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Read and Rhyme

by Donna Peterson; Illustrated by Leah Siemens

30 pages; Saddle stitched; catalogue #07-3016; ISBN 1-4251-6525-7; US$14.61, C$14.61, EUR9.98, £7.54

Read and Rhyme is filled with delightful illustrations and poems about the comical, loveable and just plain gross things kids do. They will give joy to parents and children alike.

About the Book

This book contains ten delightful poems celebrating children. Your child will enjoy searching for a sweet little snail named Sammy and discovering what new friends he has in each poem. How many friends can they count?

The rhyming words in each poem are colored differently to help each child discover the rhyming beat and practice reading along.

This is an entertaining and deliciously funny book that is meant for all ages. Parents too will be warmly reminded of wonderful childhood memories.

About the Author

My name is Donna Jean Peterson and I was born in Vernon, B.C., but grew up in Kamloops, B.C. I spent eight years in Edmonton, AB before settling in beautiful Chilliwack, B.C. with my husband Shane, his daughter Tori, and our two children Paige and Liam.

Many of the poems in this book are about things that happened while at home with our children and some of our many pets. This was not the first time I had thought about writing a children's book. My children's love of books became evident at a very early age and it was then that I began thinking about writing a book to help little ones learn to read. Although it was not the right time, I never lost the desire to someday write a book for children.

Years later, I was making silly verses trying to make my son laugh and convince him to get in the tub. Once he was finally done, I sat down and wrote the poem 'In The Tub'. After that, the poems came easily and I began to write about many different situations involving my children, and other special children in my life.

Children are a reflection of the best in us and the sometimes the worst, but they always look at the world with fresh bright eyes and are constantly amazed! My sincere hope is that this book brings you laughter and reminds you just how precious a gift our children are!!

About the Illustrator

Leah Siemens was born in Canada in 1971 and has lived most of her life in British Columbia, with some time spent in Alberta and Manitoba. She also spent four years as a teenager in New South Wales, Australia. She has been happy to settle in Chilliwack, British Columbia where she is enjoying raising her four young children with her husband.

She has a love for organic gardening and the outdoors which has been the inspiration for many works of art. Her artisitic interests include designing and making story quilts out of organic fabrics, painting, drawing and designing garden spaces. Teaching her children to be happy and to love and care for all creation is her main focus, though she is happy to take on artistic projects.

When asked to illustrate the book Read and Rhyme, by Donna Peterson, she was thrilled at the opportunity to work on a children's book that her own children would enjoy. The characters took shape with pencil and paper, and after experimenting with various colour mediums, Leah decided to learn how to use a computer painting program to complete this project. This book is her first venture into the world of book illustration, but is one she has definitely enjoyed. Now that this project is finished she looks forward to the next.