TEN LITTLE FINGERS AND TEN LITTLE TOES

Fox, Mem. Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes. Ill. by Helen Oxenbury. 1 ed. New York: Harcourt Children's Books, 2008. ISBN 978-0-15-206057-2.

PLOT SUMMARY: Two babies are born on opposite parts of the world, yet though born across the world from each other, they are really so much alike. "And both of these babies, as everyone knows, had ten little fingers and ten little toes." The story builds by introducing a new couple of babies from opposite parts of the world, realizing they are very much alike, while the other babies watch on. The story culminates with a baby being born that celebrates motherhood and babies. While all of the babies look on, the mother relishes her babies ten little fingers and ten little toes, while she gives three little kisses on the tip of its nose.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

This beautiful collaboration from Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury merries multiculturalism for the youngest readers. The author and illustrator themselves are international, with Fox Australian, and Oxenbury British. A series of couples of babies unfold on the pages, each being from a different culture or country. The rhythmic text sounds melodious and fits the illustrations perfectly. The babies are the illustrations, as they are set against the white backgrounds, with the mothers not visible to the reader. The illustrations are authentic with their details; each babies skin tones, hair, eye shape, and clothing is representative of the country they are representing. Even details such as shoes and patterns on the clothes help the reader to relish the multiculturalism represented.

While the text is simple, the message is beautifully and emotionally conveyed due to the matching of the babies to the text. The text repeats itself with each new set of babies, "And both of these babies, as everyone knows, had ten little fingers and ten little toes." As each set of babies is introduced, the babies from the prior pages look on innocently. As the story moves forward, the multicultural aspect is strengthened due to the fact that more babies of different cultures are looking on. The last baby of the story is resting on its mother's lap, and the mother celebrates the babies ten little fingers and ten little toes, and gives the baby three kisses on the tip of its nose. This last baby is naked, but even sans clothes, the babies culture shines through (this baby and mother are Caucasian).



REVIEW EXCERPTS:

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:
Oxenbury's signature multicultural babies people the pages, gathering together and increasing by twos as each pair is introduced. They are distinctive in dress and personality and appear on primarily white backgrounds. Whether shared one-on-one or in storytimes, where the large trim size and big, clear images will carry perfectly, this selection is sure to be a hit.

BOOKLIST:
*Starred Review* A standout for its beautiful simplicity, this picture-book collaboration between Fox and Oxenbury aims a message of diversity and tolerance at very young children. Oxenbury's spare pencil-and-watercolor pictures, set against pure white pages, zero in on pudgy little hands and feet, offering many interactive opportunities for young viewers to point and count. Clusters of adorable multicultural babies from around the world toddle across the pages until just one child receives three kisses on the nose from her loving mom, a sweet gesture that parents will want to act out with their own children. A gentle, joyous offering.

PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY:
Put two titans of kids' books together for the first time, and what do you get (besides the urge to shout, “What took you so long?”)? The answer: an instant classic. Given their perfect cadences, the rhymes feel as if they always existed in our collective consciousness and were simply waiting to be written down.

CONNECTIONS:

* When sharing the book with students, ask them to compare and contrast themselves to other classmates. If your class has students from many different ethnic backgrounds, encourage the students to compare eye shape and skin color. If students backgrounds are more homogenous, you can have them compare eye color and hair color. Have students create a graph or Venn diagram comparing and contrasting these differences/similiarities.

* Have students bring baby pictures of themselves to class. Look at the differences and similarities amongst the pictures, comparing clothing, toys, etc.

* Delve further into the book as a class. Try to determine the country or region each baby is from in the book and then pinpoint those areas on a map. Research backgrounds of those countries, in particular what babies are fed, whether they wear shoes, etc. See if students in your class are from the same regions as the babies in the story.

* Read other books about babies, both animal and human.

Babies Can't Eat Kimchee!. New York: Bloomsbury Usa Children's Books, 2006.

Frazee, Marla. Walk On!: A Guide for Babies of All Ages. New York: Harcourt Children's Books, 2006

Robert, Na'ima bint. Welcome to the World Baby in Kurdish and English (English and Kurdish Edition). London: Mantra Lingua, 2005.