Mother Ghost: Nursery Rhymes for Little Monsters

by Rachel Kolar, Roland Garrigue (Illustrations)

From "Mary, Mary, Tall and Scary" to "Wee Willie Werewolf," this collection of classic nursery rhymes turned on their heads will give readers the chills--and a serious case of belly laughs. With clever rhyme and spooky illustrations, Mother Ghost is perfect for getting in the Halloween spirit. Boo!

Genres: Picture Books, Halloween, Poetry, Childrens, Holiday, Nursery Rhymes, Fantasy

32 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Rachel Kolar is the author of several short science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories, most of which fall under the umbrella of "dark speculative fiction." She lives with her husband and two children in the Baltimore/Washington area. When not writing stories or changing diapers, she enjoys playing overly complicated board games, hiking, and getting far too excited about Halloween.

Reviews

[Set · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the rhymes from mother Goose are remastered in the Halloween spirit. The illustrations are very cute and I can't get enough of the Halloween rhymes. My favorite are:
Mary Had a Little Ghost
Mary had a little ghost;
His face was white as cloud,
And everywhere that Mary went
He followed in his shroud.
He followed her to school one day,
So misty, pale, and cool;
The children screamed and ran away
To see a ghost at school.

Mary, Mary, Tall and Scary
Mary, Mary, tall and scary,
How does your graveyard grow?
With buried bones and carved gray stones
And little ghosts all in a row.

Frankenstein Had
a Marvelous Mind
Frankenstein had a marvelous mind,
And a marvelous mind had he;
He called for some arms and he called for some eyes
And he called for his thunderbolts three.
His three new monsters all came to life
When they felt that electricity;
There's none so fine as Frankenstein
And his marvelous monsters three!

[Mortisha Cassavetes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this nursery rhyme book! Such a cute spooky book for kids of all ages. I got this book from the library but definitely need a copy for my Halloween Forever Shelf! Highly recommend it!

[Bree Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute

Fun Halloween themed nursery rhymes. The artwork was fantastic and I like that well-known nursery rhymes were given a spooky twist

[Kristin King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! If you've ever read Mother Goose with your children, this is a must-read in October. Classics retold such as Mary Had a Little Ghost, Hey Diddle, Diddle, Black Cat with a Fiddle, Zombie Miss Muffet, Twinkle Twinkle Lantern Jack, etc. I only wish there was more!!!

[Dax · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art is wonderful and many of the rhymes are great but some were just awkwardly phrased ruining the whole flow of the book.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun Halloween nursery rhymes!

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS IS EVERYTHING.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend gifted a copy to my six-year-old daughter. She had me read it five times in a row and fell asleep with it. The rhymes are funny and the drawings are delightful.

[Megan Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a good title I'm amazed no one has used it before for spooky nursery rhymes. I love the purple illustrations and the spoopy (a new word I just learned that means both comical and spooky) takes on classic nursery rhymes.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this adaptation of classic nursery rhymes is supposed to frighten children. And then make them laugh.

Personally, I found nothing funny about this book. And I think it's a foolish idea to fill the minds of impressionable youngsters with images of monsters.

The illustrations strive for cuteness, in a ghoulish sort of way. To me, the artist appeared to be trying too hard. As for the rhymes that also appear to be trying so hard? See for yourself. Here's a sample:

Little Boy Drac

Little Boy Drac, come sound the call;
The bat's in the belfry, the rat's in the wall.
Where is the boy who looks after those creeps?
He's inside his coffin, fast asleep0.
Will you wake him? No, not I;
My garlic breath will make him cry.

Although I have seldom encountered a book I disliked this much...

RATING THIS BOOK

Goodreaders, my policy is to review books in terms of the intended audience.

Sadly, some parents and caregivers may assume that because they're jaded, their job is to turn their adorable little children into smug little cynics as early as possible.

This book may help them succeed. Witness the snide and self-congratulatory tone that pervades this self-consciously "clever" little book.

Consistently, reluctantly, I give this FIVE STARS.

[Isabel Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is your little one ready for some spooky adventures? Try out the brand new Mother Ghost: Nursery Rhymes for Little Monsters collection by Rachel Kolar. It is the perfect blend of scary and funny that’s just right for young readers who want to test the waters with how much creepiness they can handle. Rachel Kolar takes traditional nursery rhymes and gives them a spooky twist.

For younger readers (ages 0-2), try “Twinkle, Twinkle Lantern Jack” or “Mary, Mary Tall and Scary.” They are simple and a bit more on the mild side. Older readers (ages 3-6) will likely appreciate “Zombie Miss Muffet” and “Frankenstein Had a Marvelous Mind” because of the extra spooky content. However, all 13 poems are appropriate for and can be enjoyed by children of all ages.

If you are in need of some Halloween storytime supplemental material, Mother Ghost may just provide what you’re looking for. Try substituting one of the poems in place of traditional fingerplays or rhymes that you normally use. For example, if you’re used to doing “Wee Willie Winkie,” try using “Wee Willie Werewolf.” Pair one of the nursery rhymes with a story from one of Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories books if you’re doing a Halloween readaloud with an older group of kids.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thirteen nursery rhymes get a spooky, supernatural treatment in this collection of poems ideal for reading around Halloween or any time someone want to create a scary atmosphere. The illustrations all rely on somber tints and tones to heighten the suspense. Although this isn't a collection that I'd keep on hand permanently, it will certain have its fans, particularly during certain times of the year. My favorite poems are "Zombie Miss Muffet" and "Sing a Song of Witches." The poet clearly has a way with spooky words and a very creative mind.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually found this one a bit disappointing. A lot of the nursery rhymes seemed very forced - they didn't make a lot of sense when twisted to fit the theme. There were a couple that were quite clever, like Old Mother Hubbard, but most of the others just didn't work so well. That's the trouble with trying to make sure it's recognizable as a parody but still having to make sense within the constraints of the meter and rhyme scheme.
The illustrations are fantastic, though. They give the book a 3-star rating instead of a 2!

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever and funny, the short and precise rhymes, along with the wonderful and detailed illustrations, never failed to bring a smile to my face. Making each rhyme a bite-sized paragraph means that they're never bogged down with silly ideas or stretches just to extend their length, and the two-page illustrations accompanying each rhyme would have had me busy for a long time as a kid to try to discover and spot everything in each one. Took me back to my childhood. The kind of book that my dad would have loved reading to me.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just read about this book and then found it on the shelf of my library! I have no idea how this one slipped past me! But- just in time for Halloween display! I could not wait to read and finished it post haste! Rachel Kolar is a genius. Loved every one on her little parody rhymes as will the kiddos they are read these rhymes. Wonderful, just right for Halloween! The illustrations by Roland Garrigue are fabulous and compliment the poems to perfection! Every home should own this book for Halloween reading yearly; it's sure to become a family tradition!

[Noel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mother Ghost is a great picture book containing traditional "mother goose" rhymes, with Halloween words. The rhymes are inventive, fun and catchy. You will be saying them as you go trick or treating for sure! The pictures are dark and fantastic without being too scary. Would make a good gift for Halloween. Definitely gets you into the spirit of the holiday.

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[Alex Hartwig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary:
This book is a spin on all the original nursery rhymes. The book takes the nursery rhymes and adds some spooky twist into them.

Evaluation:
This is a good book that uses the old nursery rhymes and puts a more relevant spooky spin on it. This would be a great way to keep kids engaged.

Teaching Ideas:
This would be a great book for kinder. around halloween to help improve students ability to rhyme. As rhyme plays a big role in a students development.

[Dana Storytime Account · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked some of these a lot more than others but they're all creative and a really fun book. This is the perfect level of age appropriate "spookiness" for it's target audience as well. You can read the book straight through or pick and choose a few for bed time or story time.

My favorite is Mary Mary Tall and Scary

[Bunmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty cute and creative twist on some classic Mother Goose rhymes. I think it wouldn't be as much fun of a read if you weren't already familiarized with Mother Goose... some of the rhymes don't work as well when you sing them, but they made me smile as I compared the spooky twist to the original. The art is also a lot of fun.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of Halloween poems inspired by classic Mother Goose rhymes. Although the illustrations feature ghosts, witches, zombies, and more, they are more humorous than scary. The same goes for the rhymes, like Zombie Miss Muffet, Old Mother Hubbard, and Wee Willie Werewolf. A fun picture book to share with little ones who want humor in their gently creepy Halloween book.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delight! The illustrations have a classic feel, hearkening back to children's books of the 1970s and 80s. This one sets the perfect tone for the Halloween season, and the scares come with a helping of humor.

[Avery Ellison · Rating 2 out of 5]

I so wanted to like this because kids rhymes and spooks is right up my alley but I feel like there are several depictions of cultural groups that are not representative and that's a deal breaker for me.

[Jesse Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will probably be my favorite kids book ever! this would be a great book to read little each day leading up to halloween. many ways for teachers to make lessons from and over all just a great halloween/holiday book for kids.

[Ansley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an adorable take on Mother Goose. I got this for my niece and had to read it before giving it to her and I was not disappointed. Such a cute children's book. I know she is going to love it and I would highly recommend this adorable book to anyone with young children.

[Jennifer Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you have a tiny goth? Are you looking for something silly and spooky? Here’s another good one for kids that can’t get enough of monsters and ghosts. Art is more cute than scary with lots of details that are fun to point out. Good Halloween read.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book to read-a-loud during October. Very cute and gets you into the mood for Halloween. I can also see programs being made around this book.

[Ame · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t care that it isn’t officially Halloween season because I love this take on Mother Goose, especially “Mary had a little ghost”.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The style reminds me of my favorite Alvin Schwartz book that I loved as a kid (and still as an adult, of course). I love the clever spins on these nursery rhymes for little monsters. :)

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zombie Miss Muffet, Little Boy Drac, Wee Willie Werewolf and other fun seasonal nursery rhymes.

[Raven Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE this Funny and quirky and great illustrations. Not for the traditional nursery rhyme crowd. Adults will squeal and scream with fright... I mean delight!