BOOK REVIEW: BABY DANCED THE POLKA
It was nap time on the farm
The animals drifted off to sleep.
The barn was filled with yawning cows
And pigs and goats and sheep.
This book has been an unqualified favorite of ours since Ty was about 9 months old. The book has a delightful, old-fangled feel to it. The action takes place on a farm as “Ma” and “Pa” try to get baby to go down for his nap.
For those of you out there who have (or had) babies who don’t sleep, this book will shoot straight to your heart. Because the baby in this book, will not sleep, preferring to dance away his naptime. (I, for one, think that babies who do not sleep should be institutionalized, but the parents in this story seem to have an unending, UNENDING supply of patience.) Finally, his parents literally throw up their hands, pick up their dancing shoes, and dance the baby silly until he collapses in exhaustion.
One of the most beloved things about this book is the old-fashioned vocabulary. You will need to take time to explore these words with your child. But that is part of what makes this book so charming. Words like “wig” “long johns” “chow” “tuckered out” and “fiddle” pepper this book in a wonderful homage to times gone by. The illustrations, too, are just right for this book. One of my favorite pages in all of children’s literature is in this book. I would frame it if I could.
They danced until the sun went down.
The moon was full and bright.
“I’m tuckered out!” Pa finally said.
“It’s time to say good night!”
The simple but expressive drawings are the right complement to the nostalgic mood. The rhymes scan perfectly and provide language acquisition and reading readiness… oh, and they are cute and fun, too!
Plus, really, kids will love the rascally nature of this baby who defies his parents and avoids his nap through his good-natured boogie-ing. The book is made of sturdy pages with flaps that reveal the antics of this very awake baby
I must warn you. This book is very hard to find. I have yet to see it on a shelf anywhere, so dial up Amazon or the order desk at your local book store and get this book for kids age 0 – 5 years. And get ready to read it over and over and over!
Awards: ALA Notable Children’s Books, Younger Reader’s Awards
Book by Karen Beaumont Pictures by Jennifer Plecas
