acrylic artwork. PreK-2.
July 12, 2017
Very cute poetry book for little kids.
July 13, 2017
Delightful.
Even though the characters shown throughout the book appear as preschoolers, there are a number of poems that will appeal to early elementary students as well.
Delightful.
Even though the characters shown throughout the book appear as preschoolers, there are a number of poems that will appeal to early elementary students as well.
Delightful.
September 2, 2017
Perfect collection for using with pre-school readers.
September 13, 2017
Fun read aloud and could become a mentor text.
November 2, 2017
I think I'd like to use this for teaching poetry and teaching rhyme to K4. I've been looking for the right books for this unit for awhile. This one is just right.
December 25, 2017
Multicultural kids go throughout a day. Nice for parents and caregivers.
November 10, 2018
A series of esy to follow rhymes about everyday stuff for kids. Elementary and up
September 15, 2021
The illustrations are lovely, but the poems are weak and choppy.
December 19, 2022
These were playful rhymes of childhood, and engaged my toddler (and me, in a more nostalgic way).
March 18, 2017
Poetry still not my thing, but even so... this feels kind of weak? Much more like a collection of thoughts presented in rhyme than anything that was .... purposely designed, the way an actual "poem" is.
Illustrations as great as dePaola always is.
Illustrations as great as dePaola always is.
March 13, 2017
I would not call these rhymes "jaunty". More like "gentle".
March 6, 2017
The illustrations are the best. The poetry was just ok. I didn't have a strong emotional connection that I feel that you should have with poetry, even poetry for little kids. This poetry was serviceable. It talked about experiences from a little kid's day. Nothing fancy. Nothing deeply moving. Nothing to stretch you. Just some words that rhymed.
February 27, 2017
Cute, simple rhymes for the youngest readers.
February 28, 2017
Simple poems for toddlers about everyday experiences. Attractive and appealing illustrations.
November 4, 2017
A delight for the ears and the eyes, combined with a light-hearted reminder that outdoors and active lives offer rewards to young lives.
March 31, 2017
A collection of poetry to share with the youngest of listeners. The poems express situations children will be familiar with.
It illustrations use soft colors and are soothing to look at.
It illustrations use soft colors and are soothing to look at.
April 4, 2017
The poems and illustrations read pretty young to me. Wouldn't use in middle school, but probably good for Kinders.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews