Twinkle, Twinkle: An Animal Lover's Mother Goose

by Bobbi Fabian (Photographer)

Enhanced by a series of unique full-color photographs, this fun-filled anthology offers young readers a collection of classic nursery rhymes, such as "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "Rock-a-bye Baby."

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Poetry, Childrens

40 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1997

Reviews

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone knows the classic nursery rhymes, therefore I cannot review the story itself. However, I found that the pictures, as well as the presentation of each rhyme, are absolutely beautiful. I loved the use of real animals in a painting. At some points, I wondered whether they were photographs or paintings altogether. The poems are presented in beautiful stanzas with interesting shapes, such was the curve in the line "Round and round the garden." This book is a classic with a beautiful twist to it. This would be great in a classroom setting, both for reading aloud or just for the kiddos to read alone.

[Shelby Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: Twinkle, Twinkle: An Animal Lover's Mother Goose
Author: Bobbi Fabian
Illustrator:
Genre: Mother Goose, Fantasy, Fiction
Theme(s):
Opening line/sentence: "Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard, To fetch her poor dog a bone."
Brief Book Summary: The book is a collection of well known, and some unknown, mother goose poems. It features live animals with drawn backgrounds, which gives it a unique appearance and makes the animals pop. Any animal lover would enjoy it.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Publishers Weekly (Publishers Weekly)
Animals photographed against painted sets star in this calendar-cute collection of nursery rhymes. Baby ducks impersonate the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker; "Three Little Kittens" pose adorably for the camera; and a litter of puppies look forlornly for the "Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe." Pink piglets are other favorite models, appearing in three of the 16 spreads. Among these domesticated breeds, Australian artist Fabian includes a kangaroo (tapped for "Jack Be Nimble") and a koala bear (for the less familiar "Round and Round the Garden"). She paints the backdrops in broad strokes of muted brown, green and blue, and includes a few props, like a shiny, empty can for "Old Mother Hubbard." The obvious comparison is to William Wegman's Mother Goose, but this volume substitutes more conventional sweetness for Wegman's artistic edge and dark humor. Small children will benefit from playful and accommodating type design: key words and phrases are highlighted in boldface, and occasional lines of verse curve to suggest the movement described, as in the wending text of "Goosey, Goosey, Gander." This is a likely choice to introduce Mother Goose and to lull the nursery set into appreciation. All ages. (Oct.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Deborah Zink (Children's Literature)
Kids, animals and nursery rhymes: a perfectly irresistible combination. Creatively posed before old-fashioned, painted backgrounds are the most endearing real animals. Mary's little lamb, with nubby wool and furry ears, tilts toward the teacher's chalkboard; golden baby ducks squeeze into a splintered tub--"who do you think they be?"
Response to Two Professional Reviews: The reviews do a great job of pulling out the key features of the book: cute images, interesting style, and easy to read verses. I agree that the bold-faced words and repeated phrases make the book for reader friendly for a young audience. The first reviewer also noted the use of a wide range of animals- which I also noticed as well. It was interesting to see which animals the author chose to depict in the illustrations.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: The plot of each mother goose rhyme was different, but most were just fun, rhyming stories that were nonsensical at times. One example of a rhyme with a plot was Old Mother Hubbard. That rhyme was about an owner who had no food left over for her dog. The illustrations were neutral so the photographed animals would stick out.
Consideration of Instructional Application: I would use this book during transitional periods of the day, as a 25-30 second break between activities. This kind of book would be cute to display electronically (on Tumble Books). Another possible use for the book would be to introduce mother goose rhymes and have children try to come up with their own or draw their own illustrations to accompany the classics.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reminded me of my childhood when my mother would read me mother goose rhymes. I love the tales that they have in here and how they depicted them with animals. I believe this would be a great book to use to teach children how to write poetry. I also believe it is a good book to use to teach children how to read.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed seeing the animal pictures as I read the Mother Goose tales. My favorite picture accompanied "Hey Diddle Diddle." I would select a few stories at a time from this book to read if a need appeared in my classroom. This book would be most useful in my classroom library.

[Morgan]

An awesome twist to the rhymes we already know. The illustrations are great, as well as the stories within. I love animals and children like learning about them for the most part. This book would be very helpful to put in a classroom.

[Tristan Doane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always enjoyed the nursery rhymes that my grandmother used to say to me. It brings back memories and I look forward to doing the same with my own children and grandchildren. I mean, who doesn't enjoy a classic nursery rhyme every once and a while?

[Bridget]

This is on the hardcover shelf.

[Taylor Darst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun book to read before bed but instead of your typical nighttime story this one has animals in it for a more fun experience.

[Helen Jeffries · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a a great book for beginner readers. It has familiar concepts because they are all nursery rhymes we have all heard before. This makes the book predictable.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a big fan. Much better Mother Goose versions out there. Unless you just really love odd, live animal photos.

[Mary Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for those who love Mother Goose rhymes, this book uses real photographs of animals and retells some of the more popular children's rhymes.