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Mother Goose and Friends
2008, oversize hardcover edition (of an exquisite children's title), Little Brown. 64 pages. Lavish, gorgeous, beautifully done, full-color illustrations throughout. This is an elegant book, reviving the world of Mother Goose, with nursery rhymes on every page and drawings to delight children and adults. We There Was an Old Woman / Humpty Dumpty / Mary Had a Little Lamb / Jack Sprat / Old King Cole / There Was a Crooked Man / Little Bo-Peep / as well as everyone's favorite Baa Baa Black Sheep and that familiar story, Jack and Jill. Many others, incredibly drawn by an award-winning artist. Great stuff!
64 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2008
3 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 4, 2023
I love how Sanderson illustrates nursery rhymes here. She makes the little tales come to life, whether through humans, animals, or benign little fairies. Her choice of rhyme for each page is intentional, and they "speak" with each other in the most delightful way. An index at the end makes it easy to find a particular rhyme.
May 6, 2009
Sanderson's lovely illustrations add new charm to traditional Mother Goose rhymes. School Library Journal says of Sanderson's illustrations, "(they) recall the painterly style of the old masters, revel in rich decoration." I would agree, but also add that they also have quite a bit of "magic" about them. While the rhymes in this edition are standard, Sanderson's illustrations combine some lovely English charm with some fairy-lore and anthropomorphism. Some examples:
Jack and Jill and Mary and her lamb could be wandering about the Cotswolds, while and Wee Willy Winkie appears to be running through Stratford-Upon-Avon or some other such town.
The Old Woman in the Shoe and Peter Peter Pumpkin-Eater are mice.
Ring-Around-the-Rosies features fairies dancing, Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush features elves, and Mary Mary Quite Contrary finds fairies in the roses!
The Cat Tea Party is one of my favorites!!! :-) The little girl could be a modern girl, enjoying some nostalgia courtesy of her Victorian-loving mom--and the kitties are too-too adorable! I can hear them purring.
While I find some of these rhymes to be a bit...tired...at this point in children's literature, at the same time, I also think they are irreplaceable. Therefore, I'd love to have this edition of Mother Goose on hand for when Mother Goose meets my own children.
Jack and Jill and Mary and her lamb could be wandering about the Cotswolds, while and Wee Willy Winkie appears to be running through Stratford-Upon-Avon or some other such town.
The Old Woman in the Shoe and Peter Peter Pumpkin-Eater are mice.
Ring-Around-the-Rosies features fairies dancing, Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush features elves, and Mary Mary Quite Contrary finds fairies in the roses!
The Cat Tea Party is one of my favorites!!! :-) The little girl could be a modern girl, enjoying some nostalgia courtesy of her Victorian-loving mom--and the kitties are too-too adorable! I can hear them purring.
While I find some of these rhymes to be a bit...tired...at this point in children's literature, at the same time, I also think they are irreplaceable. Therefore, I'd love to have this edition of Mother Goose on hand for when Mother Goose meets my own children.
September 21, 2019
All the nobility, including the fairy queen are blonde while all the commoners are brunettes.
May 14, 2018
Absolutely beautiful illustrations. I could look at them every day and not get bored. I loved how Hollyhocks showed up in many of the garden pictures. They are one of my favourite flowers. When I have grandchildren I will want to share this book with them. Just lovely. There is a great selection of nursery rhymes in this book as well.
January 13, 2024
Ruth Sanderson recently visited the South Hadley Public Library and I had the opportunity to meet her. I fell in love with her painting of "Ride a Cock Horse to Banbury Cross" and have a framed print now hanging on the wall near my desk. The print is one of my treasures and the book is gorgeous!
November 22, 2025
a rather large selection for how slim the book is. probably one of the most beautifully illustrated mother goose we have come across. My toddler let me read it to him in one sitting he liked it so much (took 30 minutes).
July 31, 2018
I love this version of Mother Goose. The pictures are so wonderfully illustrated. A definite family favorite.
March 12, 2019
Love this! Beautiful illustrations and some of the rhymes were new to me.
August 29, 2022
Oh the nostalgia... Reading these nursery rhymes brought me back to my childhood in full force... the illustrations are also absolutely beautiful.
