Tanka Tanka Skunk By Steve Webb (2004)

This is one of the best Phonological Awareness books I've ever seen.  A bunch of animals are introduced, with appealing illustrations, and the words note how many beats each word has:  "This is kangaroo.  His name has three beats.  kan-  ga-  roo."  Described here it sounds kind of boring and schoolish, but it's really lots of fun, with appealing illustrations and strong rhythms and repetition.  Kids really hear the smaller sounds in the words.  You can guide them to clap along with the syllables if you want, or sometimes they do that spontaneously.  The refrain of "Skunka Tanka / Skunka Tanka / Tanka Tanka Skunk!" is great.  With words placed all over the pages, often with syllables separated, this works well for Print Awareness too.  (My only complaint is the last page that reads "Once more from the top...faster this time, please!"...I don't know what to do with this in storytime so I end the book on the previous page.  Feels blasphemous, but it works much better.)

- Steven Engelfried