Here Comes Mother Goose

My Very First Mother Goose Series

by Iona Opie (Editor), Rosemary Wells (Illustrator)

From the award-winning creators of MY VERY FIRST MOTHER GOOSE, an invitation to the simple joy and the sly humor that are the essence of Mother Goose.

Spread the word—here comes Mother Goose—and with her comes an entire procession of best-loved nursery rhyme characters, including Mary Mary Quite Contrary, Simple Simon, Old Mother Hubbard, Little Tommy Tucker, the Queen of Hearts, and many more. Joining them is an array of colorful folk you may not have met before: Mrs. Murphy, for instance, and My Aunt Jane; Freda the American Beauty, Bonny Bobby Shaftoe, and Dusty Bill from Vinegar Hill—each of them well worth getting to know, as we're sure you'll agree!

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

108 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Iona Margaret Balfour Archibald was born in Colchester, Essex, England. She was a researcher and writer on folklore and children's street culture. She is considered an authority on children's rhymes, street and playground games and the Mother Goose tradition. She was elected a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA) in 1998 and was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1999.

The couple met during World War II and married on 2 September 1943. The couple worked together closely, from their home near Farnham, Surrey, conducting primary fieldwork, library research, and interviews of thousands of children. In pursuing the folklore of contemporary childhood they directly recorded rhymes and games in real time as they were being sung, chanted, or played. Working from their home in Alton, Hampshire they collaborated on several celebrated books and produced over 30 works. The couple were jointly awarded the Coote Lake Medal in 1960. The medal is awarded by The Folklore Society "for outstanding research and scholarship".

Speaking in 2010, Iona speaks of working with her husband as being "like two of us in a very small boat and each had an oar and we were trying to row across the Atlantic." and that "[W]e would never discuss ideas verbally except very late at night."

Iona Opie died in 2017.

Reviews

[Trevor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had hoped through doing these reviews for grad school that I would pick books that I liked or could at least bear to finish. I cannot believe that those hopes were dashed by a children’s book, in the third week. In Here Comes Mother Goose by Iona Opie, readers are presented with 56 Mother Goose rhymes including “One Two, Buckle My Shoe…” and “Old Mother Hubbard.” What tripped me up about this book is that each rhyme is presented over one to two pages with no real flow or rhythm. With similar children’s books, there is usually repetition which creates a sort of rhythm to storytelling. If this book is used at a storytime, the change in stories every other page causes too much confusion, seems monotonous , and perhaps, would be quick to bore.

The illustrations by Rosemary Wells are great additions to each rhyme and page, and are definitely geared to the younger readers for which this book is targeted. The animals and characters are presented in color and show the main characters in action to what the rhyme speaks of. This book is targeted for young children, specifically no older than toddlers, and was an American Library Association Notable Children’s Book.

[Erik D]

Here Comes Mother Goose by Iona Opie (editor) Illustrated by Rosemary Wells (1999).
A well-rounded children’s library should always include at least one Mother Goose book and this anthology of Mother Goose tales would be a colorful addition to such a library. Edited by Iona Opie and Illustrated by Rosemary Wells, this book sets about retelling time-honored classics and is accentuated by Wells’ anthropomorphic, cute, cuddly animals, and fruit who are used to depict the various nursery rhymes and fairy tells contained on the over 100 pages of this sturdy, lap-ready, tome. Humans are also portrayed in addition to the human-like fruits and animals, but the majority of depictions use beautifully illustrated animals. The art work is eye-catching and appealing with pencil and watercolor being the dominant form. Nursey rhymes and tales always start with a thematically “illuminated” or illustrated first letter showing young readers where to begin. Many parents and teachers will find this book has familiar refrains from their childhood, but might be a little startled to realize these familiar rhymes and tales deal with some tough social issues like gender roles/stereotypes, race, ethnicity, and even polygamy (man with seven wives). The heteronormative standard set by “sugar and spice” may bring out gender issues and stereotypes as might “old Mother Hubbard” to name a few. Suffice to say that while the majority of this book is acceptable, some of the rhymes and stories might be skipped over. On the flip side, a teacher adequately prepared to discuss the matter with their students might find these rhymes a useful tool or primer for class discussion. Awards: Notable Children’s Books (2000), Parent’s Choice Award for picture books (1999) Target Audience: Ages 2-5

[SBC · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love nursery rhymes and have read many collections, yet I'm always surprised by new versions of familiar favourites, and rhymes I have never encountered before.

