Synopses & Reviews
Review
"Ancient rhymer, grand old timer, seeks his inner child. Plays fast and loose with Mother Goose, drives this reader wild. My ear is tin to mountain din, to fondest rhymes defiled. To silly, hill-billy Mr. Stilly, and to doggerel, Kentucky-styled." Reviewed by Daniel Weiss, Virginia Quarterly Review (Copyright 2006 Virginia Quarterly Review)
Synopsis
Who hasn't heard of Jack Sprat, Little Boy Blue, and Peter the pumpkin eater? These colorful characters from the Mother Goose rhymes have been a staple of children's literature for the last two hundred years. James Still, long known for his ability to bring the rhythmic and evocative language of the Appalachian region onto the page, now brings fresh life to these rhymes.
This new Mother Goose introduces readers to the delights of gooseberry pie, the festivities of Jockey Day, and the dangers of witch-broom. Who knew that the man in the moon was really on his way to Hazard, Kentucky, or that a person "has only to bathe in honey dew" to avoid getting freckles?