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Tail Feathers from Mother Goose: The Opie Rhyme Book
The Feathers From Mother Goose
124 pages, Hardcover
First published October 5, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 29, 2020
The rhymes in this book have been chosen by Iona Opie from the huge Opie Collection of Children's Literature that had been gathered over a period of 40 years. Most of the rhymes in the book are previously unpublished and they include unusual versions of nursery rhymes, versions adapted by the Opies themselves or rhymes sent to them by people who wanted them recorded for posterity.
There are light-hearted verses, magical verses, comical verses and romantic verses and all are enhanced by superb illustrations by a variety of artists.
Many of the rhymes are from days of yore, when humour was quite different and words now not in common parlance were in use, so some of the meaning in them needs thinking about to understand what is going on. Where it is not quite clear Iona Opie gives an explanation as to what is meant, along with the derivation of some of the rhymes because, for instance, they come from local folklore, so the history of the rhyme can be preserved.
An instance of this derivation is the rhyme 'Woe' which was sent to the Opies by an architect in Surrey in 1956 telling them that his father used to sing it to him and he did not want it to die out. And there is 'Monkeys on the bed' which was overheard on a bus from New York to Princeton in 1977 when two boys of six and eight were chanting it repeatedly, serially and in unison for the pleasure of someone aged about two!
And to show that everything in the book is not modern, 'Mrs Burns Lullaby' was something that Robert Burns' wife used to croon to her children and, apparently, the lilt of it gave the poet a hint for his lyric, 'O wert thou in the cauld blast'. And 'The Eccentric' was declaimed to the Opies one afternoon in their house in Alton High Street by Richard Warren, a descendant of Oliver Cromwell, and he told them that around 1875 his nurse used to sing it to him. Even older than that is 'An Indian Giant's Fishing tackle', the lines of which appeared in an anonymous 'Mock Romance' published in London in 1653.
Some of the rhymes are more well known but many are very definitely not well known and some are, as the editors suggest at one point, 'just exhilarating nonsense', a sentiment that I wholeheartedly agree with! But it does not take away from much of the pleasure of the book.
As for the illustrations, my favourite is by Nicola Bailey for 'Paintbox People' closely followed by Martin Handford's extremely busy panorama of a grand entrance hall to a country house for 'Susianna'. The said 'Susianna' had a chequered history in that it is 'an amalgamation and regurgitation of several old songs which must have been sung for at least the past two hundred years.' But the thought is that the name 'Susianna' comes from the American version of 1846, as sung by the 'Nightingale Serenaders'.
There are light-hearted verses, magical verses, comical verses and romantic verses and all are enhanced by superb illustrations by a variety of artists.
Many of the rhymes are from days of yore, when humour was quite different and words now not in common parlance were in use, so some of the meaning in them needs thinking about to understand what is going on. Where it is not quite clear Iona Opie gives an explanation as to what is meant, along with the derivation of some of the rhymes because, for instance, they come from local folklore, so the history of the rhyme can be preserved.
An instance of this derivation is the rhyme 'Woe' which was sent to the Opies by an architect in Surrey in 1956 telling them that his father used to sing it to him and he did not want it to die out. And there is 'Monkeys on the bed' which was overheard on a bus from New York to Princeton in 1977 when two boys of six and eight were chanting it repeatedly, serially and in unison for the pleasure of someone aged about two!
And to show that everything in the book is not modern, 'Mrs Burns Lullaby' was something that Robert Burns' wife used to croon to her children and, apparently, the lilt of it gave the poet a hint for his lyric, 'O wert thou in the cauld blast'. And 'The Eccentric' was declaimed to the Opies one afternoon in their house in Alton High Street by Richard Warren, a descendant of Oliver Cromwell, and he told them that around 1875 his nurse used to sing it to him. Even older than that is 'An Indian Giant's Fishing tackle', the lines of which appeared in an anonymous 'Mock Romance' published in London in 1653.
Some of the rhymes are more well known but many are very definitely not well known and some are, as the editors suggest at one point, 'just exhilarating nonsense', a sentiment that I wholeheartedly agree with! But it does not take away from much of the pleasure of the book.
