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Mother Goose: Old Nursery Rhymes
Traditional rhymes and stories have been collected under the wing of Mother Goose for centuries and this collection of favourite nursery rhymes has been put together by the famous illustrator Arthur Rackham.It is a wonderful collection of old favourites from Jack and Jill , Baa, Baa, Black Sheep and Who Killed Cock Robin? to comic alphabets and the fearful fate of Anthony Rowley.It is illustrated with Rackham's beautiful pen and ink drawings, and is one of his finest books.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1913
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About the author
Arthur Rackham
674 books144 followersArthur Rackham (1867-1939) was a British illustrator and translator of books in the English and Spanish languages.
He was born in London as one of 12 children. At the age of 18, he worked as a clerk at the Westminster Fire Office and began studying part-time at the Lambeth School of Art.
In 1892, he quit his job and started working for The Westminster Budget as a reporter and illustrator. His first book illustrations were published in 1893 in To the Other Side by Thomas Rhodes, but his first serious commission was in 1894 for The Dolly Dialogues, the collected sketches of Anthony Hope, who later went on to write The Prisoner of Zenda. Book illustrating then became Rackham's career for the rest of his life.
In 1903, he married Edyth Starkie, with whom he had one daughter, Barbara, in 1908. Rackham won a gold medal at the Milan International Exhibition in 1906 and another one at the Barcelona International Exposition in 1912. His works were included in numerous exhibitions, including one at the Louvre in Paris in 1914. Arthur Rackham died 1939 of cancer in his home in Limpsfield, Surrey.
-from Wikipedia
He was born in London as one of 12 children. At the age of 18, he worked as a clerk at the Westminster Fire Office and began studying part-time at the Lambeth School of Art.
In 1892, he quit his job and started working for The Westminster Budget as a reporter and illustrator. His first book illustrations were published in 1893 in To the Other Side by Thomas Rhodes, but his first serious commission was in 1894 for The Dolly Dialogues, the collected sketches of Anthony Hope, who later went on to write The Prisoner of Zenda. Book illustrating then became Rackham's career for the rest of his life.
In 1903, he married Edyth Starkie, with whom he had one daughter, Barbara, in 1908. Rackham won a gold medal at the Milan International Exhibition in 1906 and another one at the Barcelona International Exposition in 1912. His works were included in numerous exhibitions, including one at the Louvre in Paris in 1914. Arthur Rackham died 1939 of cancer in his home in Limpsfield, Surrey.
-from Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 2, 2018
Kalo dulu aku ditanya: "Guk, pernah denger kalimat 'One, two, buckle my shoe', nggak?"
Maka akan kujawab: "Pernah! Itu judul novel Agatha Christie, 'kan..."
Belakangan aku baru tau kalau Bibi Agatha beberapa kali ambil judul dari syair anak-anak yang terkumpul di bawah naungan sayap Mother Goose (*terpaksa menerima kenyataan bahwa masa laluku lebih akrab dengan pembunuhan ketimbang lagu anak-anak).
Dari situ jadi penasaran, "Ibu Angsa apa sih? Pengen tau ah, syair-syairnya.."
Dan setelah dapat dan baca .... "Hmm, begitu ya?" (⌒▽⌒;;) Penuh dengan hal-hal yang tak kumengerti, tak terhubungkan, dan absurd -- karena ini adalah dunia ajaib milik anak-anak *:･ﾟ✧
Satu-satunya 'hubungan' yang terbentuk adalah aku jadi teringat lagi semua lagu permainan pas masih bocah dulu, lagu-lagu yang liriknya sama absurdnya XD
Pada akhirnya, membaca buku ini cukup "untuk sekedar tahu saja", supaya 'ndak melimpahkan semua sepatu yang belum dikancingkan pada Bibi Agatha seorang~ ❤
Maka akan kujawab: "Pernah! Itu judul novel Agatha Christie, 'kan..."
Belakangan aku baru tau kalau Bibi Agatha beberapa kali ambil judul dari syair anak-anak yang terkumpul di bawah naungan sayap Mother Goose (*terpaksa menerima kenyataan bahwa masa laluku lebih akrab dengan pembunuhan ketimbang lagu anak-anak).
