Could Be Verse!: Bonnie and Ben Rhyme Again by Mem Fox

Bonnie and Ben were a boisterous pair

who loved yelling rhymes in the open air.

With hugs and goodbyes to Mom and Dad,, they set out for a outing with Skinny Doug. Doug reminds them of all the rhymes they know by heart, so when they come to a hill, the rhymsters start, with "Jack and Jill." When they spot some sheep, they recite "Little Bo Peep."

A plum tree recalls Jack Horner's pie, and when they spy a web, they recite a rhyme about "Little Miss Muffet"with a spider beside her.

On their stroll, they draw quite a crowd--all of them reciting the rhymes out loud.

And when they encounter a garden of posies, they form a circle and sing "Ring around the Rosie!"

But by then it's growing dark. Have they gone way too far? No, they walk back home, singing, "Twinkle, Little Star."

It's never too early or too late for a spate of verses, and in Mem Fox's salute to versification with Bonnie and Ben, it's once more rhyme time, in Bonnie and Ben Rhyme Again (Beach Lane Books, 2020). For the very young, this book is a good introduction to the body of English nursery rhymes, and for slightly older children, this one gives them the chance to use the cues and chime in with each rhyme. Artist Judy Horacek provides jolly illustrations done in black line and bright watercolor fill which make this a fun book for a sing-along walk with Old Mother Goose!

The noted Mem Fox is also the author of the beloved classic picture book We're Going on a Bear Hunt (Classic Board Books).