Baby Danced the Polka (Ala Notable Children's Books. Younger Readers (Awards)) Reviews

• Oh baby, do you want to dance?

  
  By AMX0PJKV4PPNJ on 2005-09-01
  Slowly but surely, book by book, title by title, author Karen Beaumont is making a name for herself. She started out slowly with amusing titles like "Duck Duck Goose (A Coyote's On the Loose)" and the justifiably forgotten "Being Friends". Then, recently, she's been picking up speed. Producing books that, with the right illustrators, bring fully to life her bouncy trouncy rhythms. Beaumont isn't afraid of a little rhyme and rhythm. By the time I got around to reading "Baby Danced the Polka" I found that I'd been missing one of the hottest rhyming children's writers alive today. We can only hope that this inventive streak she's showing is the real thing and not a momentary fluke.
  
  In "Baby Danced the Polka" you've got a lot of kid-friendly elements all jouncing around together. This book shimmies and shakes, is about a kid who doesn't want to take a nap (something so many little ones can identify with), has a beat to it, and falls into the category of lift-the-flap books. The story takes place on a sleepy farm where a mother and father have chores to do, so they put their little baby to sleep. Just the same, the baby in question isn't about to settle down for the afternoon. It proceeds to dance the polka, the boogie-woogie, the cha-cha, and the shooby-dooby with a whole host of stuffed animals. Though its parents keep insisting it go to bed, this babe can't help but put on its dancing shoes. By the end, he's convinced both Mama and Pa, so all three members of the family dance until it's night. Then, at long last, the baby goes to bed, "With dreams of polka parties / Still a-dancing in his head".
  
  I reviewed a children's book of poetry not long ago where other reviewers complained that the poems didn't scan correctly. No such problem exists here. Beaumont has a golden ear for fun and funny preschool comedy. Kids will have a hard time resisting an infant who wants to strut and shimmy while all the time clothed in jammies. Also, the book isn't afraid to slide into silliness on occasion. At one point the "chores" performed by the parents include, "... Papa shaved his whiskers / And Mama washed her wig". Washed her wig?
  
  Illustrator Jennifer Plecas (who I already loved due to her "Good Night, Good Knight") is in fine form here as well. This baby has moves. Admittedly, the polka doesn't look much like a polka and the cha-cha could use some work. It would've been nice to see actual honest-to-goodness dance moves within this book's pages. Ah well.
  
  For a storytime of true dance fever you might want to consider pairing this rhythmic coup with other bouncy farm tales like, "Dumpy La Rue" by Elizabeth Winthrop or "Barn Dance!" by Bill Martin. For its own part, "Baby Danced the Polka" is going to be deeply loved by scores and scores of children everywhere. If you know a small child who loves music and movement, this book's a sure-fire hit. Gets 'em every time.
  
  
  

• Preschooler's delight!

  
  By A36PPY8JVLZTOK on 2005-01-22
  Your preschooler will choose this as a favorite book as you turn the pages filled with colorful pictures and fun rhymes. There is a flap to lift every so often that will have your preschooler helping you when you read it a second and third and........time. You can't lose with this one!
  
  

• We love it!!!

  
  By AFWEBJ0BGVUEC on 2005-09-10
  This book has been my daughter's favorite since she was about 10 months old. She is now 17 months old and always brings this book to you before bedtime. It has a nice meter and flow to it, making it fun to read. I would highly recommend this book. I have given it as a gift several times.
  
  

• So glad we stumbled upon this gem

  
  By AQR9IOP0VTBDC on 2005-12-11
  I've been reading this to my child since he was about 9 mos old. We both love it! Often on our way to naptime, I catch myself narrating the story "It was naptime on the farm. The animals drifted off to sleep. The barn was full of yawning cows, and pigs, and goats, and sheep."
  
  Great story and my son loves the flaps!
  
  

• My son puts down his truck to read this book

  
  By A27BIJYLWQFMZA on 2005-08-25
  When he wants to read, my thirteen month old pulls this book out of a bag of about 2 dozen books. He rocks back and forth to the rhythm of the words and gets excited when it is time for him to lift the flap to see the baby dancing with an animal. We originally checked out this book from the library, but are adding it to our home library now.
  
  
• so much fun
  By A2U9MEKYISME9M on 2005-08-27
  We first checked this book out of our library when my daughter was about 15 months old. She loved loved loved it, and it's funny enough for both my husband and I to read it several times a day without pulling our hair out. After we checked it out for 3 month long stays at our house, I finally bought it. Now my daughter has it memorized and you can hear her all over the house "WHOA Papa's long johns! WHOA Mama's wig! "GO!" Baby polka-ed with the polka dotted pig!" All three of us highly recommend it!
  
  
• Wonderful book!
  By A365ULD4PFJ2NR on 2004-06-29
  I have two-year-old twins, and they are absolutely entranced by this book! After reading it to them the first time, they became and have remained simply delighted to shout out the animal names as we flip open the pages. Our copy is a library book; I'm ordering it right now and plan to see if this author has others. Again, great book!
  
  
• FUN, FUN, FUN!!!!!!!!!
  By A1G459WPKBK6CA on 2004-09-27
  Fabulous book - wonderful rhyming, colorful pictures, and FUNNY! This is a top pick for us every night and should be in every child's collection! BRAVO! BRAVO!
  
  
• Great Fun for Parents Too
  By A1MCXXDJSILGGJ on 2005-08-05
  My two-and-a-half year old son loves this book. The rhythm and rhyme is wonderful. Not only does it start fun and hilarious, but it also is a great bedtime story because the baby eventually settles down to sleep. It's a great book to transition your kid from active to bedding down.
  
  
• Love this book!
  By A3CHMIQ83N7JO7 on 2006-07-14
  Out of all the books that my daughter owns this is her favorite. It gets a giggle out of her every time we read it. Even after the zillionth time!
  
  
  
• One of Our Favorites
  By AED3LDQSBNBVQ on 2008-08-13
  I'm a children's librarian, so I come across a lot of books and very few stand up to many readings. This book is one of them. It's fun for the parents to read aloud, with a rolicking beat and humorous story. We've owned this book since my son's first birthday. He loved it then and at eighteen months, it is still one of his favorites. The illustrations are simple and pleasing with enough detail to invite a closer examination. I highly recommend it!
  
  
• Love this book
  By ABOHUQEPNCT5H on 2007-05-14
  My 3 year old daughter and I love this book. I've been reading it to her for well over a year now (maybe 2), and it never gets old. I recently purchased it for a third time for gift giving. The story is adorable. Very rythmic and fun to read. The illustrations are fantastic. The lift the flaps are a nice feature as well.
  
  
• My grandsons were right!
  By ACQTRDYATSL3G on 2007-07-23
  My daughter had borrowed this book from the library and said my grandsons, ages 2 and 4 really enjoyed it. I purchased it for them and a copy for myself to keep for a birthday gift should the need arise. It is truly delightful. Rhyming verse along with the flaps covering various animals allow even non-readers to get into the story of the baby who just wouldn't sleep, but cavorted with most of the animals on farm while Mama and Papa were busy. This baby really can dance!!!
  
  
• Rollicking good fun
  By A7VM87M0TC3PQ on 2007-08-13
  We bought this for our infant daughter and have not been disappointed. The illustrations are playful and keep her interest. The book carries a nice series of repititve phrases to help young listeners learn to anticipate the familiar. Our daughter knows when it's time to open the flap and loves finding each animal. Even her Nana from England loved to read this book to her when she visited. The rhyme flows easily and the rhythm of the words almost makes me want to dance! ;) The book is at the top of our list of favourites, and this will be my new standard baby gift.
  
  
• great book
  By A9UFTYCKIZVTV on 2007-08-23
  I love this book! I ordered it online after a storytime at a local library. This book has a nice story line and rhymes very musically.
  
  
• Baby Danced the Polka
  By ANFVIRR2P5JF5 on 2007-09-24
  Baby Danced the Polka (Ala Notable Children's Books. Younger Readers (Awards))
  Baby Danced the Polka is a fabulous little book with eye-popping illustrations about a baby who just can't sleep because he's too busy dancing with his stuffed animals. His exasperated parents finally give in, Daddy gets his fiddle, and the whole family has a little Polka Fest ("the best in Arkansas"). This book makes a great baby gift! It's delightful and has wonderful rhythm.
  
  
• Such a FUN book
  By A2EW66NLQ9T4EA on 2007-11-16
  I know this one by heart, and everytime another parent hears me recanting Baby danced the polka with the polka dotted PIG - they ask me what I am 'singing'. It is an all time favorite book - and I have one copy to read and one to save for my daughter so she can have a new copy for herkids one day!
  
  
• Polka polka polka!
  By ATQP0OXSHA230 on 2007-12-01
  My daughter wasn't even a year old when we bought this book after checking it out of the library. It is that much fun! We love the bouncing, wonderful rhythms, the silliness, and whimsical illustrations. Our only "downfall" is that instead of "...the chocolate-colored cow," we always want to say "...with the chocolate-covered cow!" Mmmmm.....
  
  
• Love it!
  By A2Q9929EF2YW7I on 2007-12-27
  This is a fantastic children's book. The illustrations are colorful and engaging and the rhyming text is important for fostering pre-reading skills in children. It is one of the favorites at our house, and we have given several as gifts as well. It's sure to bring a smile to the faces of kids and parents alike!
  
  
• Fabulous!!!
  By ACY8HWCCKX5KQ on 2008-01-18
  I love this book. It is so cute, so fun - both in word and art!!! I will buy it for every baby I know.
  
  

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