Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Itsy Bitsy Beetle. (Tadpoles Nursery Rhymes). Wes Magee, reteller. Illustrated by Tomislav Zlatic. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2012. 24 pp., pbk. & hc., $7.95 (pbk.), $18.36 (RLB.). ISBN 978-0-7787-7898-1 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-7886-8 (RLB). Subject Heading: Nursery Rhymes, English. Preschool-grade 1 / Ages 4-6. Review by Dave Jenkinson. **½ /4

excerpt:

The itsy bitsy beetle
was playing on the wall. (From Itsy Bitsy Beetle.)

Most young children love to sing the traditional nursery rhyme about the tenacious little spider that won't let a rain shower deter him from climbing up the eavestrough's downspout. Reteller Magee and illustrator make this four sentence rhyme available in an illustrated form. The final page of the first of the book's two rhymes repeats the words to "Itsy Bitsy Spider" while challenging emergent readers: "Can you point to the rhyming words?"

      The author/illustrator pair then introduce a "new" nursery rhyme, one that parallels the original. The situation is most appropriate for Canadian readers as the little beetle, which is playing on an external wall, is buffeted by snow and falls to the ground. As occurred with the first poem, this one concludes by reproducing all the words to Itsy Bitsy Beetle on a single page while offering the same rhyming words challenge.

      The book's penultimate page, labelled "Puzzle Time!", presents five weather scenarios and asks readers to identify "What kind of weather is each picture showing?" The final pages offers "Notes for adults" who will be using this book with their young charges as well as the answer key for the weather quiz.

      Part of Crabtree's "Tadpoles Nursery Rhymes" series that is directed at emergent readers, this slim book, with its brief text and cartoon-like illustrations, should find a ready audience. As well, the book could be used in a creative writing class involving older students as an example of how familiar nursery rhymes can be rewritten.

Recommended.

Dave Jenkinson, CM's editor, lives in Winnipeg, MB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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