Synopses & Reviews
To a small child, words are magical. And the most magical of all are the beloved, venerable words of Mother Goose. Now folklorist Iona Opie has gathered more than sixty treasured rhymes in their most perfect, honest form. From "Hey Diddle, Diddle" and "Pat-a-Cake" to "Little Jack Horner" and "Pussycat, Pussycat," these are familiar verses that have been passed from parent to child for generations; these are the rhymes that are every child's birthright.
With watercolors by Rosemary Wells that may prove equally enduring, MY VERY FIRST MOTHER GOOSE captures the simple joy and the sly humor that are the essence of Mother Goose. Parents and children will find themselves exploring this volume together, savoring delightful details and funny surprises on every page. This is a book that promises hours of quiet smiles and merry grins for readers of all ages.
Synopsis
Babies and toddlers adore the rhymes of Mother Goose. Their rhythm, so much like the beat of a mother's heart, is the very first sound with which a child falls in love. Now four bright board books based on My Very First Mother Goose, the award-winning new classic, bring these timeless poems to the youngest children in a format designed just for them. Each enchanting: My Very First Mother Goose board book contains eight favorite rhymes collected in their most perfect form by folklorist Iona Opie. Every rhyme is accompanied by the incomparable art of Rosemary Wells, illustrations that The New York Times Book Review called "irresistible". Large letters, a generous page size, and sturdy board pages perfect these treasures and make them indispensable for any nursery.
About the Author
Iona Opie has dedicated her life to collecting and preserving children's rhymes as an art form. "I suppose my message in life is 'Nursery rhymes are good for you.' And the sooner you start, the better. I always have one myself every morning. I just open a nursery rhyme book at random. This morning I read:
Taffy was born on a
moonshiney night.
His head in a pipskin,
his heels upright.
You see, if you acquire a nursery rhyme-ical attitude, you're not at all put out by life's little bumps and bruises—they just seem funny and entirely normal."
Rosemary Wells says, "We live in a time when our language is shrinking. Mother Goose, which represents our language at its most innocent, playful, and profound, is in danger of disappearing completely. Rhymes that have been repeated and refined for forty generations are no longer being taught to children. It is a great honor to work with Iona Opie with the hope of preserving these rhymes for many generations more." Rosemary wells lives in New York.