Dieci dita alle mani e dieci dita ai piedini

by Mem Fox, Helen Oxenbury

Non c'è nulla di più dolce delle manine e dei piedini dei bambini appena nati. Che siano bimbi di città, o piccoli abitanti dei ghiacci. Che vivano in una piccola tenda o tra le verdi colline. Che siano avvolti in una soffice coperta, o che siano raffreddati. Perché si sa che dovunque essi siano "come tutti i bambini hanno dieci dita alle mani e dieci dita ai piedini". Un delicato libro in rima da leggere ai bebè. Una filastrocca col dono della semplicità e della tenerezza, da leggere ad alta voce ai piccoli, fin dai loro primi mesi di vita. Illustrazioni ad acquerello. Età di lettura: da 6 mesi.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Storytime, Fiction, Cultural, Family, Counting

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Merrion Frances Fox is an Australian writer of children's books and an educationalist specialising in literacy. Fox has been semi-retired since 1996, but she still gives seminars and lives in Adelaide, South Australia.

Reviews

[Bionic Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

How old does a child have to be before it will enjoy being read to? Do you have to just “tell” a story to a tiny child? Or will they be able to appreciate books on paper at a very early age?

If you are looking for the very first book to read to a baby, Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes is just about perfect. Written in 2008 by Mem Fox, it features all sort of babies, from all around the world, but what they all have in common is ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes. Each baby in this book may be “born far away” or right here “on the very next day” ,

“And both of these babies
as everyone knows
has ten little fingers
And ten little toes.”



The rhymes and rhythms, repetition and simplicity of the language is irresistible for young children, who soon begin to anticipate the next page, joining in enthusiastically. These four lines are spread over four pages, with four beautiful illustrations in line and watercolour, and the words are in very bold print underneath, to point to.

We see babies and toddlers from all over the world and the places they live in. They play together, and interact with their world. There are only a couple of landscape backgrounds; mostly the focus is very definitely on close-ups of the children. At the end of the book the story focuses back on one child, one parent,

“And three little kisses
on the end of its nose.”

And the children are just adorable. Cute, plump and smiley, chuckling away with their dimpled faces, they definitely make this a “feelgood book”. Adults and children alike will love these moppets. Children of two or three, just a little older than these babies, will still enjoy this and remember what it was like when they were “little”. The illustrator, Helen Oxenbury, has provided a perfect accompaniment to Mel Fox’s ryhmes, and each part is equally balanced and equally enjoyable.

It was an inspiration to pair these two, who are both extremely talented in their fields. Helen Oxenbury is an English illustrator. She has won many awards for children’s books illustration, including the coveted “Kate Greenaway Award”, one of only fourteen artists to do so. Mel Fox is an Australian author, who lives in Adelaide. As well as a career in teaching, she is a specialist in literacy, saying,

“Literacy has become the great focus of my life – it’s my passion, my battle and my mission and my exhaustion.”

She has published several books on literacy aimed at children, their parents, teachers and educators, as well as picture story books for children. Until very recently she has also visited many countries around the world doing presentations and speaking on children’s issues, especially on the importance of time spent with young children by their parents. Inclusivity is also an issue dear to her heart.


There’s no doubt about it, this book is a delight, and deserves five stars both in terms of enjoyment, and for stressing the commonality of humans, rather than any perceived superficial differences. But there is a slight tarnish perhaps on one point of that fifth star ...

Inclusivity extends further than ethnicity. Every cherubic, chubby, chuckling child in this book has a similar “perfect” look about them. None seems to be different in any way. None have any aids to see, or hear, or walk. And each, inevitably has five digits on each of their hands and toes. Yes, of course that is “normal”. Our whole system of number is based on the fact that we have this number of digits – we think easily in base 10. We also use an average handspan, cubit and stride for our basic measures. Nevertheless … not all of us look like this. Would this book therefore “exclude” any readers? Perhaps not. There are many other books which would incorporate these issues in their storyline, and this one needs to be kept simple.

