Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Yes


Nicole asked about books with very few words, and I recommended Jez Alborough. I picked up Yes today. Bobo reminds me so much of Maya. I'm not sure exactly why. Like George, she's a good little monkey and always very curious.

In Yes, it's bath-time for Bobo the monkey, which makes him very happy. But when it's time to get out and go to bed things become more negative (maybe that's what reminds me of Maya; see Bath Time!). Bobo's lizard and elephant friends make a splash and tucker poor Bobo out, helping Mama get Bobo to sleep.

It's a challenge to say just a couple of words in many ways to keep the story flowing, but it can be done. You can also fill in sound effects.

Last night I was thinking about whether there are nigh-wordless songs. The best I could think of are those songs in which you replace words with motions. Here are a couple I know:

Little Peter Rabbit
(To the tune of John Brown's Body)

Little Peter Rabbit had a fly upon his ear.
Little Peter Rabbit had a fly upon his ear.
Little Peter Rabbit had a fly upon his ear.
So he flicked it till it flew away.

After singing it through once, you replace 'Rabbit' with bunny ears, 'fly' with a bzzzt sound, 'ear' with wiggling your ear, 'flicked it' with flicking your fingers, and 'flew away' with your hand flying off.

Here's another one:

My Hat It Has Three Corners

My hat it has three corners.
Three corners has my hat.
For had it not three corners,
It would not be my hat.

In this one, you replace 'my' with pointing to yourself, 'hat' with touching your head, 'three' with holding up three fingers, and 'corners' with touching your elbow.

Good luck.

1 comment:

momto3oys said...

I've been reading a book to my son (21 months) with very few words which we are both enjoying a lot. Of course, we are preparing to welcome a new baby brother or sister the end of May, so we have special reasons to read it.

Its called We have a baby by Cathryn Falwell.

Its simple and beautiful.

The pictures are such that both kids could be either a boy or a girl, and the family can be of any (or mixed) race.

My favorite picture is mom nursing baby while also snuggling with older sibling.

Carrie