Product Description

What does an elephant do? It stomps its foot. Can you? From the creator of such beloved classics as The Grouchy Ladybug and The Mixed-Up Chameleon comes this interactive story that invites kids to imitate animal movements. Watching giraffes bend their necks or monkeys wave their arms is fun, but nothing could be better than joining in. From their heads down to their toes, kids will be wriggling, jiggling, and giggling as they try to keep up with these animals!Alligators wiggle, elephants stop, gorillas thump, and giraffes bend. Can you do it? ‘ I can do it!’ is the confidence-building message of this fun-filled interactive picture book. A variety of familiar animals invite young children to copy their antics, and as they play, they will learn such important skills as careful listening, focusing attention, and following instructions. Just as alphabet books introduce the very young child to letters and simple words, From Head to Toe introduces the basic body parts and simple body movements. And in the same way that children progress from understanding simple words to reading and writing sentences and stories, so they will progress from simple body movements to dancing, gymnastics, and other sports and activities, with confidence and pleasure.

Eric Carle's colorful collages have delighted children for more than a generation. Each book provides hours of fun while encouraging them to stretch their imaginations. His matchless words and illustrations now send out a new challenge:
Are you ready?
Here we go!
Move yourself
From Head to Toe.

A Main Selection of the Children’s Book-of-the-Month Club

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4500 in Books
• Published on: 1999-05-31
• Released on: 1999-03-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Board book
• 28 pages

From Publishers Weekly
As the artist's collages emulate animal movements, children will "eagerly clap, stomp, kick and wriggle their way through these pages," said PW. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
PreS. Animals and multiethnic children illustrate various body movements on large, double-page spreads. A giraffe bends its neck, a monkey waves its arms, etc. The repetitive text has the animal stating the movement and asking, "Can you do it?" Each child responds, "I can do it!" Carle's vivid cut-paper collages are striking and invite sharing individually or with a group. There is no story?rather the book is an invitation to get everyone moving. A nice addition to a toddler storytime, but it may get lost as it's cataloged in 613.7.?Lisa Smith, Lindenhurst Memorial Library, NY
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 2^-4. Carle's signature strong collages are put to good use in this book about movement. In each two-page spread, a child is paired with an animal, and kids are invited to make the same movement as the duo. Usually, the movement is one that comes naturally to the animals--for instance, an elephant stomps its feet, and so does a girl with braids; a gorilla thumps its chest, and so does a young boy. (Sometimes the connection is more tenuous, such as the alligator wiggling its hips.) The oversize art set against expanses of white will intrigue young children, who will enjoy both seeing the art and doing their own movements. The book will work well in story hours: a bit of wiggling and thumping will make a pleasurable break in the listening. Most libraries will want to shelve this with picture books. Ilene Cooper

Customer Reviews

One of Eric Carle's best!
This is a fantastic book! The large, colorful pictures and the simple, clear text keep children bending and stretching right along with the animals! Still, unlike many of the reviewers who loved this for their one-year-olds, we found that this book didn't work for my active, not very verbal daughter when she was one (even though she sat for other books). We pulled it out again around the time she turned 2 and she LOVED IT. This book was a huge hit. Now at almost 4 it is still one of her favorites. Even if she's tired at bedtime she gets on the floor to do her donkey kicks along with the donkey! My older daughter also reported that this was one of her preschool teacher's favorite storytime books. I would say that for many children this book, despite it's deceptively simple pictures and text, is more appropriate for older children (age 2-4). This is a book I buy all the time for 2nd birthdays - It's always a hit! (especially good for active kids who prefer being "active" listeners!) This is an excellent choice for a book that will last kids for years!

Great Shower Gift! Book Interests Babies at Many Levels!
I read FROM HEAD TO TOE to my baby, who is now 10 months old, and to a good friend's child, who is about 22 months old. Both enjoy it!

FROM HEAD TO TOE, like all of Eric Carle's books, offers multiple kinds of learning in one book. The first page shows a penguin saying "I am a penguin and I turn my head. Can you do it?" On the facing page, a girl has turned her heaed and answers, "I can do it!" We proceed through the book, going all the way down the body: head, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, chest, back, hips, knees, legs, foot, toes. At the same time, we meet an assortment of very appealing pictures of animals and learn their names: penguin, giraffe, buffalo, monkey, seal, gorilla, cat, crocodile, camel, donkey, elephant, and parrot.

I love that in the last pairing, the child takes action first: "I am I and I wiggle my toe. Can you do it?" This is followed by a parrot who copies the child wiggling his toe and says, "I can do it! I can do it!"

At our house, the 10-month-old is currently more inclined to enjoy the pictures, and is just starting to join in with the motions occasionally. The 22-month-old friend now joins in with many of the motions.

This is another great Eric Carle book, and will be a great addition to any child's early book collection.

What an entertaining book...!
My 16-month old daughter loves to turn her head, wave her arms, raise her shoulders, with the colorful animals in this book. Excellent book to teach children body parts, movements and animals. (She surprised us one day by thumping her chest when she saw a gorilla picuture somewhere else.) I also read this book to her classmates in a play group and they all loved it, too. Have fun "bending your knees" with your kids!