This collection begins with a note by Iona Opie which (in a fun way) classifies nursery rhymes as those which help babies learn about their bodies, help older children learn their numbers and alphabet, nonsense verses, clever riddles, and songs that run in people's heads and make them skip instead of walk. She notes the first nursery rhyme collection was Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book, 1744.

Here Comes Mother Goose is a big book, full of colourful, rambunctious artwork by Rosemary Wells. Lots of animal characters (and sometimes fruit!) in environments both old-fashioned and modern.
I found it a little weird to see pictures of characters I recognised as Max and Ruby (Max looking up to no good in Mary Mary quite contrary's garden, Ruby receiving letters in the post as Ella Bunny). Did these illustrations come first?

All in all a fun read, enjoyed by both me and my 3 year old.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grade level: Preschool- Kindergarten
Awards: Parents Choice Award 1999
Summary: Here Comes Mother Goose by Iona Opie is a book that contains many classical nursery rhymes including "1.2. Buckle My Shoe", "Mary Mary Quite Contrary", and many more. This is a great book of nursery rhymes for young children who are just learning to read. The illustrations are vivid and eye-catching. Young children will love being read these nursery rhymes as bedtime stories.
Review: I have loved Mother Goose nursery rhymes since I was a little girl. My parents used to read these nursery rhymes to me before I went to bed almost every night. I would highly recommend this book of nursery rhymes to anyone who is looking for a book full of those classic nursery rhymes.
Classroom uses: This book could be used in the classroom to teach rhyme, rhythm, and tempo especially to young readers. While using this book students could learn rhyming words and new vocabulary words.

[Amalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awards: n/a

Appropriate grade level(s): 1-3rd grade

Summary: This books incorporates a number of classical nursery rhymes such as "I'm a little tea pot" and "1,2, Buckle My Shoe". This book divides the nursery rhymes into 4 different chapters. Each nursery rhyme has it's own page and includes very colorful illustrations of an animal to go along with the story.

Review: I think this a very adorable children's book. It has big text and big pictures so children are easily able to read and understand the story. Although titles are not given to the nursery rhymes, the children are easily able to find different rhymes thanks to the chapters, big pictures and organized layout .

Possible in-class uses:
1)Teach how illustrations affect literature
2)Teach how to identify rhyming words
3)Learn new vocabulary

[Jordan Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is for grades Pre K- 1st grade.
No awards.

This book uses large fonts and even incorporates parts of the rhyme into the text.
There is illustration that covers the all the pages. There are mixture of many classic nursery rhymes. The author even has the book separated into chapters.

This book is a great book with great illustrations. The font being so big helps students to read the text and see the letters. Because the rhymes are so short, it helps keep it simple a very understandable. They are able to see what is going on in the picture.

For us in the classroom, It can be great for a rhyme of the day, or week, and also finding sight words. It would be great for a study on nursery rhymes and having students find their favorite one.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were a few things about this book that really make it stand out. I really liked that this book had an introduction at the beginning of the book, that teaches the reader a little about Mother Goose. I also liked that the book was split into chapters. Since it is a long book, by picture book standards, the chapters make it easier for young readers to read at their pace. Another nice feature is that each nursery rhyme has an illustration to go with it. Rosemany Wells illustrations are eye-catching and creative. For Old King Cole (p. 18) she gives him a pineapple head and gives “his fiddlers three” additional fruit heads. The book is bright and cheery and the text is big enough for young readers to appreciate.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has enchanted my 3.5-year-old. She regularly asks for it at bedtime, and she wants to read the entire book. There are new rhymes in the style of traditional nursery rhymes, along with many well-known favorites. Each is beautifully and imaginatively illustrated in Wells' characteristic style. The large format makes it perfect for sharing, and it would work well with a group. All in all, a winner!