November 29, 2011
1. Genre: Picture Book/Mother Goose
2. Summary: Take a tumble with Jack and Jill, get tongue-tied with Peter Piper, or become dizzy going round the Mulberry bush in this complete collection of Mother Goose tales and other fine nursery rhymes.
3. Critique:
a. One of the greatest strengths of this title is the use of detailed illustrations.
b. On pages four and five the reader’s eye is directed across the page, from left to right, by the images that have been illustrated along the bottom. The Crooked Man, Humpty Dumpty, three little kittens, and the dish and the spoon all invite the reader to continue past the introduction of this story and into the world of Mother Goose and other nursery rhymes.
c. Sanderson uses illustrations to connect one nursery rhyme to another, by carrying the image of one tale over onto the next page with a second tale. An example of this can be seen on pages 30 and 31. The old woman who lived under a hill is standing outside of the door to her home dancing while an elf plays music for her. The trees from surrounding her home and the path on which she stands both carry over onto the next page where the crooked man is walking with his crooked stick next to his crooked cat.
4. Curriculum Connection: This book would be imperative when teaching preschoolers and kindergarteners about nursery rhymes. Many of these tales would also be excellent tools for teaching children in first and second grades about rhyming schemes.
2. Summary: Take a tumble with Jack and Jill, get tongue-tied with Peter Piper, or become dizzy going round the Mulberry bush in this complete collection of Mother Goose tales and other fine nursery rhymes.
3. Critique:
a. One of the greatest strengths of this title is the use of detailed illustrations.
b. On pages four and five the reader’s eye is directed across the page, from left to right, by the images that have been illustrated along the bottom. The Crooked Man, Humpty Dumpty, three little kittens, and the dish and the spoon all invite the reader to continue past the introduction of this story and into the world of Mother Goose and other nursery rhymes.
c. Sanderson uses illustrations to connect one nursery rhyme to another, by carrying the image of one tale over onto the next page with a second tale. An example of this can be seen on pages 30 and 31. The old woman who lived under a hill is standing outside of the door to her home dancing while an elf plays music for her. The trees from surrounding her home and the path on which she stands both carry over onto the next page where the crooked man is walking with his crooked stick next to his crooked cat.
4. Curriculum Connection: This book would be imperative when teaching preschoolers and kindergarteners about nursery rhymes. Many of these tales would also be excellent tools for teaching children in first and second grades about rhyming schemes.
October 11, 2015
Mother Goose and Friends by Ruth Sanderson, published 2008.
Genre: Nonfiction Nursery Rhymes
Format: Picture Book
Plot Summary: A traditional collection of the classic Mother Goose rhymes with gorgeous illustrations on each page detailing events from the rhymes.
Considerations: This is a sanitized version of this nursery rhyme collection.
Review Citations: Publisher's Weekly March 2008.
Selection Source: NA
Recommended Ages: Ages 3 - 5.
Genre: Nonfiction Nursery Rhymes
Format: Picture Book
Plot Summary: A traditional collection of the classic Mother Goose rhymes with gorgeous illustrations on each page detailing events from the rhymes.
Considerations: This is a sanitized version of this nursery rhyme collection.
Review Citations: Publisher's Weekly March 2008.
Selection Source: NA
Recommended Ages: Ages 3 - 5.
March 14, 2010
This is a great collection of traditional nursery rhymes, but also with a great mix of newer ones that kids might not have heard before. The pictures that accompany the nursery rhymes are what makes this book a great new creation and choice, for a type of book that could be overdone.
February 13, 2011
The illustrations in this book are obviously influenced by Victorian art. The characters are wearing costumes from the 1800s. There are lots of lovely fairies done in a traditional style. The images are wonderful echoes of the rhymes themselves.
February 11, 2013
What a lovely book. As with all of Ms. Sanderson's books, the pictures are simply breathtaking. It contains all the traditional, well known nursery rhymes, and more. I wish I had this book when I was a little kid!
June 19, 2009
I loved her illustrations!
April 19, 2013
My daughter loves this book! We will keep borrowing it from library :)
January 13, 2015
It's Mother Goose. It looks nice.
November 20, 2016
Mother Goose rhymes illustrated by Ruth Sanderson, wonderful.
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January 10, 2017Gorgeous illustrations
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews