Valentine's Day

Well it’s that time of the year again– when the whole world turns pink and fluffy and hearts and soppy messages attack you around every corner. Whether you love it or you hate it, there’s no denying that Britain is crazy about Valentine’s Day.

Whilst queuing up in the supermarket squeezed inbetween heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and life-size teddy bears I couldn’t help but notice that perhaps not everything about Valentine’s Day is as commercial as it seems.

For the bookworms among us Valentine’s Day is a fantastic opportunity to revive a love of an often overlooked literary form– poetry. We all know the old rhyme, Roses are red, Violets are blue… (Bookstart loves books, And we hope you do too!) and we have all seen the anthologies of love poems lined up by the tills, but what about poetry for children?

As anyone who has ever shared a poem with a little one will know, children love poems! Rhyming always prompts a giggle, and the rhythm really keeps the interest high. Not to mention the benefits of learning about how sounds and letters interact.

This week, Bookstart are particularly fond of My Favourite Nursery Rhymes by Tony Ross. Accompanied by a CD to teach the tunes, this new anthology includes forty-eight traditional rhymes, so there will be something familiar and something new for all. With lively, humorous illustrations, this book is sure to spark inspiration and a smile.

Other fun books to explore include There’s an Ouch in my Pouch by Jeanne Willis, whose alliteration and onomatopoeia makes for great reading aloud, and Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy– a rhythmic romp through an amazing array of real and created words, all whilst floating along in a giant bubble!

So why not use February as an excuse to go head over heels with rhyming? After all, the heart of Valentine’s Day is a celebration of your love – and what better way to do so than by spending some quality time sharing the joy of a book with your little one.