The other tiny quibble is a silly – and annoyingly avoidable – mistake. One of the children is clearly Inuit. She is standing next to a tiny penguin. Yes, it is very cute. Wait a minute though … She must live in the Northern Hemisphere, perhaps in Alaska, Canada, Siberia or Greenland. But penguins live exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere, mostly in the Antarctic! Since some penguins live in Australia, it is astonishing that nobody picked this mistake up. However since this is a book for babies, it seems unfair to be overly pernickety about this. Perhaps in future editions the mistake will be corrected and the little girl will be standing next to a cute baby seal!



Overall this is a great, life-affirming book, and one that will put a smile on your face. It will probably be requested over and over again.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

We received two copies of this book when we had our baby, and it drives me nuts every time she puts it from the shelve. So, it's a book that is supposed to be about how, despite our differences, we are all the same! I mean, except for anyone who is a deformed freak. It reminds me of whenever new parents say, "The first thing I did was count his/her fingers and toes!" Really? It was? Would have thrown it back if the count was incorrect? Did you check to see if the baby was breathing first?

I think one more verse should be added to this book:

There was one baby born with ten fingers and toes
and another who was born with rows upon rows.
And both of these babies, as everyone know...
deserves love and compassion wherever he goes.

Hm. I might need to work on that.

The other super annoying part of this book is that it depicts an Inuit/Eskimo girl standing next to a freaking penguin (penguins only live in the Southern Hemisphere). My husband contends that the girl is currently living abroad with her parents, who happen to be penguin research scientists, on Antarctica, but I am less forgiving. Neither the author nor the editor thought twice about this?

There are much better and more thoughtful books about diversity and acceptance out there.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Australian author Mem Fox and British illustrator Helen Oxenbury team up to produce this charming picture-book celebration of babies the world over, every one with "ten little fingers and ten little toes." In rhyming text the author presents pairs of babies, while the artwork depicts their chubby beauty- especially their little appendages...

A sweet little book, one I can see working very well at bedtime, as mothers and fathers tuck their little ones in, Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes ends in such a way that parents will be able to incorporate their own child into the story-telling experience, giving them three kisses on their noses. The artwork is delightful, depicting a diverse range of babies who nevertheless share some important characteristics... not the least of which is their cuteness. Recommended to anyone looking for engaging picture-books for babies and toddlers, especially books which use rhyming text and feature a diverse cast of children.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, dear! This is just about the most adorable, sweet-and-snuggly book-about-babies. You can almost smell their baby-fragrance and hear the darling coos. It's also a great little "message" story illustrating the "we're all the same inside" theme; no matter where a baby is born--no matter her culture or his skin color--all have ten little fingers and ten little toes and are very much loved.

[CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian · Rating 1 out of 5]

The repetition and rhyming in this book are cute, and I appreciate the concept of showing babies from all around the world. I feel a bit resistant to the book's concept that "we're really all the same" as it's too often used to belittle people's experiences of difference and marginalization. People don't have to be "just like you" in order to deserve dignity and respect!

It's not surprising that despite the different babies featured there's still a marked emphasis on white babies as the norm, which you can see as that's who's used to begin and end the story.

I also couldn't help but notice that if we're saying having ten fingers and toes is what all babies have in common what about babies with disabilities who don't have that? Can you imagine a kid who didn't have ten fingers and toes reading this book? 😥

There is also a kid who looks like they're supposed to be Inuit who's drawn with a penguin. Penguins only live in the southern hemisphere!! That's a pretty poor attempt at depicting different cultures.

[Megan Mills · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is going to be an unpopular opinion but hear me out. I think it's outrageous that a book giving so much thought to inclusivity and acceptance of diversity, gave zero thought to children born with physical disabilities.
Surely there could have been some other common feature? For example it took me about 2 minutes to come up with the alternative rhyme to read to my child, 'both little babies although far apart, had a smile full of kindness and love in their hearts.' It's not going to win any prizes, but at least all people are genuinely included!
I just can't help reading this through the eyes of a child born with an extra digit (1 in 500-1000 births, apparently https://healthresearchfunding.org/21-...)
Or a missing limb, etc. Does any child deserve to start life being told they do not fit the mold, are anything short of perfect?!

[Suz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect book for my littlest one. Somehow Mem Fox's voice just seems to be there when I read it - you know her voice - soothing, and peaceful, but fun at the same time? Enchanting. Very simple rhyming sentences that you feel you are singing rather than reading. This is a book I love to give as a gift as there's a specialness to it.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just extremely wholesome content.

[Owlseyes]

Mem Fox on being detained by US immigration: 'In that moment I loathed America'
Mem Fox

in:https://www.theguardian.com/commentis...

[Sabina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy the stereotypical images of babies from different cultures. Also what about babies who are born differently or with less than 10 fingers and toes? All babies deserve love.

[Cora Tea Party Princess · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOOKS FOR DANNY

This is the first book I've bought for my wee nephew.

This book has a great message, and one I feel it's important to impart at an early age. It has a great rhythm as well which lends to easy reading out loud.

I remember my mum reading to to me and my sisters when we were little - I think it was one of our favourites.

[Matthew Meade · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is my jam

[Kardelen Başak · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s good because my sister was touching Hazz Jazz’s little fingers and toes each time there is a line about fingers or toes. Which is a lot. I would hate to start over to learn fingers and toes, honestly.

[Oznasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

How many fingers do you have?

On my first visit to Cambodia some years back I met a few young people and as we were chatting some made some disparaging remarks about Thai people. 'How many Thai people do you know?' I asked.

'None,' came the answer.

'So, tell me—How many fingers do you have?'

'Ten.'

'Mmmm. Same as Thai people. And what about toes? How many toes do Cambodian people have?'

'Ten.'

'Just like Thais. How many eyes do you have?'

'Two.'

'So do all the Thais I've met. And ears—How many ears do you have?'

'Two.'

'The same as all the Thai people I know. You know,' I said. 'Thai people are even more like Cambodian people than I am. You can be friendly with me, why not Thai people?'

I don't want to put these people down. I don't want my Thai readers to think any less of them. They simply didn't know better. They'd never met any Thais but they'd been taught to dislike them. They perceived differences but I pointed out how much Thais and Cambodians have in common. How different their attitudes might have been if they were taught this as children instead of being told lies.

Mem Fox is an Australian storyteller and children's writer. I know that Mem and I share similar attitudes on this issue and others. It seems that Mem has undertaken to write a book to teach the same concept that I was talking about. It goes...

'There was one little baby who was born far away.

'And another who was born on the very next day.

'And both of these babies, as everyone knows,

'had ten little fingers and ten little toes...'

The text of the book does not mention any differences at all but Helen Oxenbury's illustrations show babies from many different races and the book subtly and beautifully suggests that we all have more in common than we are different.

I've bought copies of this book for my grandchildren. Maybe I should buy a few for my friends in Cambodia.

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes
Mem Fox, Helen Oxenbury
Penguin / Viking, 2008

Mem Fox's website

[Elle Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book seems extremely simple at first glance, but holds a deeper meaning. It begins with telling the readers about two different babies that are born and then explains that they both have “ten little fingers and ten little toes”. The book then goes on to describe different babies that are born and continues to explain that each baby has ten fingers and ten toes. The illustrations in this book are what tell the story because they show that each baby looks different in terms of their clothing, size, skin color, and hair color.
This book could be used in a lower level elementary classroom to introduce diversity. Young students (K-2nd grade) will see the diversity in the illustrations and they will subconsciously learn through this book. As a teacher, I could ask the students what they notice about each character and have them describe a few more similarities and maybe a few differences they see amongst the babies illustrated. This will force the students to open their minds and think critically about the book and also about diversity in the real world.
Fox, M. & Oxenbury, H. (2008). Ten little fingers and ten little toes. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Company.

[Little Ducky]

It was fun to look at the pictures in this book! I saw all the babies, and my mom taught me how to use sign language to say "baby," so I practiced doing that.

This book also made me study my own toes quite a bit. 👣 We kept looking at my fingers and toes at all the right parts of the story.

I liked that nice baby that was getting ready to help the sick baby wipe his nose. 🤧 So my mom let me practice blowing my nose on a Kleenex and I am so proud of myself because I did it the best I ever have.

Then I liked the part at the end, too, when the mommy kissed her baby on the nose. 💋 It reminded me to practice my own kissing, and my mom smiled when I gave her a smooch. 👶

[Monica Edinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I resisted this one unfairly because of the title and the other reviews. I figured it was another sweet, well-meaning, "we are all alike and so let's all get along" sort of book. Well it is all that, but so much more too.

Fox's simple yet perfect verse is perfectly illustrated by Oxenbury's lovely drawings and together they make this a completely and perfectly delightful book. I can only imagine that young children are going to want this book read aloud over and over, they will pour over the images, and, yes, instant classic is what I think!

[Jinya Situ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book because when we read this book to young child , we can teach them to count their fingers and toes. This book is teach how many fingers and toes do everyone has,even though people have different skin color and live in different place ,but we all have same body part ,at the end of the story teach young child how to show their love to their mother and give their mother kiss everyday because in the world we only have one mother ,we have to love our mother. I think young children will follow my direction to count their fingers and toes when I read this book in front of them.

[jenn reads fiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must have read this to my 2 1/2 Month Old Baby about 10 times and he loved it! I exaggerated the words in Spanish and used a singsong voice to read it to him. Lots of giggling when I read the part about all the babies having 10 fingers and 10 toes.

[Chinook · Rating 5 out of 5]

We discovered this book a little late, really, since the kids being read to are four and six. And yet, it was still a delight. The illustrations of the babies are just so cute and both the girls commented on that. And sometimes a really short book is a nice break at bedtime.

[Allison Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was alright. The illustrations kind of feel…dated? But still cute, and inclusive (I mean, only if you have ten fingers and ten toes). Rhymes were good. My baby didn’t try to escape my lap when reading which is usually what happens. There was a sick baby in it and I was like up, THAT ONE IS YOU

E loved this one! I think when I say “baby” he pays attention and he really focused on the page with the hands. Lost his attention a liiiittttleee at the end and he played with my hair tie on my wrist but he still stayed on my lap for the whole thing and seemed to enjoy himself. E gives it a 9/10

[Lizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helen Oxbury’s illustrations lull me into a sense of instant happiness! This is a lovely rhyming and counting book for EYFS with repetitions to encourage word recognition. Some of the language would need higher level contextual understanding in order to understand the rhymes if alone, but the images provide accessible cues and suggestions for the rhyming patterns. The illustrations also celebrate diversity, highlighting that we are all the same. A soothing, rhyming, repetitious read!

[Christina Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe that I hadn't read this one before, but it is gorgeous. A celebration of babies all over the world who may be growing up in lots of different circumstances, but who all have ten little fingers and ten little toes. The perfect book to introduce tolerance and respect for others.

[Rina]

I can’t bring myself to give this book a rating.

On the one hand, it’s a classic that’s loved by many people with a message that’s supposed to highlight unity, i.e. no matter where you come from, all human beings are the same underneath and therefore should respect each other.

On the other hand, the story unfortunately excludes people (babies) with disfigurement. And after reading a few other comments, turns out the diversity presented isn’t really accurate as well.

All in all, the story and the illustrations really need a modern update to ensure the underlying message is appropriately presented.

[Cathie Stumpenhaus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful! Read it to my tiny grandson and will continue with to do so until he can read it himself.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely tale that tells the story about how we are all different but really we are all the same.

[AJ Elford · Rating 4 out of 5]

What the hell is an eiderdown.

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and encourages the children to think globally.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stupendo. Bellissimo libro per cominciare a spiegare, già a pochi mesi, come tutti i bimbi siano uguali, indipendentemente da dove nascano.

[Steve Goulet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the artwork is creepy but my newborn seems to get off on it.