A Great Book for Reading Aloud Together

You may remember my writing about poet Mary Ann Hoberman’s book “You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You: Very Short Stories to Read Together” (see my review). I am delighted to report that a companion book is now available. “You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You: Very Short Fairy Tales to Read Together,” like the first book, contains lively and colorful artwork by Michael Emberley. In both books, each story features rhythm, rhyme, and repetition, as well as humor and lots of illustrations.

In her Author’s Note, Hoberman writes, “…the short rhymed stories are like little plays for two voices that sometimes speak separately, sometimes in unison.” Both books are great for encouraging a beginning reader to read aloud. The fairy tales in the new book are based on eight traditional fairy tales, and the changes are funny. Hoberman recommends “…that parents and teachers make sure that their new readers are familiar with the original versions before going on to the stories in this book.” See my Subjects directories for more information about fairy tales and reading aloud.

Share your experiences with reading aloud and vote in my reading aloud poll on the About Children’s Books Forum.