Counting Rhymes

Cheerful counting rhymes familiar to more than one generation of children: each one is a small story in verse, easy to remember and to act out in the yard.

The verses of Ivan Demyanov, a classic of Soviet children's poetry, are collected in a compact book from the "Little Pages" series. Next to the lines are expressive illustrations by Boris Kalayushin: a whale swimming in the Neva, mischievous cats, a cart of Oleg stuck in the mud. Sixteen pages - just enough for a child to listen to the end and immediately ask to read it again.

For parents: counting rhymes perfectly develop a sense of rhythm, memory, and speech, while also bringing adults back to their own childhood.