Dari situ jadi penasaran, "Ibu Angsa apa sih? Pengen tau ah, syair-syairnya.."
Dan setelah dapat dan baca .... "Hmm, begitu ya?" (⌒▽⌒;;) Penuh dengan hal-hal yang tak kumengerti, tak terhubungkan, dan absurd -- karena ini adalah dunia ajaib milik anak-anak *:･ﾟ✧
Satu-satunya 'hubungan' yang terbentuk adalah aku jadi teringat lagi semua lagu permainan pas masih bocah dulu, lagu-lagu yang liriknya sama absurdnya XD
Pada akhirnya, membaca buku ini cukup "untuk sekedar tahu saja", supaya 'ndak melimpahkan semua sepatu yang belum dikancingkan pada Bibi Agatha seorang~ ❤
January 2, 2024
I mean... yes, it's what it says on the tin.
A few things, though:
- The book is VERY OLD, so regardless of the content, I don't know how much this would withstand normal reading.
- I don't know if the words just had different meanings at the time (I haven't heard them, if so), but some of the rhymes are... questionable, like
- Some of them break rhythm, adding an extra syllable in a poem that otherwise has ten syllables per line, which I hate.
- So many of these just seem to be throwing words together to make a funny thing to say, like
- Most of the ones I hadn't heard before aren't even that interesting (see above).
- A few of the rhymes encourage physical abuse of children, which is... not good. Also,
The illustrations are good, even if most of them are tiny clipart style icons scattered through the book to break up the monotony, I guess. Overall, though, I got bored halfway through and can't work up the interest in finishing the book. I mean, would it matter if I didn't? I either know these, and they're familiar(-ish), or I don't, and they sound peculiar (as evidence holds from the first half of the book).
I don't know if I would recommend this; I'm sure a modern updated collection would be better, even though I don't know of any off the top of my head. This one? (I haven't read it to know.) A clean copy of this edition might be fine for historical purposes, but my copy is pretty beat up. It's a fine book, otherwise—I just myself find the subject matter a bit boring.
A few things, though:
- The book is VERY OLD, so regardless of the content, I don't know how much this would withstand normal reading.
- I don't know if the words just had different meanings at the time (I haven't heard them, if so), but some of the rhymes are... questionable, like
See, saw, Margery DawUh.......
Sold her bed and lay upon straw.
Was not she a dirty slut,
To sell her bed and lie in the dirt!
- Some of them break rhythm, adding an extra syllable in a poem that otherwise has ten syllables per line, which I hate.
- So many of these just seem to be throwing words together to make a funny thing to say, like
Danty, baby, diddyNot much on plot, are these?
What shall its mammy do wid'e?
Sit in a lap,
And give it some pap,
Danty, baby, diddy.
- Most of the ones I hadn't heard before aren't even that interesting (see above).
- A few of the rhymes encourage physical abuse of children, which is... not good. Also,
When good King Arthur ruled this land,THAT doesn't sound "goodly" to me!
He was a goodly King'
He stole three pecks of barley-meal,
To make a bag-pudding.
The illustrations are good, even if most of them are tiny clipart style icons scattered through the book to break up the monotony, I guess. Overall, though, I got bored halfway through and can't work up the interest in finishing the book. I mean, would it matter if I didn't? I either know these, and they're familiar(-ish), or I don't, and they sound peculiar (as evidence holds from the first half of the book).
I don't know if I would recommend this; I'm sure a modern updated collection would be better, even though I don't know of any off the top of my head. This one? (I haven't read it to know.) A clean copy of this edition might be fine for historical purposes, but my copy is pretty beat up. It's a fine book, otherwise—I just myself find the subject matter a bit boring.
