Pictures come alive to the gentle sounds of nature in Mother Nature Rhymes an animated ebook of rhymes for young children written and illustrated by D B Johnson author of nine picture books including the NY Times Bestseller Henry Hikes to Fitchburg Houghton Mifflin 2000 Mother Nature Rhymes adds the sound of birds and bees and rustling leaves to its gentle animations A page turn to a muskrat sitting beside a brook brings the sound of rippling water and birds singing in the distance After ten seconds the picture animates the fishing line begins to swing in the breeze and the muskrat blinks hardly noticing the fish darting between the rocks in the water at his feet Perhaps he s distracted by the butterfly floating past Johnson intentionally delays the start of each animation to give the rhymes reading space and to deliver a restful rhythm for bedtime reading The sounds are real crickets chirp a barred owl hoots a robin sings and the unhurried action matches the whimsy of the rhymes a sly fox sinks up to his chin in the mud left behind when he sells all the water in his pond There may be a lesson here but Johnson has kept it hidden away as secret as the identity of Mother Nature Mother Nature RhymesFrom my perch in the public library children s room I see children from toddlers on up drawn to computer screens like hummingbirds to red nectar Their frantic mouse beating and keyboard banging until Game Over are followed by agitation and shrieked demands for mom s phone or nanny s iPad. _Mother Nature Rhymes_ offers a satisfying antidote to this frenzy It still uses all the appeal of touch screen technology but draws the child in with captivating images soothing yet intriguing sounds With another reader it provides the ideal shared lap sit bedtime or quiet time read aloud experience using iPad iPod touch or iPhone. Witty and thought provoking verses encourage children to experience the natural world for themselves The artwork and animation are a delight for the young and young at heart This is what an e book should be Mother Nature Rhymes Not Found Mother Nature Rhymes