The Green Mother Goose: Saving the World One Rhyme at a Time

by David R. Davis, Jan Peck, Carin Berger

Together we'll do it-
We'll help save the earth…
Come now, rhyme with me,
Let's turn our hearts loose,
And fly 'round the world
With Green Mother Goose.
 
Mother Goose has gone green-and this playful picture book invites kids to join the fun. In these delightful “recycled” rhymes, Old Mother Hubbard shops with cloth grocery bags; Old King Coal is a better old soul, working to keep our skies smoke-free; and Hickety, Pickety is now a cage-free hen!
Carin Berger's stunning and whimsical eco-friendly collages are created from ticket stubs, newspapers, and other reused items.
 
Key Selling Points:
Perfect for Earth Day promotions
This eco-friendly book is printed on recycled paper with agri-based inks, with art made from creatively recycled materials
Award-winning creative team whose books have appeared on many “Best Children's Books” state lists
 
About the Authors:
JAN PECK is the author of many books for young readers, including The Giant Carrot, named to four state master lists and to the Bank Street College “Best Children's Books of the Year” list, among others. Jan lives in FORT WORTH, TEXAS. Learn more at www.janpeck.com.
 

DAVID DAVIS has written more than a dozen picture books. Jazz Cats and Ten Redneck Babies were both named to the Children's Choice Top 100 list. David lives in FORT WORTH, TEXAS. Find out more at www.davidrdavis.com.
 
About the illustrator
CARIN BERGER is a designer, illustrator, and author of many acclaimed children's books. Her intricate cut paper collages are made from any scraps and odds and ends that she can find and reuse. Carin divides her time between NEW YORK CITY and rural VERMONT. Find out more at www.carinberger.com.

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Environment, Childrens, Nature, Nursery Rhymes, Green

32 pages, Hardcover

First published April 5, 2011

Reviews

[Christiane · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like Mother Goose rhymes and I don't like folks messing around with them. I also don't like didactic children's books so it's not surprising I did not like this. I certainly agree with the message, and the illustrations are really charming, but the rhymes are bad, in some cases just painful. For example, from "Old Mother Hubbard": "She markets today/With cloth shopping bags,/And when she gets home/Her dog is all wags!" Or from "Old King Coal": "Now Old King Coal is a better old soul,/A better old soul is he./Though he was a meanie,/Now he is a greenie,/And he works to keep our skies smoke-free." They’re not all that bad (“Here We Go Round the Neighborhood” is nice), but really, forcing children to listen to bad rhymes to promote a point is just wrong.

[Natalie Mayur · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Green Mother Goose is appropriate for all elementary students (K-5) who would like to learn how individuals can help keep our Earth green. I believe this book is appropriate for all elementary grades because some “nursery rhymes” are more difficult to understand than others. With key words throughout the text such as incandescents (lights) or a house being too drafty, I feel upper elementary students could still benefit from this book and the rich conversations that could follow from the lessons and vocabulary found within the text. Also, since this book is a form of poetry, this genre is also sometimes more difficult to comprehend for young readers.

As a kindergarten teacher, I read poetry weekly with my students and love introducing and/or reviewing nursery rhymes with them. The Green Mother Goose is a great spin on original nursery rhymes where each rhyme is sharing how we can keep the Earth a great place to live. Just a few ideas found in the book include recycling, carpooling, turning off lights when leaving a room, and using cloth shopping bags. My favorite nursery rhyme within this text would have to be “Yankee Doodle” on pages 8 and 9. Within the poem, Yankee Doodle rides on a trolley, bike, horse, and he rides with a carpool to help save fuel and not pollute the air. Using this as an example, I look forward to reading this nursery rhyme with my students and asking what Yankee Doodle is doing to help the Earth. I believe this would be a great book to read together after studying Earth Day and ways we can help our planet so that the students can apply what they know to the stories found here.

This is a WOW book for me because of the genre and topic. I have a very difficult time finding appropriate books on ways to help Earth because most books on this topic are for older audiences. I also absolutely love how the authors remade several nursery rhymes to go along with this topic. I am so excited to add this to my classroom library and can’t wait to read it with my kindergarten students soon.

[Ansetser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This text is a compilation of Mother Goose nursery rhymes that have been rewritten to reflect how we are treating our environment and how we can improve. One of my favorite rhymes that can be used in a 2nd grade classroom would be "Yankee Doodle". This has been rewritten to discuss the various ways that we can travel apart from being in a car. There are 30 rhymes that all relate in some way to protecting the environment.

