Other Goose: Recycled Rhymes for Our Fragile Times

by Barbara Wyn Klunder

In this irresistible book, artist and designer Barbara Klunder puts her own spin on familiar children’s favorites. Rock-a-Bye Baby laments the loss of her treetop to logging. Old Mother Hubbard must resort to a food bank. Jack and Jill discover their well water is polluted, while Mary watches her garden flourish with weeding and fertilizing. Second-hand smoke, recycling, allergies, logging, pollution, oil spills, gasoline shortages, and crooked politicians are all treated with Klunder’s typical whimsy and wit. Striking, graphic black-and-white illustrations drive the point home — what are humans doing to the planet?

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Childrens, Canada

48 pages, Hardcover

First published August 28, 2007

Reviews

[tea.ya ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good book to calm Maria and I down before our bio quiz, 10/10 recommend reading it outloud with someone

[Rachel Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a poetry book with small poems yet big messages. Each one has to do with environmental issues, yet they are presented in a simple way. These poems really make you think. This would be great in a 3rd grade or older classroom to talk about the environment.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and edgy takes on traditional nursery rhymes.

[Lolz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funky little rhymes that weren’t trite. I loved this little counter-culture read. I learned that the author lives in Canada. The illustrations were really great too.

[Heatherhelmes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Other Goose by Barbara Wyn Klunder is a unique twist to the Mother Goose Tales storybook. Some of the poems I thought were better than the originals, but most of them, I personally did not like. Most likely, that has something to do with childhood nostalgia I have to these poems.

[Emma Reyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Other Goose

Barbara Wyn Klunder

First published 2007/ 48 pages

I thought this book was interesting! My favorite part was the concept of the book. I liked the idea of remaking nursery rhymes. In my classroom, I could use this book to teach about darker topics.

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ages 7 and up.

Meh. I didn't really like this one. For starters, a lot of the poems didn't flow very well. They'd start out with the familiar flow of the Mother Goose rhymes we all know, but then they'd clunk down and get boggy and I'd try to keep them with the same rhythm as the originals and it didn't work.

My main problem is that it is SO cynical. I really want to teach kids that it is important to care about the environment, but this book is so negative. Also, some poems are about politics and, well...they feel like they are aimed at adults, but there is nothing there for kids.

For example:
Sing a song of sixth sense,
A pocket full of lies.
Big business runs the headlines.
Do you really think that's wise?

If a politician says it's white,
You know for sure it's black.
And then they beg for all of us
To vote them safely back.

Now, I'm just as cynical about government as the next adult, but I'm not really sure I want to harden my students quite so young.

So as to how I would use this in my classroom...I wouldn't. It's funny(ish) for adults.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This poem book is great on some poems, like the edited version of Jack and Jill. Some other poems, though aren't as good because they aren't as interesting to me. So what's coming out is a book that transforns ordinary children's poems to much more interesting & ryhming stories that tell themselves with the nice illustrated artwork all made by one author, Barbara Wyn Klunder.

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a humorous look at today

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely awesome! I will be buying this book!

[Sierra Hancuff]

This book was published in 2008. This is a children's poetry book. This book is a spin off of mother goose. It uses same tune and ideas of mother goose, but incorporates social issues/environmental issues that are happening in our world. Smoking, logging, oil spills. It's a fun book and an easy way to talk about these serious topics.