Nursery Rhymes for Kinder Times, Volume 2 - Pam Gittleman

AUTHOR: Pam Gittleman
ILLUSTRATORS: Dan & Catherine Markowitz

GENRE: Children's Picture Book

PUBLICATION DATE: March 4, 2025

RATING: 4 stars.

In a Nutshell: An interesting collection of traditional nursery rhymes updated for contemporary times. The focus is on removing the dark elements and incorporating an attitude of kindness and gratitude. A great option for parents who know the importance of rhymes but do not want the outdated ones.

Quite a few nursery rhymes we learnt in our childhood were taught to us without any adult questioning their efficacy or relevance. The rhymes and songs I learned in my pre-K years four decades ago were a part of my children’s curriculum as well. (And not just in school; these songs are also used in introductory music books as simple beginner tunes for instruments.) Seeing the rhymes with adult eyes made me wonder why such inappropriate stuff was still being taught to kids. A baby in the cradle who will fall when the bough breaks, two children climbing the hill on a helpful errand lose their balance and one breaks his skull, three blind mice chased by a woman with a knife, a goose throws an old man down the stairs…? My utmost hatred is reserved for ‘Piggy on the Railway Line’, which contains everything a child should learn NOT to do/say.

It’s a matter of common sense that these rhymes should have been retired long ago. But can we simply eliminate rhymes from early learning? Rhymes are a great tool for developing language and communication, building a sense of rhythm, improving memory and cognition, and of course, bonding with parents/teachers/caregivers. So we do need nursery rhymes, but better ones.

“Nursery Rhymes for Kinder Times” works on the premise that instead of only creating fresh rhymes for modern kids, we also need to edit the faults out of the traditional ones. As such, this book contains nine popular rhymes, now retold by chucking out all problematic bits. (This is the second volume of the series; I regret missing out on the first volume.)

The tagline, “Helping to raise kinder kids, one rhyme at a time”, reveals exactly what the book contains. Each of the rhymes focusses on three values: kindness, empathy, and gratitude – all worthy traits for every human being to aspire towards. (Considering the era we are living in, they are not so common traits anymore, so we do need a kinder world in every sense.)

The book begins with an introductory note by the “Three Kind Mice” – Brie, Cheddar and Gouda (How cute those names sound!!!) – whom you can also see on the cover. There’s a guide on how to enhance the impact of the rhymes using the emoji chart and answering the simple questions at the end of each rhyme. There are QR codes for each rhyme, one for its audio version and one for additional resources to support social and emotional learning (SEL) and language skills development.

Most of the updated rhymes were good. I didn’t get the point of the changes made in ‘Diddle Diddle Dumpling”; it’s almost the same as the original and is the only one where the idea of ‘kindness’ or ‘empathy’ doesn’t come out directly through the rhyme. Not sure if I missed something? 🤔

Children obviously won't understand the significance of the modifications made, but parents (with a good memory of the rhymes they learnt in their childhoods 😄) will be able to appreciate the reimagined content better. I think the comparison adds to the fun, so it’s unfortunate that this variance will be comprehensible only to adults. My favourite new versions were ‘Rub a Dub Dub’ and ‘Sing a Song of Six Cents’.

The inclusion of the emoji chart was a great idea: simple yet highly effective. I love that the emojis also include negative emotions such as anger and sadness. The questions at the end of every rhyme were an excellent way of adding interaction and discussion.

The illustrations are bright and cute. There are animals as well as human characters, depending on the rhyme. The humans come in varied skin tones and physical features, making the graphics inclusive. Brie, Cheddar and Gouda are present on every page; it’s fun to locate them in each graphic.

All in all, this is a great option for parents, teachers and caregivers looking for a better version of nursery rhymes – one that retains the old benefits, deletes obsolete ideas, and adds moral values. Children will only see this as a fun rhyme collection with good lessons instead of realising the significance of the changes, but better this than to learn hackneyed classic rhymes that no longer serve their purpose.

Definitely recommended. This book ought to work well for little ones aged 3-5 years, but it could also be a great bedtime read-aloud companion for babies and toddlers.

My thanks to iRead Book Tours and author Pam Gittleman for a complimentary digital ARC of 'Nursery Rhymes for Kinder Times: Volume 2', and for allowing me to be a part of this blog tour. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

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Blurb:

What happens to the baby (owlet!) rocking in the cradle in Rock-a-Bye-Baby? Will Old Mother Hubbard find anything in the cupboard to give to her dog? And who (or what!) will be found in the tub in Rub a Dub Dub?

Read all about the beloved characters from traditional nursery rhymes in this endearing collection of nine updated rhymes that nurture kindness, empathy, and gratitude! Coupled with discussion questions and emojis to support the social and emotion intelligence of preschoolers, each rhyme will delight and educate a new generation of children.

Nursery Rhymes for Kinder Times®

Helping to Raise Kind Kids, One Rhyme at a Time!

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Author Pam Gittleman:

Pam has been an early childhood music educator for over twenty-five years with a passion for singing, rhyming, reading stories, and making music with preschoolers.

When Pam noticed that some children seemed unfamiliar with traditional nursery rhymes, and that parents and teachers were avoiding them because of their outdated, dark, and inappropriate nature, she set out to update them. Nursery Rhymes for Kinder Times® provide a memorable way to build language, musicality, and literacy through songs, stories and rhymes that nurture kindness, empathy, and gratitude. The inclusion of resources that support social and emotional learning (SEL) make it easy for parents and teachers to engage with the children they love.

The rhymes in the book can also be enjoyed as songs on the Nursery Rhymes for Kinder Times album recorded by Raffi and Lindsay Munroe, on the EP recorded by Laurie Berkner, and in videos on the Nursery Rhymes for Kinder Times® Show on YouTube.

Pam has also made it her mission to share what she has learned about how to effectively integrate music and stories to support SEL and language skills in early childhood settings. She provides engaging and interactive sessions to early childhood teachers and caregivers to support their professional development and build their confidence in using music and rhymes with the children they care for. She is also available for school visits.

Aside from sharing stories and songs with young children, Pam loves dogs and dark chocolate. She lives in New York with her husband, and loves when her children, grandchildren, and granddogs come to visit!

Connect with her on:

Website: https://www.pamgittleman.com/

Book Series Website: https://www.forkindertimes.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forkindertimes/

X/Twitter: https://x.com/pamgittleman

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pam.gittleman/, https://www.facebook.com/ForKinderTimes

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