Mary Engelbreit's Mother Goose: One Hundred Best-Loved Verses

by Mary Engelbreit, Mary Engelbreit (Illustrator)

Overview

From the vast and colorful imagination of Mary Engelbreit springs a Mother Goose world bursting with warmth and humor. All the favorite time-honored characters are here -- Little Bo-Peep, Humpty Dumpty, Old King Cole, Jack and Jill, and many, many more, along with such treats as a mouse running up the clock, piggies going to market, and children dancing round the mulberry bush.

As complete as can be with one hundred rhymes in all, this is truly a book to treasure. It's a masterful collection of the adorable, the zany, and the beautiful that will be cherished for generations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780060081713
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/20/2005
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	15,379
Product dimensions:	10.62(w) x 10.12(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	Up to 2 Years

About the Author

Mary Engelbreit grew up studying the illustrations in the vintage storybooks of her mother's own childhood, and she developed a unique style that harkens back to those simpler times. She chose to illustrate Clement C. Moore's The Night Before Christmas as her first book for children. It quickly hit the New York Times bestseller list and has become part of the holiday tradition for families across the country. Other treasured additions to a child's first bookshelf include Mary Engelbreit's Mother Goose, Mary Engelbreit's A Merry Little Christmas—both New York Times bestsellers—along with Mary Engelbreit's Nursery Tales and Mary Engelbreit's Fairy Tales.

Mary Engelbreit grew up studying the illustrations in the vintage storybooks of her mother's own childhood, and she developed a unique style that harkens back to those simpler times. She chose to illustrate Clement C. Moore's The Night Before Christmas as her first book for children. It quickly hit the New York Times bestseller list and has become part of the holiday tradition for families across the country. Other treasured additions to a child's first bookshelf include Mary Engelbreit's Mother Goose, Mary Engelbreit's A Merry Little Christmas—both New York Times bestsellers—along with Mary Engelbreit's Nursery Tales and Mary Engelbreit's Fairy Tales.

Editorial Reviews

The inimitable artwork of Mary Engelbreit shines bright in this illustration collection of 100 nursery rhymes and other familiar children's poems. Engelbreit's airy, good-natured pictures add an element of verve to these traditional verses.

Make room on the shelf for another worthy Mother Goose collection. Englebriet's signature style gives a sweet and nostalgic charm to the verses that here run the gamut from the familiar to the lesser known. In addition to the tried and true like "Jack and Jill" and "Humpty Dumpty," Engelbreit introduces readers to the likes of "Lazy Elsie Marley" and "Terrence McDidder, the three-stringed fiddler." Her pussycat off to London to visit the Queen is a stylish feline in haut couture and her old woman from France in her dainty pink tutu is priceless. With wit and charm she has worked her illustrations to perfectly match each verse. An introduction by Leonard Marcus calls parents and caregivers to the importance of these "words both merry and wise" in language development for children. 2005, HarperCollins, Ages 1 to 5.
—Beverley Fahey

Children's Literature

PreS-Gr 1-A popular artist has illustrated 100 nursery rhymes in her distinctive style, reminiscent of the work of Kate Greenaway and Tasha Tudor. Historian and critic Leonard S. Marcus provides an introduction about the staying power of Mother Goose rhymes, and Engelbreit's afterword discusses her illustration process. Well-known rhymes are included, along with some that will be less familiar to both children and adults. No more than three rhymes appear on any spread, giving the layout a clean, uncluttered look. The illustrations feature children and adults of various ethnicities and ages, although almost all have the simple rounded faces and bodies for which the artist is known. Engelbreit has outfitted her characters, both fantastic and human, in a variety of period clothes, from medieval to more contemporary. Most have an English look to them-little boys wear short pants and knee socks, and little girls wear flowered dresses and pinafores. There are occasional comic touches, like the pussycat coming back from visiting the queen in shades and a pink coat, and with lots of luggage. Endpapers feature old-fashioned pastel renderings of well-known nursery-rhyme characters. This volume is likely to prove popular with children and Engelbreit's adult following. A solid collection that would be useful in any library.-Barbara Chatton, College of Education, University of Wyoming, Laramie Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal