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Nursery rhymes are one of the first things taught at school and home. They are easy to remember for their rhyming words and interesting stories. The best nursery rhyme books would let parents read out the stories to the children. Moreover, children love learning in a fun way rather than other forms of studying.
Elizabeth Daly, a State-certified high school English teacher and book blogger, says, “Instilling a love of reading is incredibly important for children’s development. Children love to be read to, and the rhythm and repetition of nursery rhymes improve memory and vocabulary and develop their cognitive skills. Choose a well-illustrated book that can hold your child’s attention.”
Read this post if you would like to begin reading nursery rhymes and pique your child’s interest in creative learning. The list includes the best nursery rhyme books you can buy for your child.
Top Picks
10 Best Nursery Rhyme Books
1. Best Illustrated: Parragon Books Mother Goose Treasury
This is a beautifully illustrated book with a collection of fantastic tales and time-tested nursery rhymes for preschool-aged children. In addition, the hardbound book contains a collection of popular nursery rhymes such as Humpty Dumpty or Hickory Dockery Dock. The Mother Goose Treasury nursery rhyme book is full of lovable tales that will transport your child to magical places. Parents and grandparents can relive their childhood memories by reading these classic rhymes to their children to strengthen special bonding.
2. Best For Parent-Child Interaction: Natalie Marshall Five Little Ducks
This is a super adorable board book for babies who like ducks. Natalie Marshall’s Five Little Ducks is a hardcover book with 12 pages of beautifully illustrated rhymes. The finger and toe series is an amusing spin on action rhymes. The book begins with five small images of ducks on the first page and drops down by one each time. This novelty board book encourages parent-child interaction while helping with counting and other preschool-readiness skills. The tabs, along with the pictures of the duck, promote learning with numbers. To know more, check out this review cum book assessment video.
Did you know?3. Best Hand-Embroidered Artworks: Rachel Williams Read To Your Baby Every Day
This book is a collection of 30 time-tested nursery rhymes for you to read to your children. Chloe Giordano’s hand-embroidered artworks on various pieces of cloth within the book make it truly unique. The classic poems featured in the book include Little Piggy, Hush Little Baby, Twinkle Twinkle, McDonald, The Wheel On The Bus, and many more. This hardcover children’s rhyme book would make an excellent choice for parents who enjoy reading to their children.
4. Best Award-Winning: Scott Gustafson Favorite Nursery Rhymes From Mother Goose
Image: Scott Gustafson The classic interpretation of this illustrated nursery rhyme book can be enjoyable as they are featured with live pictures. Scott Gustafson has illustrated each rhyme in a magical picture that will capture children’s imagination. The wonderful rhymes book includes 45 popular and traditional rhymes such as Itsy Bitsy Spider, My Black Hen, and many more. This book is one-of-a-kind because of the illustrations, which are all quite different. The award-winning book has 100 pages and is a must-have for your child’s bookshelf. Check out this review cum book assessment video to know why it is one of the perfect read-aloud books out there.
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5. Best Hardback: Chris Riddell Classic Nursery Rhymes
This beautiful book features a silver-embossed navy linen jacket. Chris Riddell’s Classic Nursery Rhyme book features vintage artwork by Enid Blyton’s illustrator Dorothy M. Wheeler. This time-tested book includes all your favorite childhood nursery rhymes. The beautiful hardback has silver-sprayed edges, and the gorgeous artwork includes rhymes such as Little Jack Horner, Jack and Jill, Humpty Dumpty, and many more. Hence, it also makes for a wonderful baby shower gift.
6. Best For Enjoyable Reading: Little Hippo Books My First Book Of Nursery Rhymes
This lovely collection of nursery rhymes includes classics such as Twinkle Twinkle, Hickory Dickery Dock, Mary Has A Little Lamb, Jack and Jill, Humpty Dumpty, and many more. In addition, the soft-padded board book features beautiful illustrations of endearing animal friends, making your reading experience more enjoyable. This best-selling book has 24 pages and would make an excellent birthday gift for children aged four and older.
7. Best Classic Collection: Gina Baik Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes
This classic edition of Mother Goose rhyme book contains 101 cherished poems and beautifully illustrated animal characters to delight children and adults. Gina Baik’s enchanting illustrations grace the cover, as does the stunning four-panel gatefold. The hardcover book of nursery rhymes has 128 pages and would make an excellent gift for children aged two to five years.
Trivia8. Best Easy-To-Follow: IskaMaccuish100 Best-Loved Nursery Rhymes
The parent-recommended bedtime rhyme book is organized in an easy-to-follow themed order, with options such as playing, counting, and animals. This lavishly illustrated book with a large collection of rhymes captures the essence of childhood. The book with 100 rhymes allows children to sing along and mimic actions, making it an excellent activity for the child. IskaMaccuish’s100 Best Nursery Rhymes has 128 pages and is appropriate for children aged four and older.
9. Best Tear-Proof: Miles Kelly Big Book of Nursery Rhymes
Miles Kelly’s The Big Book Of Nursery Rhymes introduces your child to the world of imagination. The large page format will bring this book to life. The illustrated artwork is full of stunning and endearing details. This toddler rhyme book has thick and tear-proof paper, making it one of the perfect books for small hands to handle. Some of the poems that will capture the child’s attention and imagination include Diddle Diddle, Here is the Church, and Star light, star bright. There are 96 pages in the book.
10. Best Softcover: Little Hippo Books My First Book of Nursery Rhymes
This is a soft-padded book with lovely illustrations of endearing animal friends, making it the perfect gift for birthdays and other occasions. The nursery sing-along book with its rhymes and songs is fun for a parent and child to read together. In addition, the softcover makes it comfortable for little hands to hold. The Little Hippo Books My First Book of Nursery Rhymes is an ideal gift for birthdays, baby showers, or Christmas. This wonderful book with over 24 rhymes is appropriate for children aged one to five.
How To Choose The Right Nursery Rhyme Books?
Here are a few factors to consider before purchasing the best interactive nursery rhyme books.
- Illustrations: Nursery rhymes are designed for very young children who are not yet familiar with words. Therefore, books with colorful illustrations will pique your child’s interest.
- Hardbound: Hardcover books are safe for your children because they are tear-proof.
- Large fonts: Big fonts are always easier to read. Poems written in large fonts will help the kids read on their own at this stage because they are still learning.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the oldest nursery rhyme song?
Ding Dong Bell is considered one of the oldest known nursery rhyme songs. The earliest version resembles the modern version published in 1765 in the book Mother Goose’s Melody.
2. Do children show interest in reading rhyme books?
Toddlers or young children may not be able to read by themselves, but most of them enjoy reading rhymes or singing along with adults. The rhyming words, rhythm, and repetition of lines make the rhymes easy to remember. They also help children to develop language skills.
3. At what age do children start to read?
Children’s reading skills depend on their ability to recognize words. This development varies with each child, and their ability to read can start anywhere from three to even years of age.
4. Are nursery rhyme books worthy?
Yes, nursery rhyme books are worth investing in as they help in the early language development. Exposing them to rhymes by repetition helps them develop communication skills at a young age while making them more interactive.
The Bottom Line
Nursery rhymes are among the first things your little one learns as they are fun to sing and easy to understand. Teaching your little one nursery rhymes helps improve their cognitive skills and vocabulary. The best nursery rhyme books listed in this article come with attractive illustrations and colors and may attract your child’s attention. However, don’t forget to check if the book is hardbound and tear-proof so that you can preserve it for a long time. We recommend you choose Parragon Books Mother Goose Treasury featuring classic rhymes and tales and beautiful illustrations. You could also opt for the interactive Read To Your Baby Every Day by Rachel Williams to create memorable bonding moments with your child.
Infographic: Creative Ways To Introduce Nursery Rhymes
Purchasing the right nursery rhyme books is only half the job done. The next step is to ensure that the child finds it exciting to indulge in these books regularly. Check out the following infographic to learn how to draw the child’s attention toward learning these rhymes. Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
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Why Trust MomJunction?
Wedetso Chirhah is a versatile product writer and reviewer specializing in kids’ products and books. His literary expertise and meticulous reviewing skills allow him to include the most sought-after children’s books. In this post, he has collated a list of the best nursery rhyme books with attractive illustrations. Wedetso has handpicked each book after analyzing its suitability and usefulness for young children. You can scroll through each book’s specifications and read through the how-to-choose section to buy the right book for your child.
