Read, Rhyme, and Romp

February 1, 2013

McNeil's guide explains specific early-literacy skills, recommends a wealth of activities to foster them, and suggests appropriate children's literature to support their development. The author discusses early brain development; learning language; the importance of reading aloud, telling stories, singing, and rhyming. She also refers to programs such as "Every Child Ready to Read @ Your Library." The literacy activities would be easy to replicate at home and in schools and libraries. Within most of the chapters, material has been divided into separate sections for parents, teachers, and librarians. A strength of the work is in the many recommended children's books incorporated within the chapters and organized by literacy-related topics. At times, however, placement of these lists interrupts the flow of the conversational writing style. Captioned black-and-white photographs capture children engaged with books; a separate series of photos follows the author leading a "Toddlin' Tales" session. Other professional tools cover similar topics; McNeil identifies many of them in a separate chapter that contains annotations for related works, programs, activity guides, research, and websites. This book stands out for its excellent book lists, plus the added benefit of reaching parents, teachers, and librarians all in one volume. A worthy resource.-Lynn Vanca, Freelance Librarian, Akron, OH

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