Taylor, Sean. Five Little Friends: A Collection of Finger Rhymes. Fiona Woodcock, Illus. Candlewick, 08/2025. 61pp. Poetry. Trade $19.99. 978-1-5362-4291-1. GRADES Baby/Toddler–2. OUTSTANDING.
Thirty-five original poems that can be used as fingerplays make this a great choice for storytime presenters or fans of nursery rhymes and poetry. Many of these rhymes involve topics familiar to toddlers, including food, bubbles, trees, weather, and animals. For example, “Get the brush. / Squeeze the paste. / Freshen your mouth / with the minty taste.” The mixed media illustrations include culturally diverse children acting out the rhyme, which can inspire the movements to bring the verse to life, or you can make up your own. Most of the earth-toned artwork gives enough examples of the hand movements to make this easy to copy, adding more fingerplays to the classics most toddlers already know.
Penny Peck—San José State University iSchool