Books with Rhyme
Remember Rhyming books serve a useful purpose — they aid memory by helping children remember words, capturing their attention through sound patterns. They help language skills by strengthening vocabulary, while also being a precursor in learning how to spell. Some of my favourite rhyming books are listed here.
The Madeline series by Ludwig Bemelmans
Caldecott Medal Winner – 1940
Ludwig Bemelmans’ Madeline is a timeless classic that introduces readers to a spirited little girl living in a Parisian boarding school. Courageous and loving, Madeline leads her classmates through charming adventures that are playful and endearing.
This particular story is set in Paris, with the Eiffel Tower featuring prominently on the cover alongside twelve convent girls and a tiny French flag. Each book in the series opens with the familiar, comforting refrain:
“In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines,
Lived twelve little girls in two straight lines...
The smallest one was Madeline.”
The rhythmic, rhyming text propels the story forward with musicality and warmth. The girls are cared for by the ever-watchful Miss Clavel, whose gentle presence anchors their daily lives.
In this tale, Madeline is rushed to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy. Her classmates visit her, and she proudly displays her surgical scar. That night, the dormitory erupts in tears—not from fear or sadness, but from envy. The girls all wish they had a scar like Madeline’s!
Bemelmans’ illustrations are deceptively simple yet rich in detail. Iconic landmarks such as Notre Dame are beautifully rendered. Ludwig names each Parisian building he has drawn in the book in a note before the title page—making this book a delightful primer for any child preparing to visit Paris. The artwork features a luminous lemon-yellow backdrop, with the girls’ uniforms painted in a deeper yellow that adds a visual depth to the story.
The repetition of the opening lines across the series offers young readers a sense of familiarity and comfort. While the books are ideal for children aged 2–5, their lyrical text and evocative watercolour illustrations make them equally appealing to older children, especially those developing reading confidence.
Ludwig Bemelmans is an Austrian-American illustrator who died in the early 1960’s.
Scholastic Children’s Books, 1996 (1st publ. in 1939).
ISBN 978 1 407110 53 0
Tags: Friendship
The Bear and the Hare and the Fair by EM Lynas. Illustrated by Matt Hunt.
Em Lynas’s new fun picture book, The Bear and the Hare and the Fair, illustrated by Matt Hunt, tells the story of a hare that wants to go to a fair and a bear that wants to lounge at home. Hare drags the reluctant bear to the fair. And while they ‘swing and sway’ and ‘twirl and whirl’ and ‘swoopy do!’ the characters’ expressions are marvellous with bear glaring at the hare. When the bear suggests they go on the dodgems, hare is not so happy! Then they find a rollercoaster ride that challenges them both.
The use of colour in this book from the fluorescent pink cover (the image shown does not do it justice!), to the neon artwork throughout would put a smile on anyone’s face. The rhyming words – bare/hare/fare and sentence repetition- ‘I do not care, I do not care, I do not care’, reinforce language learning for young children.
If you like this book, look out for others in the series: The Cat and the Rat and the Hat (2021) and The Goat and the Stoat and the Boat (2023). The ability to hear this story read aloud (through a smartphone device) is an added attraction of Nosy Crow publications. Such books can encourage reluctant readers. The hare entices the lethargic bear into activity making this a desirable choice read for children locked into routine and hesitant to try something new.
Recommended for age 4+
Nosy Crow Ltd, 2025
ISBN 978 1 80513 0260
Tags: Friendship, Fun, Rhyme