February 26, 2017
I used three stories from this book
• A was an archer
o N/a
o 1-2 grade
o This nursery rhyme lists off the people in a village. These people are all named after a letter in the alphabet. They all have jobs in the village that begin with the first letter of their names.
o This nursery rhyme is silly and fun to read. It uses a simple AA, BB, CC, DD… rhyme scheme. It’s simple and easy for children to comprehend.
o This nursery rhyme can be used to help build phonemic awareness as each letter has a job with a similar sounding beginning (A was an archer, X was expensive). It also can help through its fun use of a simple rhyme scheme. Finally you could use this a springboard to assigning children a job in your classroom community like all the letters in the village.
• This little piggy
o N/a
o 1-2 grade
o This quick nursery rhyme tells the tale of five little pigs. The tale retells what these five little pigs did on a given day. It details the dynamics between one family of pigs.
o This story is light but fun. The visual it presents to the reader is crystal clear. It’s a light read to get the children’s attention.
o This story can be used to help learn how to count using fingers, as each little pig can be assigned to a finger and then that finger can be raised with pig. You can also adapt this story to a form of dismissal (i.e. each student can be a pig and dismissed, in order, with a silly rhyme. Such as “this little pig went to south street, this little pig is off to get a treat!)
• I saw a ship a-sailing
o N/a
o 1-2 grade
o This nursery rhyme recounts a ship sailing on the sea. This ship is no ordinary ship! Its crew and captain are not what you’d expect.
o The story is positively silly and fun for young students to read. It has a rhyme scheme that keeps the pace of the story flowing rather nicely. Great for a quick enjoyable read in the morning.
o This story can be used to help children create their own wacky nursery rhyme. It can also be used to help build phonemic awareness.
• A was an archer
o N/a
o 1-2 grade
o This nursery rhyme lists off the people in a village. These people are all named after a letter in the alphabet. They all have jobs in the village that begin with the first letter of their names.
o This nursery rhyme is silly and fun to read. It uses a simple AA, BB, CC, DD… rhyme scheme. It’s simple and easy for children to comprehend.
o This nursery rhyme can be used to help build phonemic awareness as each letter has a job with a similar sounding beginning (A was an archer, X was expensive). It also can help through its fun use of a simple rhyme scheme. Finally you could use this a springboard to assigning children a job in your classroom community like all the letters in the village.
• This little piggy
o N/a
o 1-2 grade
o This quick nursery rhyme tells the tale of five little pigs. The tale retells what these five little pigs did on a given day. It details the dynamics between one family of pigs.
o This story is light but fun. The visual it presents to the reader is crystal clear. It’s a light read to get the children’s attention.
o This story can be used to help learn how to count using fingers, as each little pig can be assigned to a finger and then that finger can be raised with pig. You can also adapt this story to a form of dismissal (i.e. each student can be a pig and dismissed, in order, with a silly rhyme. Such as “this little pig went to south street, this little pig is off to get a treat!)
• I saw a ship a-sailing
o N/a
o 1-2 grade
o This nursery rhyme recounts a ship sailing on the sea. This ship is no ordinary ship! Its crew and captain are not what you’d expect.
o The story is positively silly and fun for young students to read. It has a rhyme scheme that keeps the pace of the story flowing rather nicely. Great for a quick enjoyable read in the morning.
o This story can be used to help children create their own wacky nursery rhyme. It can also be used to help build phonemic awareness.
February 29, 2020
I'm not actually sure if this is the book I was reading to the children or not. It's very old and it was hard to look up.
This is a book of nursery rhymes. Now, I've read lots of books of nursery rhymes and I was surprised and delighted to find many poems in this book that I had never come across before, including a very long (and slightly racist) one that explained where the image of Mother Goose flying comes from. Some of the wording in the more familiar poems is slightly different, which annoyed the children because they have them memorized and I was saying them wrong.
I didn't find the illustrations anything too special. They were illustrations, that's all.
This is a book of nursery rhymes. Now, I've read lots of books of nursery rhymes and I was surprised and delighted to find many poems in this book that I had never come across before, including a very long (and slightly racist) one that explained where the image of Mother Goose flying comes from. Some of the wording in the more familiar poems is slightly different, which annoyed the children because they have them memorized and I was saying them wrong.
