Father Fox's Pennyrhymes

by Clyde Watson, Wendy Watson (Illustrator)

Thirty rhymes record the various activities of Father Fox, his family, and friends.

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Childrens, Nursery Rhymes, School

56 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Clyde Watson is a children's book author. She is the daughter of Nancy Dingman Watson and Aldren A. Watson and the sister of Wendy Watson.

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of fun, quirky rhymes with detailed illustrations. My two-year-old's favorite is, of course,
"Dilly, Dilly, Picalilli, tell me something very silly.
Well, there was a chap, his name was Bert, he ate the buttons off his shirt."

He repeats it a lot. And then falls over giggling and saying,"That's silly!"

We have a songbook that goes with it: Father Fox's Feast Of Songs

[Zabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book! The drawings are so engaging and the poems are memorable. It made me wish I had grown up in some small town in New England. When I was younger I would try to find other books by Clyde and Wendy Watson, but I didn't often come across them. I should try inter-library loans now that it is so easy to search.... It used to bother me that there wasn't a clear connection between the poems. The works are set between the framework of a father telling stories to his kids. As an adult I accept and relish the vignettes now. I read this to my daughters many times, but it goes on MY shelf, not theirs!

[Babs · Rating 5 out of 5]

most sacred book of childhood

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

formative childhood favorite....maybe the best ever.

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dilly Dilly Piccalilly, the rhymes in this book are fun and silly.

The illustrations are so detailed, the exact kind of pictures I could stare at forever when I was younger. It's pretty oldschool, depicting a humbled country life with a zillion tiring children, busty aproned wives and lazy husbands- but whatever, it's still cute.

[H. Givens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, folk-y poems, but the pictures really bring the whole thing together. They provide the context for the poems Father Fox tells, and add visual humor. It's great!

The poems don't all have the same rhythm, so that's something to be aware of if you plan to read it aloud.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dilly dilly picalilly. Tell me something very silly.
There was a chap, his name was Bert. He ate the buttons off his shirt.

Silly Bert.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable illustrations and giggle inducing rhymes

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the old fashioned backwoods style pictures as well as the fun, silly poetry. Toddlers and beginning readers alike will love this book!

[Melani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Father Fox’s Pennyrhymes is an old picture book, first published in 1971, and one we had in our house when my sisters and I were growing up. I have very fond memories of it and got it for Christmas this year. I was a little worried that it wouldn’t hold up, as it’s been over 40 years since the first publication, but I think that it does. What I remember most fondly about it, the amazing and intricate illustrations are still just as beautiful to an adult’s eye.

There isn’t really much of a plot here. Children ask their father to tell them a story and he tells them a lot of little rhymes and then they go off to bed. The poems are very simple little rhymes, along the lines of Mother Goose, and I remember setting most of the rhymes to simple little tunes and singing along with the book when I pored over the pages. I even remembered some of those little tunes just a little when I pored over the pages this past weekend. (Including the one little rhyme my dad altered to match my name and used to sing to me while he bounced me on his knee, which means it’s super extra special) But honestly the reason I loved the book then, and why I love it now, are the illustrations. They’re just so much fun and each page tells a story all by itself.

[Melki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the rhymes were a bit too nonsensical for me, though I liked the sentiment of the next-to-last:

Let the fall leaves fall
And the cold snow snow
And the rain rain rain 'till April:
Our coats are warm
And the pantry's full
And there's cake upon the table.

[Sorento62 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was hoping for something reminiscent of the Mother Goose rhymes. But the rhythm of these verses just didn't hold up for me.
I liked the look of the quirky illustrations, but the dialogue balloons were an awkward attempt at retelling the story in the verses.
Overall it struck me as an amateur effort at copying Mother Goose, with a little something different. I gather a lot of people do remember it fondly from their youth, but I would not give it to a child.

[Anne Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to buy this so I could read it to my grandson. It was a favorite of his mother when she was young.

[Francis S. Poesy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic, fun book of folksy rhymes and fox family illustrations.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Looks cute, by the author of Catch Me ....
...
*Maybe* I would have liked this when I was a child. But now I'm annoyed by the miniscule details and speech bubbles in the pictures, and the problem that the verses neither make sense nor are nonsense.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weird and strange but fascinating

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute lil' rhymes with fun illustrations. Everything flows fun off the tongue. I can see little ones getting a kick out of it. I was shaking my head though at the illustration of the little fox girl saying, "I'm going to marry a rich farmer." But, that does come from it's time, 1971.

[Missquiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miss Quiss comes from this book. I loved it so much!

[Phyllis · Rating 5 out of 5]

an old favorite.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this to my childrent, and now to my grandchildren. I love the book! The rhymes still pop into my head from time to time, and bring up good memories.

[Jacqueline · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a bit confusing because it is all over the place, but it may be because it a poem book. Overall it is an interesting book due to the different illustrations and word choices provided.

[Suzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome poems in the style of Mother Goose. This is a great read-aloud for very young children.

[Jana · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's very silly, but I think kids that enjoy rhyming poetry will get a kick out of it.