Rhyming Love Poems

Savor summer with some great books

There are tons of studies and reports about how children in the USA lag far behind their peers around the globe in reading and math.

Here's one fact to consider for summer vacation: Kids who aren't read to, and kids who don't read independently (even though they can) fall far behind in reading skills -- and academics in general -- compared to kids who do read or are read to.

With gobs of books on the market, it's tough knowing which ones will connect with children. Voila! That problem is erased with this quick reference guide.

I've got over 24 years of professional experience selecting the best children's literature. Don't waste time and money with dud books. Take my word for it -- the books reviewed below are true gems.

Newborn -- 18 months

ä "Baby Hears!" written and illustrated by Karen Katz , Houghton Mifflin Harcourt , 2011, 10 pages, $12.99 board book. Baby hears all sorts of things, and this clever little book helps babies focus on specific sights and sounds found within the pages of this book.

A different baby is featured on each double-page spread along with an easy, fun rhyme that asks who or what might be behind the flap making a funny noise. Then lift the flap to complete the rhyme and actually hear the sound.

From baby chicks peeping, a little train that blows its whistle, a zooming car that beeps its horn, funny frogs croaking in the pond, and a baby laughing, little children will love revisiting this charming book.

ä "Mister Seahorse" written and illustrated by Eric Carle , Philomel, 2011, 32 pages, $8.99 board book. Now available as a board book, "Mister Seahorse" has been regarded as one of Carle's most colorful, touching stories.

It's time for Mrs. Seahorse to lay her eggs, and she does -- in a pouch on Mr. Seahorse's belly. He promises to take good care of their eggs, and he does. But as Mr. Seahorse waits to their eggs to hatch, he swims through the ocean and finds several other fish. Some are cleverly hidden behind the clear "peek-a-boo" pages, while others are father fish out in the open, taking care of their eggs, too.

Poems That Will Have-em Wrapped Around Your Finger! « Rhyming Love ...

Love poems, best friends poem… you know you love em, AND if you’re smart you’ll use one… The list goes on and on… and oh, you know you can’t resist.. and you shouldn’t ~ they are what bond couples, inspire dreams and make you feel like you’re back in that 8th grade multipurpose room having your first slow dance. …they’re also often times all it takes to heal a petty dispute, a strange distance or make a wall seem less tall. Everyone has a romantic side ~ tapping into it more often can surprise both parties (even if it’s not your own stuff… we’ll never tell). So grab that box of tissues and let’s see em!

My Rhyming Love Poems

The phoenix paradox, a study of renewal through change in the Collected poems and Last poems of D.H. Lawrence

Rhyming Boy, A Novel: Easyread Super Large 18pt Edition

Such Deliberate Loveliness, Collected Love Poems of Paul Hina, 1997-2006

The Lovers' Book