As for the illustrations, my favourite is by Nicola Bailey for 'Paintbox People' closely followed by Martin Handford's extremely busy panorama of a grand entrance hall to a country house for 'Susianna'. The said 'Susianna' had a chequered history in that it is 'an amalgamation and regurgitation of several old songs which must have been sung for at least the past two hundred years.' But the thought is that the name 'Susianna' comes from the American version of 1846, as sung by the 'Nightingale Serenaders'.
October 25, 2018
Much that is humorous, and much that is glorious. I love that so many different illustrators contributed. And I love that only a few of the verses only touch on something I've already encountered. And I really love that the Opies have done so much to preserve rhymes, riddles, & nonsense.
THE MEADOW-BOUT FIELDS
O I have been to the meadow-bout fields,
And I have been to the gorses;
And I have been to the meadow-bout fields,
To seek my master's horses.
And I got wet, and very very wet,
And I got wet and weary,
And I was wet, and very very wet
When I came home to Mary!
(meadow-bout = marsh marigold)
Now that could have been interpreted playfully, if an illustrator had chosen to emphasize the splashing & trotting. But in the hands of Inga Moore, it's more wistful, almost melancholy, and just lovely.
This is a book that I would love to own, and to buy for young families.
THE MEADOW-BOUT FIELDS
O I have been to the meadow-bout fields,
And I have been to the gorses;
And I have been to the meadow-bout fields,
To seek my master's horses.
And I got wet, and very very wet,
And I got wet and weary,
And I was wet, and very very wet
When I came home to Mary!
(meadow-bout = marsh marigold)
Now that could have been interpreted playfully, if an illustrator had chosen to emphasize the splashing & trotting. But in the hands of Inga Moore, it's more wistful, almost melancholy, and just lovely.
This is a book that I would love to own, and to buy for young families.
July 13, 2024
I realized almost none of my 360 students could recite a nursery rhyme. So I pulled all of my mother goose books and we did some nursery rhyme nibbling. I took this home to study it more carefully as I am obsessed with the Opies. Each page is illustrated by a different artist making this an epic treasure.
November 2, 2019
This richly illustrated collection of folklore, nursery rhymes and light-hearted verses celebrate the wealth of tales that we have inherited and the incredible work of the Opies themselves. One can never unstate Iona and Peter Opie's contribution to children's literature and children's folklore. From collating playground rhymes to rare children's literature, we owe them a great debt.
This lavish book is a celebration of some of their work and each rhyme, riddle and verse has been illustrated by the best: from Sendak to Voake, Burningham to Chichester-Clark. The reason the collection was put together for sale was so that enough money could be found to fund the Opie collection in the Bodelian. 1 million was required, half of which was donated by the Opies themselves and it was hoped that this book would help fund the other half.
I can happily say that their enormous collection and contribution now resides there. I gave this book 5 stars because of the wealth of work both the Opies put into preserving our literary heritage. Some of the rhymes will appeal to children but one feels that this is, perhaps, a little more a carefully curated collection for a broader readership.
This lavish book is a celebration of some of their work and each rhyme, riddle and verse has been illustrated by the best: from Sendak to Voake, Burningham to Chichester-Clark. The reason the collection was put together for sale was so that enough money could be found to fund the Opie collection in the Bodelian. 1 million was required, half of which was donated by the Opies themselves and it was hoped that this book would help fund the other half.
I can happily say that their enormous collection and contribution now resides there. I gave this book 5 stars because of the wealth of work both the Opies put into preserving our literary heritage. Some of the rhymes will appeal to children but one feels that this is, perhaps, a little more a carefully curated collection for a broader readership.
March 17, 2014
I've had it for ages and it was one of my first books after I learnt how to read . "I am as I am and so is a stone and them as don't like me must leave me alone." That, my friend, is sort of the opening for the book. The last time I read it was 15 years ago and I still know it by heart.
January 4, 2008
I read and sang from this book so many times to my young son and this book's illustrations and choices of rhymes was just superb. Highly recommended for its insistence at wit and wisdom.
March 12, 2009
Unique collection of rhymes and illustrations.
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September 22, 2011This book would be good in a unit on nursery rhymes. I got this book from the IUS Library.
June 25, 2015
I can't remember my grandma giving it to me but I've had this book for a very long time I only put three stars because it's not like my favorite book ever or something I just like it.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews