The Real Dada Mother Goose: A Treasury of Complete Nonsense

by Jon Scieszka, Julia Rothman (Illustrator)

The classic nursery rhymes we know and love—upside-down, backward, in gibberish, and fresh out of bounds—as only Jon Scieszka could stage them.

Mother knows best, but sometimes a little nonsense wins the day. Inspired by Dadaism’s rejection of reason and rational thinking, and in cahoots with Blanche Fisher Wright’s The Real Mother Goose, this anthology of absurdity unravels the fabric of classic nursery rhymes and stitches them back together (or not quite together) in every clever way possible. One by one, cherished nursery rhymes—from “Humpty Dumpty” to “Hickory Dickory Dock,” “Jack Be Nimble” to “Mother Hubbard”—fall prey to sly subversion as master of fracture Jon Scieszka and acclaimed illustrator Julia Rothman refashion them into comics strips, errant book reports, anagrams, and manic mash-ups. Playfully reconstructed, the thirty-six old-new rhymes invite further baloney, bringing kids in on the joke and inviting them to revel in reimagining. Featuring robust back matter, this irreverent take on the rhymes of childhood is a great gift for child readers and a rich classroom resource across grade levels, and a is a love song to a living language.

Genres: Picture Books, Poetry, Humor, Childrens, Nursery Rhymes, Art, Nonfiction

80 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2022

About the author

Jon Scieszka is an American children's writer, best known for picture books created with the illustrator Lane Smith. He is also a nationally recognized reading advocate, and the founder of Guys Read – a web-based literacy program for boys whose mission is "to help boys become self-motivated, lifelong readers."

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jon Scieszka and Julia Rothman give nonsensical makeovers to the nursery rhymes and illustrations from Blanche Fisher Wright's classic The Real Mother Goose, playing the Google Translate game with "Humpty Dumpty," rewriting "Jack Be Nimble" with Spoonerisms, reversing the word order of "Old Mother Hubbard," turning "Hey Diddle Diddle" into a recipe, etc.

It's an interesting intellectual exercise, with all the modes of reinterpretation explained in detail in the long notes section at the end. I'm not it would hold the attention of a small child all the way through, but my wife and I had fun with it.

(Another project! I'm trying to read all the picture books and graphic novels on the kids section of NPR's Books We Love 2022.)

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is entirely my cup of tea. I’m not sure if it would actually appeal to any children of my acquaintance. But I definitely needed to experience Jack Be Nimble translated into Pig Latin and Esperanto. And Hickory Dickory Dock rhymes for every hour (“The clock struck two, he turned bright blue”). And the Jabberwocky version of Old Mother Hubbard (“Old Mother Jabber went to the clabber, to get her frum jub a gove.”). Scieszka comes up with some truly delightful variations, I’m tempted to join in the fun…

[Gabrielle Stoller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was skeptical at first. And frankly, I don't think I will ever use this book in a storytime setting. But, just as in the vein of the Stinky Cheese Man, comes mad libs, morse code, and pig latin versions of well known nursery rhymes. Some made me laugh. Some made me just roll my eyes. But kids will find it funny.

The illustrations, though, I am definitely not a fan of. They are vintage....ish, which isn't my issue. They just feel gross. They won't catch the eye of readers I don't expect. =\

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is SO MUCH FUN!! It makes me want to take apart and rearrange and write my own weird poetry. The girls and I had a great time reading this together! The back matter is just as great; we all took an interest in learning Esperanto. 😉

My mom received a copy of The Real Mother Goose from her parents for Christmas when she was six. It’s been a staple of our households ever since! The incorporation of the original illustrations made this all the more special. I can’t wait to share it with her. ❤️

[Eve Costarelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me say it LOUD…I LOVE THIS BOOK! I was really taken by surprise with each turn of the page. This is a wacky wordsmith’s take on the classic nursery rhymes that we grew up with. The rhymes are very clever and hilarious, keeping the reader turning page after page always wondering what will come up next. The different styles used to represent the rhymes, include so many twists and turns, such as, a Madlib, morse code, different languages, musical notation and even the military alphabet will elicit laughter, bursts of imagination and increased creativity. Teachers will also love this amazing book as each page is a new teaching opportunity. I also love that the illustrations incorporate and expand upon the original drawings from Blanche Fisher Wright's 1916 The Real Mother Goose. This helps to bring a lovely vintage essence to the rhymes. This book is laugh out loud funny and can be shared for yeast to come! My 21 year old language loving son will be receiving this under the Christmas tree-never too old for fun with linguistics.

Thank you to Candlewick press for this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY FAVORITE AUTHOR OF STINKY CHEESE MAN IS BACK!!! Takes classic nursey rhymes and makes them super silly. Lots of different ways to write them. Would make an excellent book for an elementary classroom to inspire writing.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if Dada rewrote Mother Goose rhymes? Chaos and laughter ensues.
Explore the nonsensical rhymes of Old Mother Hubbard (with a pet iguana), Humpty Dumpty (what if he didn't fall off a wall?), Hey Diddle Diddle (pop quiz!), Hickory Dickory Dock (using Egyptian Hieroglyphs), Jack B. Nimble (told in code) and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (or simile excessiveness-Mr. Scieszka's words there).
Combining coding, humor, activities any reader of the book can do, and new ways to bring Mother Goose into STEM and/or revive Nursery Rhymes in a unique way.

Fun and good humor. Great for reluctant readers and puzzle-decoding fans!

[Gloria Ulman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me explain why I found this book both amusing and irritating. First off, I love nursery rhymes and always read them to my children and grandchildren making sure they also had Mother Goose books of their own. I especially loved the beautiful illustrations in this book plus the creativity of both the author and the illustrator. Children of all ages will surely laugh at the nonsensical theme of this book tho it is aimed at an older elementary audience who will be enthralled with the Notes explaining Spoonerism, Morse Code, Haiku, and, of course, Dadaism. There is also a brief history of Mother Goose. What I found irritating is simply personal, because as an older person, I cherish the original rhymes. So, although I completely understand the concept and appreciate the wonderful nonsense created by Jon Scieszka, I was bothered by the "messing around" with dear old Mother Goose rhymes!

[Chris Browning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although technically it’s not exactly dada, Scieszka manages to pack enough ideas and linguistic playfulness into an otherwise reasonably short book to make you forgive him. In fact he’s juggling dada with surrealism AND oulipo is less a criticism and more a case of him inspiring awe with the erudition of his ideas but the pleasure of the reading. It’s helped enormously by Rothman’s equally witty and clever art, that like the text pays due deference to Blanche Fisher Wright’s The Real Mother Goose whilst also cheekily subverting it. Best of all are the appendices where Scieszka cites his influences and explains the history of this sort of joyful subversion in a tone that pays tribute to the originals whilst never talking down to his audience. A modern classic

[Monica Edinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

clever

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! Wordplay, Dadaism, and nursery rhymes by an author I remembered being introduced to when I was in 7th grade. Well, I couldn’t find “The Stinky Cheese Man” on the shelf at the local library, but I did find this one. My son and I giggled through the pages together. I knew it was a winner. I imagine certain friends and co-workers who would likely love this book too. I might even use some of the stories to inspire some assignments for my high school students in the future.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The human instinct to muck with stuff is strong. The human instinct to keep other people FROM mucking with stuff can be equally strong. Kids like mucking about. They like trying things, often paying shockingly little attention to the potential consequences of their muckage. It is in their desire to mess things up that author Jon Scieszka finds his muse. And, to be perfectly frank, the Dadaists of days of yore probably also felt a bit inspired by young people. Nonsense comes naturally to the young because silliness, and I want you to stay with me on this one, is fun. Now Scieszka has combined some of the things he loves the most (mucking with stuff, Dadaism, children’s instinct to mess things up, language itself) and created what I can only describe as a book that defies description.

Consider for a moment what it would look like to see a perfect amalgamation of Scieszka’s Stinky Cheese Man and his much later Battle Bunny. That’s The Real Dada Mother Goose in a nutshell. Six nursery rhymes from the original The Real Mother Goose Blanche Fisher Wright collection have been taken, mixed-up, stirred up, and given a new lease on life. Now we have six different versions of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”. Six different versions of “Jack Be Nimble”. A deep dive into these rhymes reveals an array of ways of telling them. Perhaps you’d like to see an excessive use of similes in "Twinkle Twinkle" (“Like a stick poked in your eye… Like those dumplings called shumai … Like the threat to do or die…”). Hieroglyphs more to your taste? Observe “Hickory Dickory Doc” told with them. With increasing creativity the poems in this book work to wow. Backmatter includes definitions and history to all the different forms, as well as a smart encapsulation of the Dada movement and even the lives of Mother Goose and Blanche Fisher Wright (what we know of them).

In their heyday, nursery rhymes were a staple in a lot of American homes. Got a baby coming? Here, let me hand you the necessary tome. And Scieszka’s instinct to zero in on Blanche Fisher Wright’s 1916 edition of The Real Mother Goose was a particularly inspired move. First off, if he wanted to make a book like this, he needed to find something in the public domain. That means, finding something published before 1923, generally speaking. Next, he needed a book that would be widely recognizable. I’m not saying he couldn’t have just grabbed any old nursery rhyme book. But you would probably be amazed at how many people walking around today actually had some reprint of The Real Mother Goose as children. I did. I couldn’t have told you that if I hadn’t seen the cover of The Real Dada Mother Goose, but the minute I made out the cover it gave me a visceral sensation. As a kid, I remember staring at the original cover. The Mother Goose featured here is an old lady, as you’d expect, but there’s mischief in that woman’s eye. Look at her. She’s got on a witch’s hat and a friggin’ cape like a superhero. Meanwhile she’s riding a gigantic goose (sidesaddle, of course, being a lady and all) with a random baby in a basket flung off one arm because, why not? You get the distinct impression that this Mother Goose is not only on board with Scieszka’s plans to reinterpret her nursery rhymes, she might take all the credit for giving him the idea in the first place!

Can we talk a bit about the fact that Dadaism was formed in 1916 and that The Real Mother Goose, the very book that Scieskza and Rothman are mucking with here, was published that very same year? It blows my mind. Dadaism feels oddly contemporary as a concept. During the early days of COVID, for example, my daughter’s theater production decided to do Dada theatrical pieces where each kid was socially distanced on a path in the woods and attendees stopped to hear their bits. But Blanche Fisher Wright is tapping into something ancient and classic with her book. Nursery rhymes have been around for such a long time, and for a great while her book was the #1 one-stop-shop for a lot of them (at least until Arnold Lobel and Tomie de Paola started getting in on the action). It makes perfect sense that Jon Scieszka would turn from fairy tales to nursery rhymes. They’re woven so closely into the fabric of American society. All the more reason he selected the rhymes that he did for this book. They’re all mighty famous, but even if a kid is coming to them for the first time he makes sure to always write out the original first. After all, how can you truly take something apart if you never saw it put together in the first place?

For a while there, there was a trend to create secret code books for kids. I’d buy them for my children’s library and they always did moderately well. The trouble is that they never really connected to kids emotionally. Oh, I’m sure some of them were beloved, but they also blended together. It was hard to distinguish one from another. Now there is nothing on the outside of this book to indicate to kids that it is packed full of codes. That’s part of the fun. The cover looks wackadoodle enough to entice them, but it’s only when they start paging through on their own that they figure out what it’s up to. What’s interesting is that they just keep turning those pages, always wondering what Scieszka will come up with next. The fact that he never disappoints and often makes them laugh out loud is testament to his skills.

As for the illustrator, Rothman is such an interesting choice for this book. I was under the distinct impression that I was unfamiliar with her work when I first picked it up. Then I did a bit of prying and found (to my infinite delight) that she was the artist behind none other than one of my favorite contemporary picture books, Can I Eat That? by Joshua David Stein. In that, as in so many of her other books, Rothman utilizes thin pen lines to perfectly convey food that you should or should not (under any circumstances) eat. Indeed much of her art in the past has been this highly trained, thin-tipped, series of exercises in gross reality. With Dada Mother Goose she uses her powers for . . . not good, exactly. More, the spirit of the endeavor. For example, in this book she is called upon to not only reinterpret these poems but complement whatever folderol that pops into Jon’s brain. This actually gives her a fair amount of leeway. So for the boring version of Humpty Dumpty she takes Blanche Fisher Wright’s original eggman (koo koo ka choo) and reworks his eyes, mouth, and hands so that he’s now combing his Homer Simpson-esque hair. She has also created a whole regiment of King’s soldiers (not simply “men”) who don’t have much to do. And that’s the brilliance of this partnership. In the past, Jon would rely on Lane Smith to bring his imaginings to life. Here, Rothman fills the same niche, but with her own spin. There’s something about seeing these classic characters used again and again and again and again in different ways that makes a huge impression on you. It’s like she’s taken something sacred like a Mona Lisa and put a mustache on it. Say, there’s a notion . . .

A couple weeks ago I was at my in-laws house and my mother-in-law happened to pull out Wright’s original The Real Mother Goose which I snatched up almost immediately. When I posted a picture of myself with it on Instagram the comments all said the same thing. “I had that book when I was a kid!” “I remember that book!” “That book was in our house!” I was stunned by the overwhelming amount of love the original engendered. It didn’t stop there either. I brought the book home and put it on my coffee table and two different moms on two different days, either dropping off or picking up their kids, cooed when they saw it and said they remembered it too. In other words: Jon Scieszka is a genius. He’s found a way to entice both adults (through the magic of nostalgia) AND kids (through the magic of hilarity) with the same book. When a book doesn’t slot into easy categorization it can run the danger of never finding its audience. Still, I firmly believe that the audience for this book will find it without difficulty. As smart as it is funny, this is the Mother Goose book we didn’t know we’d been waiting for all this time.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A madcap Dada inspired mashup of classic Mother Goose nursery rhymes. The six rhymes are smartly reimagined in a variety of forms: poetry, codes, puzzles, and much, much more. Older readers who appreciate inventive visual humor and clever wordplay will find much to enjoy. Don't miss the extensive backmatter!

[Justine Cucchi-Dietlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

It felt like "remix" would have been a better word than "dada," but that's just me.

[DaNae · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got bored with this rather quickly.

[Mark Buxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

What worked:
Scieszka is known for twisting familiar stories into unexpected, hilarious retellings and this book is written in the same spirit. It’s similar to The Stinky Cheese Man in that it creates new variations of many tales although it’s more directed at upper elementary students. The author doesn’t necessarily change the stories overall but he presents them in different formats. Humpty Dumpty is retold using Morse Code, computer language translations, and in other ways. Old Mother Hubbard is presented in reverse, with new verb alternatives, and without vowels. The end result is a collection of amusing fairy tales and nursery rhymes that are sure to entertain.
At the back of the book, readers will find useful, non-fiction references related to nonsense created by playing with familiar stories. One rhyme is modified using the military alphabet and is probably not familiar to young readers. The military uses the alphabet to clarify radio transmissions by spelling words with established terms to represent letters. Star is presented as Sierra for the letter S, Tango for T, Alpha for A, and Romeo for R. Other pages explain background information related to writing styles like haikus, spoonerisms, Jabberwocky, and something called N+7. Other pages describe how to write messages using simple codes.
The pages are enhanced by colorful, illustrations drawn by Julia Rothman. Unusual images are created from Scieszka’s zany interpretations so the pictures help to visualize what’s happening. References to Old Mother Luvven and hickory, dickory, dolphin become easier to imagine using their accompanying graphics. The different illustrations for the different versions of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” are clearer when able to see the rebus, anagrams, and scientific description. The author’s hilarious retellings of familiar nursery rhymes are even better when displayed with the beautiful pictures.
What didn’t work as well:
The humor in this book differs from the author’s previous books so reader expectations need to be flexible. As mentioned, the wittiness comes from twisting how the stories are written more so than modifying the stories themselves. The book may tickle new funny bones, but it’s still very charming and comical.
The Final Verdict:
Once again, the author proves he’s a master of nonsense as he fractures familiar, beloved fairy tales for readers’ amusement. The book is sure to please young readers and I recommend you give it a shot.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

First sentence: Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the King's horses, and all the King's men,
Cannot put Humpty together again.
So Dada Geese decided to help...

Premise/plot: How absurd can a collection of already slightly-absurd classic Mother Goose rhymes get? Extremely absurd in the hands of "Dada Geese" aka Jon Scieszka. He's no stranger to absurd twists-and-turns, the "fracturing" of the familiar.

Six classic rhymes get "fractured" or "spun." Each of the six get fractured six times. (So thirty-six new rhymes in all.)

These six include:

Humpty Dumpty

Jack Be Nimble,

Hey Diddle, Diddle

Old Mother Hubbard

Hickory, Dickory, Dock

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

My thoughts: This one is supposedly/allegedly inspired by "dadaism." (Kids probably won't know, won't care. Though I could be wrong. I certainly wouldn't have cared as a kid so long as I got a giggle or two from the book.) What I did appreciate as an adult reader was the back matter. *Some* of the new poems get a little extra explanation or footnote, if you will. (Like the morse code alphabet.)

The book is definitely odd/whimsical/absurd. That was the aim, and it succeeded.

I personally don't know *who* the perfect, target audience is. While the original Mother Goose or Real Mother Goose might have been for toddlers, preschoolers, the very young...this book is decidedly not for that young an audience.

For me, it was very hit or miss. I liked "Computer Translation Telephone" as a retelling of Humpty Dumpty. But Humpty Dumpty censored, well, I'm sure some will find it hilarious, but it wasn't me.

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even my 15 year-old daughter (non-bookworm—breaks my heart) picked this one up and said, "Mom, this book is neat!"

It's time for silliness and fun as six classical nursery rhymes are tossed through all sorts of language nonsense, flip-flops and more. First, the nursery rhyme is presented in its classical form. Then, everything from literary devices to word play to secret codes to languages...and just anything that words can go through hits these rhymes. The results are sometime humorous, while others make one think or even wonder how it makes sense...which it may not. For example, Humpty-Dumpty's rhyme meets Morse Code or Hey Diddle Diddle turns into a Haiku. Anything and everything is possible with these change-ups...and it's never the same thing twice.

The adaptations don't only bring interesting and silly results, but it does make readers see words in new ways. There is more educational value to this one than first meets the eye. Foreign languages join the mix, summaries, vowels, anagrams and much more. At the end of the book, each one of these types of 'twists' is explained, so the reader will learn more about Morse Code, similes, secret codes, puzzles, and everything else. Plus, it's fun.

The illustrations play between the text with gentler colors. These add just the right touch, where it is needed and let the text play stay on center stage. While this is a picture book, it's geared toward slightly older readers and will even make adults smile as they explore it with the younger audience.
I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed this one quite a bit.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think I can say much that is useful here. My main point is, if you like wordplay, no matter whether you have children or not, check this out.

Well I liked it.
And I would have done so as a child. But how many actual children appreciate it?
Well, if they are not toddlers, but, probably age 9 up, and they have a teacher or parent who likes it, they might realize the appeal. It would also help if they read the extensive back matter and maybe even use it as a mentor text, as the creators suggest. If I were a teacher I would definitely have fun with my students with the book.

Btw, I grew up with the original edition that the creators used, the one by Blanche Fisher Wright. I appreciate the attempt at a biography & a bibliography for this talented woman.

I also appreciate the definition of Dada, and of the other word-play forms used in the text. Computer translation telephone looks like fun; I'll have to try it.

I think my favorite alternate verse is "A, E, I, O, U ... And Sometimes Y." It's not as much wild fun as some of the others, but it is more accessible, and it worked very well for "Hickory, Dickory, Dock." Which is your favorite Dada verse in this book?

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Penguin Random House tells us: "Inspired by Dadaism’s rejection of reason and rational thinking, and in cahoots with Blanche Fisher Wright’s The Real Mother Goose, this anthology of absurdity unravels the fabric of classic nursery rhymes and stitches them back together (or not quite together) in every clever way possible."
I say you have to read it to believe it. Jon Scieszka's books never fail to be entertaining and educational in that he calls out the usual to be the "unusual" and with illustrator Julie Rothman partnering in his mash-ups, readers will see a new way to imagine rhymes like "Humpty Dumpty", "Old Mother Hubbard", and "Jack Be Nimble" in book reports, in news reports, secret codes, even translations into other languages! The most fun is that there is a lot of back matter showing off the "how you, too, can do it" part. That includes Esperanto, pig Latin, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and more! For middle grades and up, I see kids who want to break away from the usual loving this book, a new way to kick out the old!
Thanks to Candlewick Press for this copy!

[Lorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Using the technique of Dada, which the author defines as "creating art with humor and absurdity to challenge what many people is right or normal" this reworking of six classic mother goose rhymes using various literary and puzzle techniques will appeal to readers who like the absurdity or solving puzzles.

My favorite part are the illustrations which incorporate the art of the 1916 Real Mother Goose by Blanche Fisher White with modern scribbles and art work. The humor and interpretation of the rhymes comes through with these clever additions. I imagine this is possible with the title falling into public domain.

It is a very sophisticated concept for children and the age range that I found was 7-10, but I would go higher with 10+. There are notes explaining the techniques used to rework the rhymes and a great history of Mother Goose, Blanche Fisher White and her body of work.

I would recommend this book for purchase by school and public libraries.

This book was provided by the publisher for professional review by SWON Libraries.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scieszka incorporates an amazing amount of word play to turn several of Mother Goose nursery rhymes on their heads. To call this creative would be a gross understatement. The book includes Humpty Dumpty, Jack Be Nimble, Mother Hubbard, Hey Diddle Diddle, Hickory Dickory Dock, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Each nursery rhyme is written in its familiar format first and then deconstructed in a wide assortment of ways -- all innovative and for the most part delightful and somewhat absurd. As only Dada can be.
The end includes several notes that discuss the origins of Mother Goose, the illustrator of one of the more popular Mother Goose books, different codes and alphabets, and, of course, the definition and origin of Dadaism. This was really quite delightful and had me smiling on numerous occasions. Not for everyone, I am sure - but I am hoping that it will help introduce some of the more well-known nursery rhymes to those that have somehow missed them during childhood.

[Kimberley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book containing nursery rhymes and classic poems will be familiar to the reader but nothing will be as you remember! It's a book full of fun and pure "nonsense." Inspired by Dadaism’s rejection of reason and rational thinking and The Real Mother Goose, this anthology cleverly rethinks famous nursery rhymes like “Humpty Dumpty,” “Hickory Dickory Dock,” “Jack Be Nimble,” and “Mother Hubbard." Jon Scieszka and illustrator Julia Rothman created this book to delight all ages. Thirty-six old-new rhymes will inspire children to reimagine the familiar and what we think of as "old." It would be a great book to give as a gift and a rich classroom resource. I would use this book across grade levels. After presenting the book to a classroom of children, the teacher could assign her students a traditional poem or rhyme and encourage them to rewrite and recreate something brand new.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did you grow up in the 90s and love Stinky Cheese Man by Scieszka? Then this is a perfect follow-up for you.

Scieszka is in his element, taking Mother Goose rhymes and then changing them in funny, inventive, creative (mostly inspired by Dadaism). Some go on a little long and I found myself skimming them, but I think kids will find entertainment in the pages, just like kids 30 years (!!!) ago with Stinky Cheese Man.

Rothman's illustrations are a perfect collaboration. They take original drawings from Blanche Fisher Wright's 1916 The Real Mother Goose and add to them while still keeping their vintage essence.

A nice, fun, unique book.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, Jon takes six well-known nursery rhymes Humpty Dumpty, Jack Be Nimble, Old Mother Hubbard, Hey Diddle Diddle, Hickory Dickory Dock, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and turns them into his own original creations. Back when I shared nursery rhymes to support classroom reading curriculum, I know I would have loved sharing this one with my students.
Give this one to fans of graphic novels and/or humorous stories. If they know their nursery rhymes, they should enjoy Jon Scieszka's book.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few amusing or creative bits every so often, but mostly seemed like a writing exercise redoing some classic poems in different styles like news articles, maps, recipes, Pig Latin, book reports, hieroglyphics, etc. It was more interesting to see how many different formats the author could use (and illustrate) than to actually read the content. I liked the inclusion of Esperanto. I learned that when you have a passage written with words and pictures it's apparently called rebus, and when you swap the starting sounds of different words it's called a spoonerism. And apparently Dada is a silly Swiss art movement.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know this book existed until I perused my library's card catalog looking for The Real Mother Goose.. As soon as I saw Jon Scieska's name, I secured it.
Scieszka obviously has more than one screw loose, but I love how he things outside any box.
He picked a few of Mother Goose's tales to tell in multiple ways. He incorporates some bizarre fashions using pig latin or Morse Code or reverse alphabet or...
Innovative and involving.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

NOT suitable for storytime, or even preschoolers. But 1-4th graders will find these entertaining, and teachers will salivate over the wide variety of teaching opportunities: same Mother Goose rhymes but with different forms (news article, haiku, pig latin, knock knock joke, mad libs, etc) and expanded vocabulary. I was impressed at the sheer variety of types of variations taken on. This explicitly invites kids to approach other well-known poems with the same sense of insane silliness and wordplay on their own.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Six classic nursery rhymes are reimagined in six different styles. Each one is goofy, especially when you think about how silly the original nursery rhymes sound in 2023. I'm glad the original nursery rhyme is included at the beginning of each section because some may not know the original, and a lot of the humor is in the spinning of the original rhyme on its head. This book is a fun read aloud, but it would also be good as the basis of a program about making up codes or your own language. You could copy the styles from this book or make up your own.

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This might be my favorite Jon Scieszka book. Went into it skeptical, ended up loving it. Six nursery rhymes reimagined in a silly way. I thought they'd be random, but actually, each one follows some kind of rule: pig Latin, Esperanto (an invented language created to be the universal language), computer telephone, musical notation, military alphabet, Egyptian hieroglyphics, Morse code, haiku... The list continues. The back notes have details about each of the themes, how to use them, and the history. Then there's a note about the 'real' Mother Goose.