I didn't find the illustrations anything too special. They were illustrations, that's all.
July 16, 2018
this was a fantastic book - so many dark corners that inspired me to think about how I can utilize more nursery rhymes in my queer fiction in addition to fairy tales. there were some surprising twists in these stories that were fun - also the illustrations were great
September 10, 2018
This piece of classic literature contains all the well-known favorites such as "Jack be Nimble" and "Ring Around the Rosy", as well as lesser-known verses such as "Little Betty Blue" and "See-Saw Sacradown". Children of all ages will delight in the rhymes and pictures.
June 30, 2021
It's hardly the first time I try to go through it but I just can't find anything special about it. Besides, this was always said to be a children's book and yet I've found pieces and bits that are anything but children friendly.
July 17, 2017
Fun and funny, great to read with a 10 year old. Very engaging to encourage love of poetry.
November 18, 2019
Very good. I even got to read some I have never hear of. Loved it from start to finish.
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February 26, 2017There are many different versions of "Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes," all have which have won various awards.
#1. "Hush-a-bye, baby" (page 11)
This rhyme is appropriate for children ages 0-4. When I think about hearing this rhyme as a child, I do not remember it being so harsh. I never realized that the baby falls off the tree and probably gets hurt. I'm not sure why this is one of the most famous nursery rhymes. I guess most children overlook what happens at the end. It has good rhythm and can be sung fairly easily, and it is short and sweet. A teacher could discuss the poem in class by asking what they think will happen to the baby. This will allow them to be imaginative. They can also come up with ways in which the baby could be safer or better protected. Instead of swinging from the tree, what could the baby be doing when the wind blows?
#2. "Jack and Jill" (page 18)
This rhyme is appropriate for preschoolers through third graders. What happens in this nursery rhyme is Jack and Jill try to get water from the top of a hill, but then they both fall down and get hurt. Jack goes home to tend to his wounds and Jill helps him. This is a good, simple rhyme to teach children. There are some vocabulary words that can be taught to students (i.e. caper, crown, tumble). This can be taught in class by having the children learn to recite it. It isn't long, and it isn't hard to memorize since most of the words rhyme. This will improve their rote memorization skills. Another thing that could be done is to ask the students if they have ever fallen or hurt themselves and what they did to fix it, as Jack used brown paper and vinegar. This will give the students a chance to share personal stories as well as analyze situations that have occurred in their lives. We can also brainstorm ways to remedy injuries.
#3. "Little Miss Muffet"
This nursery rhyme is about a woman who gets frightened by a spider. It is appropriate for ages 2-8. Miss Muffet is eating food and a spider falls from the ceiling and she gets scared and runs away. There are some good vocabulary words that can be taught in the classroom, for example, "curds," "whey," and "tuffet." If I were teaching this in class, I would ask my students what their biggest fears are, and why. We could also learn about the anatomy of spiders and practice drawing them.
#1. "Hush-a-bye, baby" (page 11)
This rhyme is appropriate for children ages 0-4. When I think about hearing this rhyme as a child, I do not remember it being so harsh. I never realized that the baby falls off the tree and probably gets hurt. I'm not sure why this is one of the most famous nursery rhymes. I guess most children overlook what happens at the end. It has good rhythm and can be sung fairly easily, and it is short and sweet. A teacher could discuss the poem in class by asking what they think will happen to the baby. This will allow them to be imaginative. They can also come up with ways in which the baby could be safer or better protected. Instead of swinging from the tree, what could the baby be doing when the wind blows?
#2. "Jack and Jill" (page 18)
This rhyme is appropriate for preschoolers through third graders. What happens in this nursery rhyme is Jack and Jill try to get water from the top of a hill, but then they both fall down and get hurt. Jack goes home to tend to his wounds and Jill helps him. This is a good, simple rhyme to teach children. There are some vocabulary words that can be taught to students (i.e. caper, crown, tumble). This can be taught in class by having the children learn to recite it. It isn't long, and it isn't hard to memorize since most of the words rhyme. This will improve their rote memorization skills. Another thing that could be done is to ask the students if they have ever fallen or hurt themselves and what they did to fix it, as Jack used brown paper and vinegar. This will give the students a chance to share personal stories as well as analyze situations that have occurred in their lives. We can also brainstorm ways to remedy injuries.
#3. "Little Miss Muffet"
This nursery rhyme is about a woman who gets frightened by a spider. It is appropriate for ages 2-8. Miss Muffet is eating food and a spider falls from the ceiling and she gets scared and runs away. There are some good vocabulary words that can be taught in the classroom, for example, "curds," "whey," and "tuffet." If I were teaching this in class, I would ask my students what their biggest fears are, and why. We could also learn about the anatomy of spiders and practice drawing them.
May 16, 2012
Over many years we have used these rhymes with our children and our students. There are some slightly seemingly inappropriate nursery rhymes in here, but i feel there are plenty in this collection suitable for children of all ages. I feel that these nursery rhymes will work particularly well with younger children, like kindergartners. I highly recommend that each teacher has a copy of this great collection of nursery rhymes.
December 31, 2012
I used to have a Mother Goose MS DOS game, which was aboslutely epic, but I remember little of. Thankfully, this little booklet brought a lot of it back. Some of the rhymes are not quite what I had expected (thrashings, throwing an old man down the stairs, anti-semitism, seeming nonsense), but it was a very enjoyable read. It also strikes me now how often these things still appear in all kinds of literary works as well as in daily life.
October 10, 2010
Should we still be telling all these to kids in 2010? Hmm...Margery Daw is a dirty slut for selling her bed and laying upon straw?...Goosey, Goosey Gander is throwing old men down stairs for being athiests? Duck captains have chained up slave mice to help bring goodies to little girls? Hmm...Wow. We need some modern rhymes. There must be some, I just haven't seen them yet.
August 11, 2016
This is a very interesting collection of nursery rhymes done in both English and French. The CD is even more interesting, as they change languages each verse.
I specifically want to buy the bilingual French/English edition with the CD, which is the version I found at the library.
I specifically want to buy the bilingual French/English edition with the CD, which is the version I found at the library.
February 1, 2014
Rackham collects some of the most well-known nursery rhymes for this collection, which when supplemented by this drawings becomes a beautiful treasury.
June 22, 2015
I think I've got the edition wrong here, but with the edition that has the lovely, lovely art combined with really decent story telling: Win.
January 20, 2018
Oh so sweet nursery rhymes... :D
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July 30, 2017This had a lot of new ones that I had never heard or read before.
Read
September 22, 2017“Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes: Jack and Jill”; published by The Viking Press; New York
1. Awards the book received: This book has currently not received any major awards.
2. Appropriate Grade Level(s): This book is appropriate for prekindergarten to kindergarten.
3. Summary: Jack and his sister Jill went up a hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down the hill and his crown broke while his sister came stumbling after him. Jack got up from the fall, went home, and went to bed to heal his head.
4. Review: Jack and Jill is a classic story that teaches children about rhyming. Children may not know what it means to “fetch a pail of water” which opens up a discussion on “fetching water”. I also enjoyed how the nursery rhyme teaches children about resting when they are hurt.
5. Uses in the classroom:
-Ask children if they know what it means to “fetch a pail of water”.
-Have students think about ways Jack could have prevented from falling and hurting his head.
1. Awards the book received: This book has currently not received any major awards.
2. Appropriate Grade Level(s): This book is appropriate for prekindergarten to kindergarten.
3. Summary: Jack and his sister Jill went up a hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down the hill and his crown broke while his sister came stumbling after him. Jack got up from the fall, went home, and went to bed to heal his head.
4. Review: Jack and Jill is a classic story that teaches children about rhyming. Children may not know what it means to “fetch a pail of water” which opens up a discussion on “fetching water”. I also enjoyed how the nursery rhyme teaches children about resting when they are hurt.
5. Uses in the classroom:
-Ask children if they know what it means to “fetch a pail of water”.
-Have students think about ways Jack could have prevented from falling and hurting his head.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews