Making Friends with Mother Goose

July 1, 2011

PreS-Gr 2-Each title begins with a contents page and a brief explanation of the origins of Mother Goose and nursery rhymes. Count Along includes "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe," "Sing a Song of Sixpence," and "One for the Money." Nursery rhymes about people are highlighted in Making Friends, which includes "Jack Be Nimble," "Little Miss Muffet," and "Mary, Mary Quite Contrary." Colors features 13 rhymes such as "Roses Are Red," "Little Betty Blue," and "Three Gray Geese." Each spread features one nursery rhyme set against a simple watercolor illustration. The softness of the pictures adds a warm, classic feel to the books. However, collections would be better supplemented by any of the many beautifully illustrated, cost-effective anthologies available rather than single books with just a few rhymes.-Cathie Bashaw Morton, Millbrook Central School District, NY

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2011
Each volume presents thirteen nursery rhymes, including the occasional tongue twister, grouped by theme; this works better with some volumes (e.g., Count) than others (Friends). Pleasant enough paintings of smiling children, some contemporary-looking, others old-fashioned, illustrate the rhymes. A brief introduction, nearly identical across volumes, begins the books. Glos.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)