Five Little Friends: A Collection of Finger Rhymes

Playful, interactive, and full of whimsy, Sean Taylor’s collection of poems invites little ones to get their fingers, hands, and wiggles ready.

One little friend
in the playground . . . sliding.
Two little friends
playing chase and . . . hiding.

What better way to get little ones excited about poems than to make them part of the delivery? In the hallowed tradition of nursery rhymes and songs like ＂Itsy Bitsy Spider,＂ this imaginative collection entices children to use their fingers, hands, and sometimes whole bodies to bring a variety of verses to life. Whether the subject is sailing ships or stomping dinosaurs, falling snow or popping bubbles, jumping onto waterslides or riding a crowded elevator, Sean Taylor’s rhythmic read-aloud verses pair with Fiona Woodcock’s fresh, colorful illustrations, offering clues to the finger actions kids can follow--unless they’re happily acting things out already, using shapes and movements all their own.

Sean Taylor has written many books for young children, including Hoot Owl: Master of Disguise, illustrated by Jean Jullien; The World Champion of Staying Awake, illustrated by Jimmy Liao; A Brave Bear, illustrated by Emily Hughes; and The Dream Train: Poems for Bedtime, illustrated by Anuska Allepuz. He divides his time between the UK and Brazil.

Fiona Woodcock graduated from the Glasgow School of Art and started her career working in animation. Now specializing in children’s books, she is the creator of Hiding Heidi and the illustrator of A Dot in the Snow by Corrinne Averiss, both of which were nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal. Fiona Woodcock lives in Scotland.