Musical Tickles Set

All in all rhymes are a bridge between the generations, a legacy that we carry from the past and pass on to our children. In this set of three books we have collected 34 rhymes and put them in three categories; Counting Rhymes, Rhymes about jobs and occupations and Silly Rhymes. The traditional rhymes reflect the customs and lifestyles of the culture. The richness of the rhymes comes from the different layers of meaning in many of them. Included are rhymes that are connected to certain celebrations like the rhyme "Seven Camels”. This rhyme was recited to the child by the mother or grandmother when the first tooth appeared. The mother promises to load seven camels with nuts and good things to eat in celebration of the first tooth. Traditionally a special sweet called “snoonieh” is served to guests which is garnished with different types of nuts. Another rhyme is about the child’s first haircut. The mother recites this rhyme "The Barber" to show how much she loves her child and her great expectations for him when he grows up; she hopes he will be the Shekh of all sheikhs. On one level the modern child will enjoy the rhyme as a rhyme about a barber and a haircut, but if one digs deeper one can understand and appreciate the occasion that this rhyme was used. “Bolbol Balabel" is another such rhyme. It was recited to show the longing for a far away son or husband or relative. The bird (bolbol) flying from tree top to tree top brings the news that the long absent brothers are coming back and the rhyme urges a special welcome for them by the whole community. Not all the rhymes we collected have such a clear connection to occasions, some were probably created by children while playing games especially counting out games. Some have nonsense words which amuse children, while the rhythm and beat of the rhymes makes it fun for the kids to repeat.

One of the best publications in the Arab World in 2012/2013 - as selected by the National Centre for Children's Literature (a service of the French National Library)