According to research, rhyming books can “help with language development, including phonemic awareness, which is crucial for early reading skills.” And apparently rhyming books “make learning fun which is particularly appealing to young children.” Hmm. I guess that might all be true. But I just write ’em for the funny looks.
Yeah, kids get funny looks on their faces with the right rhymes.
And call me goofy (I’ve been called worse), but I just get a kick out of those funny looks. Puzzled looks. Faces that show obvious consternation (love that word). Because it shows me they hear what I wrote, and maybe even enjoy it, even if they don’t quite understand.
When I was the music “minister” for a small Denver church, for 3 years, I almost always had a crowd of kids visit me on the stage after church was over. They called me Mister Tony (which is why I use that name for my animated alter ego). And I had always enjoyed messing with their minds by calling them by wrong names. Or by turning their statements upside down or inside out.
Like, I’d ask them if they were gonna go outside and enjoy the beautiful green skies that day. And they’d get funny looks on their faces. “Not green skies. Blue,” they’d say. And I’d give them a certain look and act like I was amazed they thought such silly things.
My wife and I didn’t receive the blessing of our own kids. But I always learned a lot about what kids like by watching nieces and nephews and my friends’ kids. And those kids in church.
For over 20 years I’ve put my rhyming skills to work in Christian books and music for kids. Because rhymes can help make Christian values, Bible stories, and even moral lessons easy and fun for kids to remember.
Then there’s the entertainment value.
Rhymes, in a song, appeal to kids because, I believe, they can almost “know” what’s coming. And the anticipation of it tickles their fancy. And I believe that’s true because that happened for me when I was a kid. That might have been a big part of why I wanted to dive into music even when I was very young.
Another part of the entertainment value comes when you perform music and aim it at kids. Especially when you use your own funny looks or movements to see if they’re paying attention. I remember singing for kids, parents, and teachers at a Christian school’s spring festival. And I got a kick out of how some little girls laughed at the words to my song, “Don’t.” I was impressed at how well they got the gist of it.
An article I recently read said “books that combine faith-based content with rhyming can serve as a tool for passing down religious traditions and teachings in an accessible format for young minds.” And it added that “some popular examples might include:
- Bibles for children that use rhyme to simplify and explain scriptures.
- Books on Christian morals like sharing, kindness, or the story of Jesus, told through rhymes.
- Prayer books for kids where prayers are written in poetic form.”
I’m fine with all that. And I’ll actually keep working on providing those kinds of resources. But, between you and me…my favorite part is still the funny looks.
Take a second and join the growing body of believers who’ve already signed up for the FunderFlash Journal. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to 2 of my books and 2 songs, right away, that grownups AND kids can enjoy. Then, I’ll do my best to encourage you to sing a new song with the power of God’s love.
Stay tuned,