I would recommend this book for K-5 in order to discuss being environmentally friendly. I also think this would be helpful for younger grades to introduce and discuss rhyme and rhythm inside poetry. I have used this book in my 2nd grade classroom for our environment unit at the end of the year. We read this book over the course of a few days and then the students painted a mural of a "perfect and clean word". When teaching about being environmentally friendly, there are different poems that relate to the different subjects. There are poems about air pollution, using cloth bags, recycling, buying clothes in thrift shops and more.

This book is a wow book for me because of how easily it lends itself to the science curriculum that I teach. It is difficult to find texts that are fiction texts that relate to a science concept. I also noticed that this book was created using collage of scrap paper and I think that it would be neat to do the mural this year with scrap paper instead of using paint.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The message may be a little didactic for adults, and some of the contents will probably go over the heads of the younger tots. (Doubtful those who would be into Mother Goose-anything would be able to grasp the concepts of coal-fired plants, global warming, or eco-friendly energy sources.)

However, I was so pleased to see food issues addressed in a picture book--which, despite the fact that everyone eats, is still a rarity. We meet unhealthy Jack Sprat, who gorges on fast food, while his healthier wife dines on a salad with fresh greens. There's a free-range hen who gets to lay her eggs in a soft nest. Veg*n families will especially get a kick out of Old Mother Hubbard's dog--who begs for tofu!

[Alex Konieczny · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those carbon conscience kids out there, The Green Mother Goose is bot a blessing and a curse. As a collection of poetry outright, it never elevates itself above the standard rhymey fare one comes to expect of churned out children's poetry collections. In fact, most of it is just revamped poetry from nursery rhymes long past. The art though is pretty cool, opening an interesting discussion about how to create 2D pieces, with reused materials. This one gets by on charm, though if you are a out use the planet, or simply reject the blatant didacticism, this book is not for you.

[Jocelin · Rating 1 out of 5]

All I can say is WHY!!!??? Is this really necessary that we have to ruin classic Mother Goose tales by making them "green". I think getting children to think about their environment is great but, why did you have to take it out on Mother Goose. It would have been just as nice if you had the classic tales written on an eco-friendly book; using recycled paper and soy ink. Mother Goose is fine and her stories didn't need to be "recycled".

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was not a super big fan of it at first but then it started to grow on me.

Of course, one must remember that kids have to know the original nursery rhymes before they can even begin to think "fractured" ones are funny.

I liked the one about Jack Sprat eating lots of fast food fat and his wife eating leafy greens. Then he grows out of his jeans.

Can't remember the rhyme but little Jack Horner changes all of his lightbulbs to compact fluorescent. It actually works for the most part.

[Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy)]

The book takes traditional nursery rhymes and adds a twist - making a point to emphasize environmental themes and concerns and how to better support the environment. Some of the changes read smoothly and will be easily grasped by children. Others might be more difficult to read aloud and may need an explanation by an adult.

[Randie D. Camp, M.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peck, Davis, and Berger make a fabulous trio. Their combined efforts resulted in several well-written poems promoting "green" living and collage-like illustrations created through recycling. The book is fairly preachy but the message is needed and well-delivered. My favorites were "Here We Go Round the Neighborhood," "Jack Be Nimble," and "This is Our Garden Earth."

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

this is so poorly written, I couldn't help but laugh my way through it.

[Lynya Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Green Mother Goose by Jan Peck and David Davis was amazing this book is a must read. The mother goose rhymes describes how saving the world by going green, saving energy, recycling, eating healthy, and more fun ways to incorporate a lesson on going green to save our world. I believe children ages 7-10 years of age will really enjoy. Also the pictures has warm earth tone colors to calm a class while reading.

[Amanda Ramos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a lengthy poem book to read all at once, it makes a great bedtime poem for your kids! I read one poem a night to my boys. There were many poems filled with old time favorite nursery rhymes like humpty dumpty, jack and jill, hickory hickory dock, and yankee doodle. We loved Rub-a-dub-dub especially after a shower at night. Loved that I could share old time favorite rhymes with my kids. The illustrations were also super cute , full of colors, it is a very nice print.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book and the message. Very clever of using the nursery rhymes. While usually I do not like when they change things, I did enjoy this one. And anyway for those who did not like it the nursery rhymes the original ones are still out there. Highly recommend!

[Allison Marks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Berger's illustrations are marvelous!

[Seema Rao · Rating 2 out of 5]

These retellings of classic tale are just a little annoying in their PCness (and I actually believe the things they are extolling). And, don't love the collage vibe of the illustrations.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this- I love fractured fairytales and piggyback songs and such too
this is perfect

allows young children an opportunity to analyze and compare

buy it

read it

gift it

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly just didn't get it. ... and I'm a MAJOR recycler person! Some things should just not be tampered with, and Mother Goose is one of those things!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clever rewriting of Mother Goose nursery rhymes that teach children about the importance of taking care of the earth and offer different ways they can help do that.

[Aubrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was rather cute and clever to teach kids about the environment and ways to give back, by taking classic children's rhymes and giving them a "green" twist. :)

[Natalie Haldeman]

Title: The Green Mother Goose: Saving the World One Rhyme at a Time
Author: Jan Peck and David Davis
Illustrator: Carin Berger
Genre: poems/poetry collection
Theme(s): Children's Poetry, Nursery Rhymes, Pollution and Conservation, Mother Goose
Opening line/sentence: Together we'll do it we'll help save the Earth, our emerald home, the place of our birth.
Brief Book Summary: This book gives a multitude of poems throughout it. All of the poems throughout this book have the same point they are trying to get across. They are all talking about how we can save the planet. Some poems focus primarily on recycling, as well as planting new vegetation.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: More suitable for teaching about ecology and conservation than simple sharing for fun, this collection of fractured nursery rhymes, including This Is the Seed That Jack Sowed, Old King Coal, and 28 more, will be received best by kids who already know the original versions and will appreciate the green twist. These versions are cleverly done and retain the rhythms of the originals while updating the language and the message. The moralistic tone ( Mary, Mary, quite contrary, / Refused to garden green. / Her toxic sprays, a choking haze, / Spreading dangers, hurtful and mean ) isn t likely to win many converts, although kids already on the green bandwagon will welcome the reinforcement. Folkloric collage illustrations reinforce the message: bits of newspaper and other types of found papers and textiles form the stylized images of animals and people in earthy tones of green, gold, slate blue, warm brown, and rust red.(CLCD)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: (4) PS Illustrated by Carin Berger. "Old King Coal," "Little Boy Green"--thirty nursery rhymes have been rewritten with an environmentalist message. The more successful rhymes are humorous; others, some of which invoke a doomsday scenario ("Hickory, dickory, dock, / Our world is on the clock"), make one want to cry out Enough already! Naturally, the vibrant art was created with newsprint, ticket stubs, and other recyclables. (Hornbook)
Response to Two Professional Reviews: Something that I didn't know about this book, but that I was interested in was how this book was made. The second review talks about how the art in this book is in fact make by recycled newsprint, ticket stubs, and other recyclables, which is neat know that this is a book on saving the planet. They both talk about the environmental message, which is a very important theme throughout this book.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: The author takes some famous rhymes such as Yankee Doodle, and turns them into rhymes that inform the reader how to save the planet. It is definitely something that would intrigue readers and student who love nursery rhymes, and this may even change how they treat the Earth if they treat it badly.
Consideration of Instructional Application: Before reading this book I would talk to the students about if any of them recycle or how they take care of the planet. After reading this book I would form a discussion with the students about different things they can do to conserve the outdoor community around them. After coming up with a things of things that we all could do I think it would be a good idea to actually go outside and do these tasks with the students, so they know what to do.

[Safina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grades: This book is appropriate for KG-Grade 3
Summary: This humorous and book uses the familiar rhythms and themes of the Old Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes and applies them to themes of sustainability, recycling, conscious consumerism and farming. So Old Mother Hubbard 19s dog asks for organic, local and vegetarian food before he is satisfied, Jack and Jill are really careful not to spill their water and the fifth 1Clittle piggy squeals Re-re-recycle! all the way home. 1D The book gives reminders and suggestions of how even children can help preserve 1Cour emerald home 1D and introduces them to the relevant vocabulary in a fun-loving way.
Review: True to the theme of the book, illustrator Carin Berger uses old Newspapers, buttons and other recognizable recyclables in her whimsical collage style pictures. The authors strike a nice balance between making children aware of today 19s pollution and energy-issues and showing them how they can take responsibility. Their humorous approach ensures that the young reader is made aware of but not overwhelmed by the serious issues of pollution, energy crisis and global warming.
In class use:
- Learn by heart adding gestures and tunes where applicable
- Explain vocabulary and its uses
- Ask children which of the suggested activities they participate in at home/at school
- Ask them if a particular rhyme reminds them of another they know ( Old Mother Goose)
-

[Cathy Traccarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a modern, environmental, take on Mother Goose then “The Green Mother Goose” is for you. In this version of the rhymes “Jack and Jill” conserve water and the little piggies go “re-re-cycle all the way home.” Some purists might argue against updating these venerable poems but many of the original versions were actually political satire. They were written long ago to make a memorable statement about the, then, current society and some of the important people and issues of the time. What better way to teach today’s children to not litter, eat healthy, and respect the planet earth than to have them remember a poem about it.
The book is targeted for children ages 4 to 8. Finding an Earth Day read-aloud can be difficult for this age group. Reading these poems would be a great way to remember the messages of conservation and stewardship that we teach in this unit. The pictures, from award winning illustrator Carin Berger, are even made from recycled paper and could be used as examples for a class art project using found materials.
In the end, what made this book a WOW book for me was the authors’ ability to take poems from the 1700’s and update them to relevant, impactful poems that keep the memorable cadence that made the original poems so fun. Today’s students can still skip rope to “Jack Be Nimble” but this time they’re learning to save energy by switching off the light when they leave a room!

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mother Goose
Peck, J. & Davis, D. The Green Mother Goose: Saving the World One Rhyme at a Time (New York; Sterling, 2011)
The Green Mother Goose is an Earth friendly version of traditional Mother Goose rhymes. Favorites like Mary Had a LIttle Lamb and Jack and Jill are given a spin with Earth friendly lines like "At the top, they saved each drop". This is a great book to add to any collection and it's definitely a great book to read on Earth Day, or any day. The book it self is printed on paper well-managed forests, controlled sources, and recycled wood. The illustrator, Carin Berger, illustrated this book with collages.
(ages 5+)

[Holly]

David Davis along with Jan Peck (Bankstreet College put her on "Best Children's Books of the Year" list!) wrote this book. One aspect that is really cool and could be talked about with students, is the fact that the illustrations were recycled materials -newspapers and movie stubs etc. This book is a spin on Mother Goose rhymes with environmental messages for kids. Jack and Jill go up on a hill and not only fetch water, they save every drop! Jack Sprat learns how to eat healthier from his wife who teaches him to eat leafy greens. The poems would be great fun for kids while teaching them an important lesson!

[Emily Duchon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't have a problem with authors changing nursery rhymes or fairy tales--it's called fracturing and has its place in literature. Instead of making me think these were "bad" rhymes, it made me realize that nursery rhymes in general aren't that great--just catchy. I liked "Little Jack Horner" the best. I agree that the quality isn't blow me away type stuff, although the illustrations are quirky and fun. And it not BAD, either. I think a lot of ones opinion on this book depends on whether you like tomes that preach things to children or not. When it comes to the Earth, I'm okay with it.

[Miss Pippi the Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book of reused poetry tickles my funny bone! I wouldn't say all the poems were keepers, but there are a couple recycled gems in this collection.

2015 Poem Shared: This Little Piggy
Snowbie was on vacation for this storytime, so we had a pig puppet visit and share this poem at storytime.
2016 poem shared: Jack Be Nimble
2017 poems shared: One, Two, We Can Renew / This Little Piggy
2021 poems shared: One, Two, We Can Renew / This Little Piggy / Little Boy Green

2015, 2016, 2017, 2021 storytime theme: Earth Day

Reviewed from a library copy.

[Erin Ewing · Rating 5 out of 5]

In true Mother Goose fashion, this book contains verses that teach us a lesson. This time, each lesson is one that reminds us to take care of our Earth. The titles of each are the original titles with the cadence of the original rhyme. The words, however, have been "recycled as fun, eco-friendly verses." The illustrations look as though they are made from scraps of paper and the colors are all in earth tones. These rhymes are a wonderful update of the old classics that kids and adults both will love to read. And hopefully, we will learn a thing or two about being "green!"

[Deborah Lightfoot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smart, funny, tongue-in-cheek sophisticated, and gently subversive. The rhymes are a riot, and the message is thought-provoking. We can all do more to help "Our Garden Earth." I gave a copy to each of my nieces to share with their young children. This is a book for all ages. Veteran Green Warriors will get as much out of it as will fresh-faced preschoolers who are just now learning to "Re-Re-Recycle!" Highly recommended.

[Myriam B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"If All the World Were Stinky"

If all the world were stinky,
And our water black as ink,
If toxic rains filled up our drains,
What would we have to drink?

If all the world were stinky,
Our skies fouled without care,
If there were no trees in the summer breeze,
What would we breathe for air?

I like this poetry because it help me understand how important it is to keep our environment clean from polution and to recycle so we can keep our trees alive.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost couldn't finish this book. It was that bad. It was every piece of bad environmentalist jargon linked to a timeless children's rhyme for impressiveness. UGH! Is this a joke? Seriously?

I'm upgrading it a star because the art is pretty neat and at least the authors had a sense of rhythm and rhyme.