Quick as a Cricket

Quick as a Cricket by Audrey and Don Wood is one of my favorite children's books. I read it a lot to my kids when they were little but didn't own it anymore because one of my kids took it for her children. So I ordered one to read to a children's story time at my church. The copy was used but said to be in "Very Good" condition. I just opened it and was so disappointed. It has more than half the pages marked up with red marker. There's no way I can use it and will have to order another book. In no way was its condition very good. It was definitely false advertising.

I love this book. My boys love this book. We read it on a daily basis multiple times. My 3 year old can practically read it to his little brother. I actually went to a short literacy class on books for children and they read this one as an example of a good selection. It is very simple with large pictures, but is great for introducing comparisons and adjectives. ("I'm as quick as a cricket") It's simplicity is appealing yet it also uses words that are a little less common in a preschooler's vocabulary. All around one of our favorites!

This lovely book has won the heart of my 2 year old daughter. She requests the "cricket book" perhaps a little too often :-). I do really enjoy reading the quick paced, bouncy rhyming style of Audrey Wood. She is one of my favorite children's authors and with her husband Don Wood, they have created beautifully illustrated pages to go along with it. It is colorful, fun, interesting, and predictable enough so that the toddler can help you finish the sentences and join in the story FUN!

My son eyes new books suspiciously - almost like I was trying to sneak a new child into the house without checking with him first. His books are a closed circle of friends and he loves the familiar, well worn pages that he can rattle off by heart. So I was amazed when he took to this book immediately and with gusto, rattling off the animal names within days. Quick as a cricket, slow as a snail, small as an ant, large as a whale, ...there are sad bassetts, happy larks, tame poodles, busy bees, lazy lizards, tough rhinos...you name it. This books has the essential ingredients for every toddler book - beautiful artwork, rhyme and rhythm to the words, and interesting characters to capture little imaginations. I love the Woods but not all their books are for tots this age since they can get a little bizarre sometimes. This ranks right up there in the book world the way Raffi does in the music world of toddlers!

My son (2 years old) absolutely adores this book! We typically read a minimum of three books together every evening, and this, is always one of them! (The other constant is another Don and Audrey Wood book - The mouse, the red ripe strawberry and the big hungry bear). The "quick as a cricket", "slow as a snail" similies through the book are wonderful. I would highly recommend it!