Classic Books with Holes Reviews

Down in the Jungle – Retold by Mandy Ross, illustrated by Elisa Squillace

The latest in the Classic Books with Holes is a riot of jungle fun. Peep through the holes to reveal more animals on each page and sing the rhyme out loud with this sturdy favourite in big-book format for those times when everyone has to look at the same book at once.
Irish Examiner – November 2005
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Ten Fat Sausages – Illustrated by Elke Zinsmeister

A bit of a twist to the familiar counting song, in that the child can see where the sausages are going and the holes left when they disappear. Children love, and quickly master the repetitive singing game and with a large group the counting backwards can be demonstrated by using a diminishing throng of ten sausages (the children). They count how many are left after each verse. It encourages discussion and observation of numbers. Equally good one-to-one as in a large group. Colourful, playful illustrations help the text along.
Carousel – Spring 2006

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Five Little Men in a Flying Saucer – Dan Crisp


There cannot be anyone working in early years that is not aware of this popular number rhyme. Having it presented in book form, especially when it is as attractive as this, is a huge bonus.

Children easily learn the poem off by heart and are then able to read the book for themselves! This builds self-esteem and confidence in emergent readers. How wonderful to be able to pick up a book that you feel you know really well.

The book itself is beautifully illustrated. The characters of the aliens (just look at the expressions on their faces) are cleverly drawn – and we are also given an excellent insight into why ‘one man flew away'.

Look at the way that the earth has been portrayed in each of the double-page spreads and you will soon see that there is more to this book than first meets the eye. Pollution, traffic jams and the destruction of the rain forests are just some of the reasons why the little men in the flying saucer did not feel that it was a good idea to visit the Earth.

The final page of this book shows a far more optimistic view, with illustrations of wind farms and children planting trees. This is not just a book about the little aliens, it also sends some very powerful messages about conservation.
EYE – January 2006


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I am the Music Man - illustrated by Debra Potter

This Classic Books with Holes series is really popular. It allows the reader to see who is playing what through the box, it is beautifully illustrated and should provide fun and a good old sing song.
Betty Bookmark Ltd, October 2005

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There was an old lady who swallowed a fly - Pam Adams

This classic board book retells a childhood favourite and can be enjoyed by adults as well as toddlers. Young children love the brightly coloured pages with their ever growing holes. The various animals shown in the old lady's belly are guaranteed to have your toddler giggling enthusiastically.
www.babyworld.co.uk – March 2005


This much loved traditional story provides a wealth of activities and is very cleverly constructed so that the holes in the book work both backwards and forwards.
The story is about a huge old lady who accidentally swallows a fly then swallows a great many animals one by one as a remedy, until she finally ingests one to many. Repetition and build up are strong features of the story. It also contains steady rhythm and rhyme, and children love the inevitability of the denouement.
5 to 7 Educator, February 2005
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The Wheels on the Bus - Annie Kubler

From the series Classic Books with Holes, this book invites you to sing along with this ever popular children's song. Each page has pre-cut holes for little fingers to find and play with…illustrations are fun, child-friendly and stimulate lots of conversation about the different feelings shown by the driver and his passengers.
Practical Pre-School - June 2002


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