The Lady with the Alligator Purse - Books You Can Sing

The Lady with the Alligator Purse by Nadine Bernard Westcott (Megan Tingley Books, Little, Brown and Company, 1998)

My absolute favorite books (you will find that I use those words quite a bit - my favorite books) are ones that I can read or sing to children. Once the rhythm and melody are in their heads, children easily memorize the words and can then go on to apply that knowledge to decode words and read to themselves. No, that is not my ulterior motive.

Actually, yes, it may be. I do want children to read to themselves - and love it!

But mostly, I want children to love singing and reading and become lifelong readers. So let's give a hip hip hooray for books you can sing!

The Lady with the Alligator Purse by Nadine Bernard Westcott is a perfect example. Though the words and tune are old (I remember singing them as a child, and I've reached the 50+ category), this board book is an adorable adaptation of the popular children's chant. Not only for reading, this book/song is also a hand-slapping rhythm game - the type you do with a partner. I've even heard the song being used as a jump rope rhyme.

Let's bring back those singing, clapping, slapping, jumping, and rhythm songs. And while we're at it, let's pull in the book version to give our children links to the printed word.

(Humming) Miss Lucy had a baby. His name was Tiny Tim ...