A Stellar Mother Goose Collection

Sharing Nursery Rhymes with children every day is an important part of literacy, but choosing the rhymes can be overwhelming.  For many of us, we can simply recall those that were told to us as children.  My favorites were Jack & Jill, Little Miss Muffet, and Hey, Diddle, Diddle.

But what if you are stuck in a rut and want to move past Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star?  Well, you're in luck.  Libraries and bookstores are well stocked with collections of Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes.  But which ones are the best?

I've spent days pouring over some of these collections in hopes to bring the best ones to your attention.  Here is one high quality example.

image from barnesandnoble.com

Favorite Nursery Rhymes from Mother Goose

illustrated by Scott Gustafson

Published by Greenwich Workshop Press in 2007

Purchasing Info: amazon  or Barnes & Noble

1. Presentation

Each classic nursery rhymes is laid out on a full two page spread.  In the case of Humpty Dumpty, the words are displayed in large font on the left hand page, while the accompanying picture fills the right hand page.  Some illustrations, such as Jack and Jill, fill both pages  from margin to margin.  This is great because each page turn reveals a new nursery rhyme, and with only one illustration to focus on, predicting the rhyme becomes part of the fun.

2. Quantity

There are 45 rhymes in this collection, a good number when trying to learn the rhymes, or for reading the book cover to cover.

3. Selection

Mr. Gustafson has included the most familiar, including Hey, Diddle, Diddle; Wee Willie Winkie; Bo Peep; Yankee Doodle; and  Mary had a Little Lamb. Yet, they aren't all familiar.  You'll find The Lion and the Unicorn, For Want of a Nail, and Under a Hill.

4. The Illustrations

Overall, this collection is the perfect addition to a personal library for children.  The beautiful illustrations, filled with bright colors and details that span all ages, make this a timeless masterpiece. Every depiction is fanciful (Polly, in Polly Put the Kettle On is a parrot) and worthy of conversation - the questions you could ask a toddler or preschooler are endless.  Try:

• Goosey, Goosey, Gander - Do you think the goose likes his job?  What is his job? (3-6 yr. olds)
• Jack Sprat - What is Jack eating?  What is his wife eating? (2-3 yr. olds)
• Pat-a-Cake - Where is the tea kettle?  Where is the oven? (2-3 yr. olds)
• Under a Hill - Would you want to visit the lady?  Is she nice?  (4 yrs. and up)

Another advantage to the illustrations in this book is the use of fantasy creatures and humans.  Animals dresses in clothes and doing human tasks is amusing for all children, but the opportunity to see human faces, like their own, is not missed.





Overall, this collection is the perfect addition to a personal library for children if your looking to purchase such a book, or give one as a gift.  It's also worthy of multiple check-outs from your local library if buying isn't on your agenda.

Take a look at Favorite Nursery Rhymes from Mother Goose and be sure to stop back with comments.  Check back again for more reviews of Mother Goose collections.