Return of the Rhyming Sheep

Fans of Nancy Shaw will take delight as her famous rhyming sheep return once again to tickle readers!

Shaw, Nancy.
Sheep Take a Hike.
2010 (1994).
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

In this fun, reprinted adventure, the sheep set off to take a hike. Upon their back, they pack their packs full of snacks before heading to the trail - up the hill and down the dale. But when the brush gets thicker, they start to bicker (as it's evident they've wandered off the trail). However, lucky for the sheep, the wool they left behind helps them find their way back home! Children are sure to love this rhyming adventure with the sheep, a character that they've come to know and love (or need to be introduced to for the first time)!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Set forth on a hike with your little ones. Pack a pack of hiking snacks upon your backs and make an adventure of your own. If you really want there to be some learning involved, ahead of time choose a word family to focus on (word families are a great way to introduce rhyming in a basic way). Plan your trail, and along the trail, post words and pictures that focus on that word family, as well as a few that don't. In order to complete the trail and find your way back home (or to school) your children will need to try to figure out the rhymes to determine which trail to take. For example, when you come to a split in the trail, post two words/pictures (hat, sock). If the word family you are focusing on is the -at family, your child will need to determine which word rhymes with that word family and follow the path in that direction! (Hopefully I've explained this clearly enough - if you're looking for more clarification about this, just leave a comment!)
  

Shaw, Nancy.
Sheep Blast Off!
March 7, 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

If you have a child who is a fan of outer-space, spaceships, or astronauts, this is definitely the book to use when introducing them to rhyming words! The rocket sheep take off on an outer-space adventure after a shape has landed in the mist. As they set forth to explore they find a door! When the door is sealed the engines roar and sheep blast off. Throughout the adventure children will not only start recognizing the rhyming words, but will also learn a bit about spaceships! Nancy Shaw has once again returned with a hit in Sheep Blast Off!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Create an activity in which children "blast off" into rhyming stars! Include on the worksheet a picture of a rocket ship, that targets whatever word family (or rhyme) you're hoping to help your child(ren) learn. Draw some stars around the page that the rocket ship is "blasting off" to and have your child put a rhyming word on each star. If they're still too young or have difficulty writing, have them tell you the word and you write it for them! Have them color the letters that are the same, so they begin to develop an understanding about what makes them rhyming words!
  

Beaumont, Karen.
No Sleep for the Sheep!
March 7, 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

When you go to place your order for Nancy Shaw's latest "sheep" titles, check out Karen Beaumont's latest title, No Sleep for the Sheep! It hits stores on March 7, but is already available for pre-order!

While I wouldn't necessarily consider this a "rhyming book," there are certainly rhymes found within that children will likely pick up on. In this sing-song type book, children will take delight as the poor sheep just wants to sleep in the big red barn on the farm! Of course, the other farm animals have other ideas in mind and do their best to keep sheep awake. However, sheep eventually has enough and is able to sleep through the racket of the other animals on the farm. The sing-y nature of the story makes it really fun to read and I can't wait to share this with my Head Start children... I know it's sure to have them chuckling and most likely joining in to share the reading fun!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Read the story several times through... each time you read try to go faster and see just how much fun it can be. Encourage your child(ren) to participate and you'll really have a blast reading together!
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!