Rhyming Book List Suggestion For Young Children
When my children were young, I loved reading to them certain rhyme books by talented authors. I grew up with the older versions of the books, Muslim Nursery Rhymes by Mustafa McDermont and Islamic Nursery Rhymes by Rehana Essa, which I highly recommend. Nursery rhymes benefit children by:
Developing their phonemic awareness - Rhymes teach children to pronounce words because they are full of interjections and funny words. They help kids repeat difficult groups of sounds, thus improving their speech, intonation, and correct pronunciation.
Building their memory and articulation - Rhymes are full of rhyming words and groups of sounds that you don’t encounter in regular words. By introducing these patterns of sounds to kids, it gives their brain the input to categorize words by their internal structure. This acts as a precursor to written language, where children have to identify the sounds of written words.
Helping them understand concepts: Rhymes paint pictures in children’s minds and contribute to their creative development. It helps kids develop language comprehension by associating words with people, objects, and events in their daily lives.
Developing social routines - Rhymes teach kids important conversational lessons, such as turn-taking and listening.
Developing their listening skills When you read rhymes to your kids, you are telling them a story, so they are lured into the story and pay attention to you. This helps them make sense of the story and, at the same time, become good listeners.
Some Of My Rhyme Book Recommendations
When I was homeschooling my younger kids, I ordered the rhyme books by Mary Ann Hoberman because they are absolutely cute and delightful poems that are wholesome. My kids especially loved, The Llama Who Had No Pyjama and Fathers, Mothers, Sisters, Brothers and would re-read them many times. Another favorite is the popular poem book, A Picnic of Poems In Allah’s Garden by Dawud Wharnsby.
I would also like to recommend the wonderful published work of Elizabeth Lymer. MashAllah, Sr. Elizabeth is a talented writer and poet, and has successfully published over eight children's books so far! Her newest two, Hector Hectricity and Angels and Rainbows, look like delightful reads.
Elizabeth Lymer is a children's author, who resides in Canterbury, UK. She homeschools her young children, runs a website at, Rhymes and Stories as well as started a new desktop publishing house at Aneesa Books. As you can tell, Sr. Elizabeth is a busy mom and active Muslima, who loves to keep young children entertained with something new and exciting. My kids really enjoy her books! She says,
"I love writing children’s stories and nursery rhymes, especially to nurture bonding between parents and children, to facilitate fun, informal learning, and to celebrate harmonies between religious beliefs."
I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Sister Elizabeth and recently reviewed two of her books, Islamic Nursery Rhymes and Religious Rhyme Time. I found it delightful and well-written.
In her Islamic Nursery Rhymes Book, Sr. Elizabeth converts well-known nursery rhyme tunes, into catchy versions tailored for Muslim children with an Islamic twist! The lovely illustrations by Fatimah Davies, add charm to her verses and make her book even more appealing.
In her Religious Rhyme Time book, Elizabeth Lymer appeals to the three major religions, and once again converts well-known children's rhyme tunes, into spiritual verses about belief and prophets. This rhyming book can be enjoyed by those of different faiths, which makes it more diverse. The illustrator, Fatimah Moore Ibrahim, adds joyful and colorful drawings to the rhymes that are sure to please the eyes of a child.
We also love Elizabeth Lymer's Youtube channel, where she shares free audio of her rhymes from her published books so that children can follow along with their book to the tune of an old rhyme.
Elizabeth Lymer's two books, Ramadan Rhymes, and Hajj Harmonies are coloring books, where children can color along for fun as they read and listen to her rhymes.
Sr. Elizabeth has made her work enjoyable for children and easy for parents to share rhythm and rhyme in a wholesome way. You can purchase her books through the links on each image. Jazakallah khair to Elizabeth Lymer for providing kid-friendly and helpful parenting resources, her dedication to the educational development of young children.
Share your best parenting tip in the comments!
Salam, I’m Zakeeya!
I believe that making our homes a safe haven for our families, as well as being a wife and mother, brings us great blessings, contentment, and benefits to society as a whole. Since 2011, I've been dedicated to assisting Muslimas in finding tranquility in their roles, taking better care of themselves, and achieving inner peace. Our journey in this world is not an easy one, but I pray the tools and guidance I offer will help you face life's challenges with more gratitude and mindfulness. Join me as I share wifehood, motherhood, homemaking, and lifestyle solutions that make life more fulfilling for you as a woman! Read more about me here.
