Product Description: A child's first guide to water safety. Written for children ages two through six, the book conveys an important message of how to be safe near the water, through the story of Stewie, a duck who wants to swim with the 'big ducks' but is prevented from going in the water by his older sisters until he learns the water safety rules. Comes with a free CD that reads the book and sings the water safety song.
cute book, excruciating cd While it's not particularly well-written (the prose is fairly awkward in places), this book is really quite good at presenting water safety rules in a way that kids will want to read, and the song will definitely help them remember. This is a book my daughter has repeatedly asked me to read and I am happy to do it. However, I really wish I had previewed the included cd before I played it for her, because while she likes to listen to it, the condescending speech of the voice-over actors and the off-key singing of the children are like nails scraping across a blackboard to me. It is really and truly awful. That being said, my daughter does like the cd and I'm willing to grit my teeth while we listen to it if it means she'll be safer around water.
This book is a must! As the mother of a 2 year old boy who is afraid of NOTHING, this book has become a staple of our bedtime reading! My son repeats the song anytime he is around water, even the bathtub. It has definately made him more aware of the dangers of water. I will buy this book for all of my toddler/child relatives. I have seen no other book that teaches a child as young as 2 to respect the water.
Cute, but not what I was looking for I am a water safety instructor who teaches swimming lessons according to American Red Cross Guidelines. I teach outside so on days it rains we have to find other activities. I thought this book would be perfect for my younger students, but the Red Cross already makes a book close to what this book is teaching. I think this book is perfect for parents who want their children to know about water safety if they have a pool or grow up/vacation around bodies of water. Touching story as to why the parents wrote the book. I admire them for what they have done.
A Must for Every Toddler - Reinforcement of Safety Rules This is a very basic story about a duck who isn't allowed to swim with the other ducks until he learns the rules. The main ideas of the story are repeated several times throughout the book and set to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. The song goes "Don't jump in 'til you learn to swim, cover your chest with a safe life vest. A grown up must watch you in the pool. You'll be safe if you learn these rules."
The book includes a CD that includes reading the of the story as well as different children singing the same song about five times. I did not give this book a five star rating because the children singing on the cd cannot sing and will make the hair on your back stand up if you are any bit musically inclined. There is one track on the cd that has all the kids singing together and is bearable to listen too.
Nonetheless, this book and cd are a favorite of my 2 and 4 year old girls (I would not recommend this book for anyone over six). I keep the cd in the kitchen all summer long and I play it while I get breakfast ready, especially on days that we go to the pool or beach. The girls especially love it because the book shows Stewie learning to swim at the YMCA where my girls are also taking swimming lessons.
Please note that this book only teaches safety rules and does not provide any instruction for swimming.
I will also mention that the author, Stew Leonard, the supermarket entrepeneur, got involved in water safety for children after his son drowned. This is an excellent tool for all parents to use to avoid this kind of tragedy. I strongly recommend it for every toddler.
Life-saving lessons This is a wonderful resource for parents, teachers and coaches. Stewie the Duck is one of the few books available that addresses drowning, one of the most significant injury-related risks our children face. The authors teach children critical survival skills in a loving, age-appropriate, and fun way. Children really enjoy the CD, and being able to incorporate music makes the lessons fun and effective. This adorable, intelligent book was so impressive that we utilized it in our water safety curriculum program, and have received very positive feedback about it.
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