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Riley Child-Rhymes with Hoosier Pictures
First produced in 1895, this charming book includes many of James Whitcomb Riley's signature stories like "Out to Old Aunt Mary's" and "Little Orphant Annie." Vawter's illustrations of girls rolling hoops and boys with cane fishing poles, lingering through long summer afternoons, recall times gone by.
188 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1890
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57 people want to read
About the author
James Whitcomb Riley
1,065 books51 followersJames Whitcomb Riley, an American, known as the Hoosier Poet, wrote his
most famous works, “Little Orphant Annie” (1885) and “The Raggedy Man” (1890), in particular speech patterns to Indiana.
Elizabeth Marine Riley in a small cabin bore him to Reuben A. Riley, local attorney. After James Whitcomb, the governor of Indiana, parents named him. Many of the visitors to home of his father influenced him. In particular, he ably picked up the cadence and character of the dialect of central Indiana and the travelers along the old National Road, which came through the many poems that he went to write.
Mary Alice Smith, a particular visitor, eventually stayed to live with the Riley family. Mary Alice ("Allie") Smith influenced Riley, Little Orphant Annie, which was originally to be called Little Orphant Allie but an error of the typesetter changed the name of the poem.
Riley was never a great student. Before he dropped out of school at age 16, a former teacher encouraged him to appreciate nature. He attempted to study law in his father's law office, however he found that the law was not for him, whereupon he took several different jobs in rapid succession.
Riley had his first poem published in 1870 when he was 21. He began writing for several newspapers, eventually working for the Indianapolis Journal in Indianapolis, Indiana writing miscellaneous articles, versifying whenever possible.
Riley's big break came with the private publishing of a thousand copies of The Old Swimmin' Hole and 'Leven More Poems in 1883 under the pseudonym of "Benjamin F. Johnson, of Boone". The book rapidly sold all of the first printing, causing Indianapolis book publisher Merrill, Meigs and Company to quickly contract with Riley to publish the second edition of The Old Swimmin' Hole and 'Leven More Poems. Riley continued to work with the publishing company which eventually became Bowen-Merrill and finally Bobbs-Merrill. The 1886 publishing The Boss Girl began to publish new Riley literature regularly. As a result he began to tour the United States giving lectures, starting in the mid-1880s.
In 1893 he was invited to live at the residence of Charles and Magdalena Holstein within the Indianapolis neighborhood of Lockerbie. He would call this his permanent residence for the last 23 years of his life, although he eventually purchased his childhood home, and allowed his brother, John Riley, to live there.
He was in demand throughout his life, including being a guest at the White House. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 1912 the National Institute of Arts and Letters gave him the gold medal of poetry, the first poet so honored. He also received several honorary degrees.
Riley loved children, but he never had any of his own; he also never married. Evidence points that he regretted his bachelorhood and childlessness. Many believe that his poems about and for children were written due to this regret. Others attribute his poems to his regrets over alcoholism and his possible affliction with syphilis.
Indiana honored Riley after his death in 1916 by burying him in Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis. The site of his grave is atop Strawberry Hill, the highest point in Indianapolis, offering a spectacular view of the city. Although Riley's poetry has fallen out of popularity, a few of his poems, such as Little Orphant Annie and Lockerbie Street, continue to be taught in schools in Indiana.
In 1916 a group of prominent citizens from Indianapolis organized the Riley Memorial Association (now the Riley Children's Foundation) to build a children's hospital in memory of the Hoosier Poet. The James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children opened in 1924.
The foundation also purchased the poet's home in his later years in downtown Indianapolis; it is maintained as a museum and today, the James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home is the only late-Victorian home in Indiana that is o
most famous works, “Little Orphant Annie” (1885) and “The Raggedy Man” (1890), in particular speech patterns to Indiana.
Elizabeth Marine Riley in a small cabin bore him to Reuben A. Riley, local attorney. After James Whitcomb, the governor of Indiana, parents named him. Many of the visitors to home of his father influenced him. In particular, he ably picked up the cadence and character of the dialect of central Indiana and the travelers along the old National Road, which came through the many poems that he went to write.
Mary Alice Smith, a particular visitor, eventually stayed to live with the Riley family. Mary Alice ("Allie") Smith influenced Riley, Little Orphant Annie, which was originally to be called Little Orphant Allie but an error of the typesetter changed the name of the poem.
Riley was never a great student. Before he dropped out of school at age 16, a former teacher encouraged him to appreciate nature. He attempted to study law in his father's law office, however he found that the law was not for him, whereupon he took several different jobs in rapid succession.
Riley had his first poem published in 1870 when he was 21. He began writing for several newspapers, eventually working for the Indianapolis Journal in Indianapolis, Indiana writing miscellaneous articles, versifying whenever possible.
Riley's big break came with the private publishing of a thousand copies of The Old Swimmin' Hole and 'Leven More Poems in 1883 under the pseudonym of "Benjamin F. Johnson, of Boone". The book rapidly sold all of the first printing, causing Indianapolis book publisher Merrill, Meigs and Company to quickly contract with Riley to publish the second edition of The Old Swimmin' Hole and 'Leven More Poems. Riley continued to work with the publishing company which eventually became Bowen-Merrill and finally Bobbs-Merrill. The 1886 publishing The Boss Girl began to publish new Riley literature regularly. As a result he began to tour the United States giving lectures, starting in the mid-1880s.
In 1893 he was invited to live at the residence of Charles and Magdalena Holstein within the Indianapolis neighborhood of Lockerbie. He would call this his permanent residence for the last 23 years of his life, although he eventually purchased his childhood home, and allowed his brother, John Riley, to live there.
He was in demand throughout his life, including being a guest at the White House. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 1912 the National Institute of Arts and Letters gave him the gold medal of poetry, the first poet so honored. He also received several honorary degrees.
Riley loved children, but he never had any of his own; he also never married. Evidence points that he regretted his bachelorhood and childlessness. Many believe that his poems about and for children were written due to this regret. Others attribute his poems to his regrets over alcoholism and his possible affliction with syphilis.
Indiana honored Riley after his death in 1916 by burying him in Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis. The site of his grave is atop Strawberry Hill, the highest point in Indianapolis, offering a spectacular view of the city. Although Riley's poetry has fallen out of popularity, a few of his poems, such as Little Orphant Annie and Lockerbie Street, continue to be taught in schools in Indiana.
In 1916 a group of prominent citizens from Indianapolis organized the Riley Memorial Association (now the Riley Children's Foundation) to build a children's hospital in memory of the Hoosier Poet. The James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children opened in 1924.
The foundation also purchased the poet's home in his later years in downtown Indianapolis; it is maintained as a museum and today, the James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home is the only late-Victorian home in Indiana that is o
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 24, 2021
This was another selection for daily poems for school. We liked this as a whole more than Eugene Child. I am thinking about choosing a couple of these poems next year for recitation. Riley puts humor in the poems that is elevated from potty humor and gives the kids the benefit-of-the-doubt for knowing this and laughing. The Bear Story poem was absolutely hilarious to Grayson he was cracking up so much I had to stop and let him recover to continue!
The one demerit I will give this, and thus the four star and not the five star rating, is that I had to read it aloud, specifically for the Hoosier Indiana accent, which he wrote well, but man was it a bugger to read audibly! And I lived there for four years and was familiar with this dialect. You’d think it would be easy; it was an exercise in being impervious!
The one demerit I will give this, and thus the four star and not the five star rating, is that I had to read it aloud, specifically for the Hoosier Indiana accent, which he wrote well, but man was it a bugger to read audibly! And I lived there for four years and was familiar with this dialect. You’d think it would be easy; it was an exercise in being impervious!
July 5, 2025
Take yer rhymes, an' run, Child; run!
Ye cain't git no growin' up done!
November 30, 2025
My great great grandmother read these poems to my grandfather in the 1930s from a book she received as a gift in 1915. I grew up being read these poems by my grandparents and parents. And now this book is being read to my daughter and will be read to my future children. A book could not mean more than this one
February 19, 2020
My favorite poem was titled, A Life-Lesson. It was about a girl who cried because her things kept being broken by others. In the end she finds love and those things from before aren’t as significant anymore- but that little girl is still inside her.
March 13, 2020
Felt meh about most, liked some. The pictures were prob our favorite thing about the book.
Read
February 4, 2009I've never read this book, but it is a collection of children's rhymes. The copy I have does not have a print date, but the copyright date is 1920. I like it because it has some doodles and writing from children in the front and back covers - which are from a previous owner.
May 6, 2015
My mother used to read to us from this book at our dinner table, so for me, it's a nostalgic flashback to revisit these poems of the South. It's socially outdated and written in dialect, but so clever and sweet that it's thoroughly enjoyable.
April 22, 2010
A walk in memory lane since my mother used to quote some of these poems to me when I was a child.
August 7, 2012
Hardcover - but published by Bowen-Merrill Co. MDCCC XC IX.
December 7, 2014
I discovered this book at an antique store. A very nice collection of children's rhymes. I particularly like "The Raggedy Man". Excellent illustrations and overall a real treasure.
November 15, 2022
Reread for youngest school. I prefer his Summer Songs or other poetry collections but this does include some favorites!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews