Twinkle, Twinkle outshines Baa, Baa
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star is Warwickshire’s favourite nursery rhyme, according to a vote organised by the county council’s library service.
Twinkle, Twinkle has proved its universal appeal in the county shooting past runners up Baa, Baa Black Sheep and Row, Row, Row Your Boat. The vote was held by Warwickshire County Council’s Library service to support this year’s theme of ‘My favourite rhyme’ for National Bookstart Day (Friday October 9th).
An astronomical 1,130 people voted online and through libraries and children’s centres across Warwickshire.
A UK survey has also been carried out by Bookstart, which revealed today (Thursday 8 October) that Warwickshire is right on the button when it comes to choosing winners, both the nation’s favourite and the Midlands’ favourite is also Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
The national survey also revealed that parents in the Midlands are top of the class when it comes to singing nursery rhymes with their children. More than 42% of parents in the Midlands answered that they often sing nursery rhymes with their children, which put them joint first in the UK with parents in Wales.
Research shows that nursery rhymes play an important role in a child’s development and give a head start when it comes to reading and writing later on. Warwickshire Library Service holds regular rhyme time events in libraries across the county for babies and toddlers to enjoy for free.
Bookstart is a programme run by Booktrust, an independent national charity, which promotes the enjoyment of reading and aims to provide free packs of books to all babies and pre school children in the UK.
Warwickshire County Council has been involved in the scheme since the early stages and, since 1996, has given out nearly 100,000 packs of books to children across the county.
Sandy Chapman, Early Years and Bookstart Librarian for Warwickshire County Council, said: “We have been delighted by the response to the Nursery Rhyme vote which has appealed to all ages.
"The more serious message behind the Nursery Rhyme vote for Bookstart Day is that if you sing rhymes with your baby and read with your baby, you are giving them a huge step up - and a love of books is a gift for life.”
Warwickshire’s top five rhymes are:
1. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
2. Baa, Baa Black Sheep
3. Row, Row, Row Your Boat
4. Wheels on the Bus
5. Wind the Bobbin Up