[Lynnette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great mother Goose book. I wasn't I was impressed by the illustrations in this one as with the first volume. These selections are definitely more obscure than the first volume as well. But that's kind of nice. I feel like you can only do Humpty Dumpty so many times. My toddler loves mother Goose and this is perfect for him because it's huge and there aren't very many words on a page and it has a lot of pages so the parent doesn't get as bored as well.

[Abby Beyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. Awards- Notable Children's Books (2000)
2. Grade levels- PreK-2
3. Summary- This books contains more than 55 nursery rhymes along with beautiful illustrations.
4. The quality of the book's art and design is exceptional, and is very fun to read out loud to young children.
5. In class uses- counting, colors, ABCs, animals, rhyming words

[Naomi Nottage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of Rhymes. It would be good to pick them up at the end of the day as they are quick but fun.
Could also try and learn some as a class to recite when lining up or when the class needs to stop a task and tidy up.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations
Classic rhymes
Recommended for all young children

[Stacey Rice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brought back memories of my childhood

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic nursery rhymes with charming illustrations.

[Celeste Y · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore the illustrations and have been reading this book to my children for 19 years. A classic in our family.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

We enjoyed this book, but not as much as the first in the series.

[Shannon McGarvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Year O book 1

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars?

[Chris Lutz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Here Comes Mother Goose
Author: Iona Opie
Illustrator: Rosemary Wells
Genre: Nursery Rhymes/Mother Goose
Theme(s): Nursery rhymes, children’s poetry
Opening line/sentence: “I’m a little teapot, short and stout, here’s my handle, here’s my spout”
Brief Book Summary: This book goes through a number of classic nursery rhymes including “I’m a little teapot” and “1, 2, Buckle my shoe.” This also accompanies those stories with illustrations of animals to go along with the stories.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Janice M. Del Negro (The Bulletin of the Center for Children s Books, December 1999 (Vol. 53, No. 4))
My Very First Mother Goose (BCCB 12/96) is a tough act to follow, but Opie and Wells have produced a solid if not inspired sequel. Echoes of MVFMG abound in the format and design of this title from its division into four chapters to Wells graphic eloquence to intensely hued pages and high production values. Spot art and energetic full-page compositions add a zesty variety to the layout that will draw in viewers. A selection of dynamic rhymes from both sides of the pond features the familiar ( One, Two Buckle My Shoe ) and not so familiar ( I m a Girl Guide ) as well as the unusual ( My Ma s a Millionaire ). The choice of the fifty-six rhymes seems a bit random, and the drafting is less carefully distinct. The high-spirited humor, however, is consistent throughout, and fans of the previous title will flock to this new volume with justified enthusiasm. Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 1999, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 1999, Candlewick, 108p, $21.99. Ages 1-4 yrs.
(PUBLISHER: Candlewick Press (Cambridge Mass.:), PUBLISHED: 1999.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Publishers Weekly (Publishers Weekly)
Even if this volume isn't quite as illuminating as Opie and Wells's My Very First Mother Goose, it abounds with charm and wit; there is no one like Opie for collecting traditional verse, and no one like Wells for radiant, childlike visual interpretation. Both exhibit a puckish streak here. Opie, for example, introduces some rhymes that are distinctly American ("Away down east,/ away down west,/ Away down Alabama,/ The only girl that I love best/ Her name is Susianna"); others have a British accent ("I am a Girl Guide/ dressed in blue"). She mischievously transposes the sexes in the classic "What are little boys/girls made of?"; Wells accordingly shows girls playing with frogs, snails and so on, while a troupe of Lilliputian-size boys in toques and bakers' uniforms pose next to comparatively huge spoons, milk bottles, etc. In the previous collection, Wells's ingenious and enlightening pictorial translations were a high spot; here, her gifts manifest themselves in dramatic palettes, clever casting and playful juxtapositions of classic and contemporary motifs. Mother Hubbard, for example, goes shopping on a motor scooter; she appears a second time, with her dog, and readers learn that her first name is Sukey; in a third showing, she figures on a poster for cake, at Banbury Cross. The artist's flair for detail emerges in such flourishes as miniature instruction cards outlining the steps for different dances (e.g., the polka, opposite verse about "My Aunt Jane,/ She came from France,/ To teach to me the polka dance"; the tango, opposite "I danced with a girl with a hole in her stocking"). Beautiful and beguiling, this book will win over just about everyone. Ages 2-up. (Oct.)
(PUBLISHER: Candlewick Press (Cambridge Mass.:), PUBLISHED: 1999.)
Response to Two Professional Reviews: I haven’t read the predecessor to Here comes Mother Goose so I don’t have any real point of reference of whether this was a good or bad follow up. I think that they hit the nail on the head as far as humor and comic energy that flows throughout the whole book.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: I believe that the familiarity with many of the nursery rhymes gives this book an advantage to many young readers. The illustrations present a fun, upbeat mood to accompany the familiar stories that they may already know.
Consideration of Instructional Application: I would like to write our own class set of nursery rhymes by recreating a couple pages out of the book using construction paper to craft our own book pages.

