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The Hairy Toe, A Traditional American Tale

published by Discovery Toys/Candlewick Press and illustrated by Daniel Postgate

The Hairy Toe is one of those books kids request to hear over and over again. Not only is the book a favorite for children, but a favorite among adults as well. My niece and nephew (ages 3 and 7) enjoy having the book read to them.

The Hairy Toe is about a woman who finds a hairy toe and the consequences of finding that toe. The story is fun with all sorts of sounds to invent as you go along - kids love to join in the "rumbling" and "cracking". (See our article on role playing activities .) This is a very interactive book - of course, it is put out by Discovery Toys.

The illustrations are a kick as well. The illustrator did an excellent job of creating the mood to go along with the words. The black shadows and odd angles lend the book a scary (an impending) feeling. Even the typeface gets involved with different sizes for emphasis and a "written" instead of typed look. The pictures are a perfect fit for the feel of the story.

One of the other great aspects of this book is it comes with an "activities" section in the back called "read it again." It suggests discussing some of the aspects of the book with your children, like what makes it scary. It poses questions for them as well, like "What would you do with a hairy toe?" These are really fun and innovative projects that help children to learn and grow.

This book came in a set with 25 books, all of which have the "read it again" activities in the back. (The Hairy Toe is by far the best.) It can also be purchased separately.

Once again, we highly recommend this book. The Hairy Toe is "well worth owning."