[Nicole Lamb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picture Book Critique #16

Here Comes Mother Goose
Edited By: Iona Opie

1. Picture Book Genre: Mother Goose

2. Brief Summary: Here Comes Mother Goose combines the brilliant collection of nursery rhymes with bright and humorous illustrations to make reading these tales fun and exciting all over again. Organized into four distinct chapters this book is flooded with nursery rhymes that are both wildly familiar as well as some that may have been forgotten over the years. Combined with vivid illustrations these nursery rhymes provide students with endless opportunities to explore the wonders of rhythm and rhyme as well as delve into the classic words, tales and fables of Mother Goose!

3.
A. Area for comment: Nursery rhymes have always been a great way to teach students not only the power of rhyming words but also assists with reading proficiency and flow. It is the use of rhyming words that truly allows students to appreciate reading.
B. Professional Evaluation: Mother Goose nursery rhymes have always been a classic addition to the modern classroom and this book does an excellent job at adding great illustrations to the classic tales. The main critique that I had with this book is the way in which it is organized, at times it can be difficult to distinguish when one nursery rhyme ends and the next begins creating some confusion for students. While the organization of this book is by no means my favorite the illustrations and classic nursery rhymes are fun for all students in the classroom!
C. Specific Example: It is absolutely the rhymes itself that foster both learning and fun for students and there are a number of excellent examples of rhymes that students would truly enjoy. For instance on page 74 the classic rhyme reads “Pease porridge hot, Pease porridge cold, Pease porridge in the pot, Nine days old.” Also on page 90 the classic fable reads “Peter, Peter, Pumpkin eater, Had a wife and couldn’t keep her, He put her in a pumpkin shell and there he kept her very well.” These are just two simple examples of the great rhymes that can be found throughout Here Comes Mother Goose!

4. Curriculum Connection: There are a number of curriculum connections that can be mad when integrating Here Comes Mother Goose into the classroom environment. Not only will students have the opportunity to explore classic nursery rhymes but they can also discover the impact illustrations have on literature, identify rhyming words, write their own nursery rhymes, create math problems like adding up the number of kits, cats, sacks and wives on pages 62-63, learning new vocabulary and identifying cultural aspects found throughout the nursery rhymes. These curriculum connections assist students in truly exploring the history and meaning behind the classic Mother Goose rhymes while also establishing real life connections in the modern classroom.

[Kyoungbin Min · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. No awards
2. Age 2-5
3. This book is another series of the previous book I wrote about: My Very First Mother Goose. Just like the previous book, this book shows many rhymes with different animals stories.
4. I really liked this book as well. Its' humorous stories and illustrations would bring children joy and imaginations.
5. Read-aloud and shared reading

[Sharon Nicholls · Rating 5 out of 5]

In “Here Comes Mother Goose,” the picture book is organized into four chapters of classic nursery rhymes that are filled with bright colors vividly connected to large typeface that makes it easy for young children to follow along. The rhymes are silly, creative, and enjoyable, building phonemic awareness for emergent readers while engaging them in rhyming and singing fun. When the traditional rhyme, “What Little Girls/Boys are Made Of” is switched around, gender stereotypes are challenged with delightful results, surprising readers familiar with the conventional version of the rhyme. This book is a joy for young children and adults. Target audience: ages 1 – 6 years old.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

1. Mother Goose
2. A massive collection of your favorite nursery rhymes from the best story teller of all time, Mother Goose herself. With adorable pictures and classic rhymes your young readers will want to read this one again and again. Soon they will be turning the pages and reading it on their own because of the easy repetition this book contains.
3. Critique
a. The overall collection of rhymes collected here is reminiscent of my favorite mother goose stories as a little girl. The illustrations are old world and even appear to have been rubbed and faded over time but there is a whimsical aspect to the characters that creates a modern effect.
b. The rhyme scheme is appropriate for the targeted audience and the chosen rhymes are appropriate for young children. Rhymes included within the book include: "Old King Cole", "Jelly on a plate", "What are little girls made of?", "Simple Simon", "1, 2 Buckle my shoe", and "Mary, Mary, quite Contrary". Each has concepts that young child can understand (not always the case with some nursery rhymes) and has adorable pictures that incorporate personified vegetables and animals as well as children and simply drawn adults. The rhymes themselves are fun to say and often include a repeating concept little readers love to repeat.
c. "Jelly on a plate, Jelly on a plate, Wibble, wobble, wibble, wobble. Jelly on a plate. Sausage in a pan, Sausage in a pan, Frizzle, frazzle, frizzle frazzle, Sausage in a pan."
4. I would use this book to help young readers learn to read sight words. I would buy this book in large book format or project in onto a screen so that the words were large enough to see clearly. After repeated readings of this book and it's poems, making sure to follow my words with a finger or special pointer so that young readers associate my vocal speaking to the written words. I would introduce a vocabulary that was contained within the book. There are simple words they could learn to sight read while combining their memory of the text due to repeated readings and common sight words (like pan, baby, men, call, drink, etc.).

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

1. The genre this book belongs is picture book- Mother Goose.
2. This book consists of over fifty-five famous mother goose nursery rhymes. It includes characters like Mary Mary Quite Contrary, Simple Simon, the Queen of Hearts, etc. There is no real summary to this book because every page or two has a nursery rhyme on it.
3. A) One of the strengths of this book are the great illustrations that connect with each rhyme.
B) I feel the illustrations connect well with the rhymes because they give just enough detail to where the child does not feel overwhlemed or distracted to just the picture. There is a good balance of words versus picture. For Mary Mary Quite Contrary they have a simple looking rabbit siting in the garden and a tree and white fence in the background. That is just enough to connect the reader to the rhyme without feeling too distracted by the picture only. Sometimes pictures can have too much detail where the child is stil in "looking mode" and not listening to the words to be able to make the connection.
C) On page 80 Twinkle Twinkle Little Star there is a mom and baby rabbit lying in a chair together looking at the night sky. It only takes up about a fourth of the page which gives the child a good chance to soak in the rhyme and enjoy the picture. If there was a huge picture of rabbits looking at the sky with a bunch of details, it would be hard for a small child to grasp all of that.

4. I think this is a fun book for rhyming. I would use this for my kindergarteners because it is simple, fun, and wil help their rhyming skills and vocabulary. Some of the words are simple, but then there are some they may have trouble with which is a good challenge for them to take on. An activity that would be fun after reading this, is making their own bok as a class by joining their own rhymes together and sharing it with their family and friends.

[Lizeth Velazquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opie, Iona (Editor). Here Comes Mother Goose (1999). Mother Goose represents a collection of nursery rhymes/songs, children's poetry, and nonsense verses. The very first pages tell the history of how Mother Goose gleaned songs, poems, and rhymes over many many years by listening in to men, women, grandpas singing and children playing in Europe, and would make a mental note of it as either they or she would pass by, hence the expression "Here comes Mother Goose", and you would know what she was up to. The cover illustration of the goose with a bonnet is symbolic of "Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes", that is said to be created to rock babies to sleep, to help babies learn their anatomy, and to learn their numbers and alphabet.

This version of Mother Goose is sectioned into four chapters with comical, zany, and delightful animal characters illustrated by Rosemary Wells. Wells' images are playful and fun with her signature characters such as rabbit and a crew of childlike hamsters all with a mischievous look in their eyes. The scenery of characters project movement respective to the rhyme or verse. Wells varies the size of characters with simple yet vibrant colors that appeal to the eyes. The text font size is appropriately shifted to large print to steer the reader and emphasize/dramatize the reading. Some rhymes or verses are 4 to 8 lines in length and the number of words is anywhere from 15 to 40 words per entry. Opie edited a more simple version of the poems and rhyme without taking away their charm, yet enough to capture the interest of babies to toddler to 6 year old age children with playful rhyming, alliteration, repetition, and silly verses of shenanigan tales with exaggerated animal characters. Some poems carry messages to discuss with children such as cleanliness. Popular titles included are: 1,2, Buckle My Shoe, Old Mother Hubbard, and Mary, Mary, quite contrary.
Target Audience: 2-6; Mother Goose.

[Sara Hannon]

1. Picture book/Mother Goose

2. A collection of sixty Mother Goose tales, illustrated and compiled to create a nice book of rhymes.

3. While this book's collection of tales and rhymes is nice, with a variety of rhymes and illustrations, it does have several issues: the use of contractions in a children's book, and the bizarre use of "chapters". First is the contractions. For a children's book that is read to a child, contractions are occassionally okay, but if that child is going to use this book to practice reading, they are unhelpful. And they seem to be used in strange places, for example "I'm a little teapot". The contraction "I'm" is necessary for the rhyme, but then on page 70, it says "here's my handle, here's my spout", which when read aloud sounds off, it should be "here is my handle, here is my spout". In some instances, contractions are certainly okay and necessary, but they seem to be used too often here when it does not matter for the rhyme which I think adds an extra and unnecessary challenge were a child to try to read this when they are starting out reading. The other thing is chapters. This book is apparently divided up in chapters, like "Chapter Two: Old Mother Hubbard". In the 24 pages between chapter two and chapter three "As I was Going to St. Ives", there is only one page that has anything to do with Old Mother Hubbard, everything else is seemingly unrelated. Not just unrelated, seemingly random, with the rhymes ranging from one about a French polka to the mail to an American goose. It seems to me if you were to use chapters, there should be some logic or reason for it.

4. I think books like this should be kept in the house to read to and with younger children. The illustrations are nice and the rhymes are good, so it would be a great book to use to help younger children learn to read and to keep them entertained.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Picture Book- Mother Goose
Summary: This book is a collection of all of our favorite traditional Mother Goose stories that have been passed down through many generations.
Critique: Rhyme and Repetition
Mother Goose rhymes are wonderful for young children beginning to read because of their rhyme and repetition. It turns the story into a song-like poem, which are easier to remember. Children are able to practice reading this type of writing over and over to gain fluency in their reading. This book is also wonderful because it contains so many different stories. The child can read a few, close the book, and come back later to read a few more with losing interest. There are so many wonderful qualities to this book but the rhyme and repetition are my favorite, which is why I chose them to critique. Both of these traits allow the reader to sing the words while reading. It makes reading fun. I remember reading my Mother Goose book when I was a child with many of the same stories that are in this book and I would run around the house singing the words from the book. My absolute favorite was the one on p.30-31 about the elephant jumping over the fence. I would draw pictures and write stories about elephants simply based on this one Mother Goose story. These stories get children excited about reading, and they evoke their imagination.
Curriculum Connection: The stories in this book could be transformed into songs to sing as a class. The songs could be used for transitions. There could be a different song to signify each activity, or students could simply choose songs at random to help get all of the kids focused back on one task or one area. Students could use the rhymes with counting acivites. The “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe” story on p.10, and the “As I Was Going to St. Ives” story on p. 57-63 both deal with counting.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Citation: Here Comes Mother Goose, edited by Iona Opie, illustrated by Rosemary Wells. (Candlewick Press, 1999) 107 p. Mother Goose Picture book.
Summary: Iona Opie selects many of Mother Goose’s traditional rhymes, as well as some that are less well-known. The rhymes are presented, often times in shorter versions, sometimes with transposed verses, in large bold fonts, sometimes over several pages.

Critique: a) Rosemary Wells’ illustrations take a modern approach to the traditional Mother Goose rhymes, giving readers a new perspective on the old favorites. Her creativity in design is what sets the illustrations apart.

b) There are several illustrations in this book, aligned with rhymes that many children may no longer understand because of their historical references, which Wells’ makes understandable because of the modernity of her illustrations. Added with this approach is a humor in the portrayals that will make readers giggle with delight.

c) Wells’ depiction of “Old King Cole” (p. 18) shows the king as a friendly pineapple, surrounded by his fiddlers three, a trio of fruit that arrives in a convertible to play their instruments. The illustrations of “Old Mother Hubbard” show a trendy grandmother speeding on her scooter to the fishmonger to get her dog some fish (34). And the hilarious illustration for “Here we go round the mulberry bush” features a bunny feasting on mulberries while covered in splatters of purple juice (44).

Curriculum Connection: This book would be a good companion with another illustrated Mother Goose collection to have students compare illustrations (and text versions, if applicable) and maybe using it as inspiration to draw their own modernized version of illustrations for a rhyme of their choice.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Mother Goose

Summary: A collection of Mother Goose poems accompanied by beautiful illustrations.

Area for comment: Language and form

B. The clear rhyming technique makes the language in this text easy to read and understandable, as well as provides readers with a basic poetry form to follow. The text along with its illustrations, really enable students to understand the rhyming scheme as well as comprehend the meaning of each poem.

C. On page 36, the poem about Dusty Bill, follows a very basic rhyme scheme, but the text itself also becomes more visual due to the wonderfully illustrated image of “Dusty Bill” with a sharp, stern look on his face. Both the image and the text work together harmoniously to help the reader understand the poem itself and its poetic features. Another example of well-crafted language and form would be the poem about Christopher Columbus, the actual shape of the poem itself in the form of waves connects the text to its meaning by creating a waving pattern which were said to be growing “higher and higher and higher.” This use of shape allows the reader to visualize the struggling high seas that Christopher Columbus faced on his journey to America.

Curriculum connection: I would love to use this book with all grade levels. I feel the simplistic text and illustrations are easy for younger audiences and the poetic forms within the text could also serve as a great example for older audiences as well. I especially loved the illustrative dynamics of the text, particularly the fact that the terms in other languages were included in the illustrations (pg. 74, pg 101).

[Candice · Rating 2 out of 5]

1. Genre: Mother Goose Picture Book

2. Summary: This book incorporates a collection of nursery rhymes including four chapters: 1, 2, Buckle My Shoe, Old Mother Hubbard, As I was going to St. Ives, and I Danced with the Girl. Illustrations are included to help show the meaning of the rhymes and grab the children's attention.

3. Critique:
a) The greatest part of this book is the variety of nursery rhymes in the book, and each one is illustrated.
b) There are numerous nursery rhymes in each chapter. The book has many different onsets and rhymes to show children. There are many that I have never heard before and some that I know by heart. I was not very impressed by the illustrations, they are very simple. However, I think children will enjoy them. It shows them a new and imaginative side to the nursery rhymes by using animals and other characters.
c) The last page in Chapter two is the Manchaster Guardian rhyme, which has two dogs dressed in cop uniforms and a cat hiding behind a newspaper. It has two rhyming words that the children will have to figure out.

4. Curriculum Connection: I will use this with Kindergarten students to learn rhyming words and word sounds. As a class, I will read through the Mother Goose stories and have the students tell me what words are rhyming. Then, I will write these words on the board, and the students will have to pull them apart to find the rhyming pattern or sound. This book can be used as an introduction or assessement of lesson taught.