My Mother Goose: A Collection of Favorite Rhymes, Songs, and Concepts

by David McPhail, David McPhail (Illustrator)

Overview

All your favorite nursery rhymes, songs, and concepts illustrated by popular artist David McPhail--the perfect shower, birthday, or Christmas gift for babies and toddlers.
Enter the beloved world of Mother Goose with the whimsical illustrations of David McPhail. Here classic rhymes come to life with energy, humor, and the sweetest charm. With a loveable cast of zoo and farm animals, My Mother Goose also includes concepts like opposites, colors, and early vocabulary. Give children a gift they will treasure for years to come.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781596435261
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	10/08/2013
Pages:	96
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

David McPhail published his first children's book, The Bear's Toothache, in 1972. Since then, he has written and/or illustrated more than fifty books including No! and The Abandoned Lighthouse, published by Roaring Brook Press. He lives in New Hampshire.

Editorial Reviews

The child characters in McPhail's sprightly, lyrical watercolors are wistful daydreamers who bear a certain family resemblance to those first seen in children's book art in the path-finding early illustration work of Maurice Sendak for such picture books as Ruth Krauss's A Hole Is to Dig; Else Holmelund Minarik's Little Bear series; and The Moon Jumpers, by Janice May Udry. McPhail's youngsters are more apt to be rosy cheeked than Sendak's, and also to look a bit more laid back, as though freed from the arty obligation to double as an archetype. His animals in human dress look like people we might wish to know, or perhaps even to be. Mother Goose rhymes are like that too, surprising us with their fun-house view of the world and everyone in it, not least of all ourselves.

The New York Times Book Review - Leonard S. Marcus

08/19/2013
McPhail’s familiar shaggy-haired toddlers and friendly animals lend themselves to this grouping of more than 60 Mother Goose rhymes. The verses flow naturally into one another. For “Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake,” a bear baker prepares to put a cake (marked with a “B”) in the oven. On the following page, for “Simple Simon,” a ginger-haired boy requests a pie from an alligator baker. Elsewhere, “Little Bo-Peep” leads into the similarly ovine “Baa, baa, black sheep,” and two bouncing children, “Jack be nimble” and “Little Jumping Joan,” share a spread. Short sections also introduce basic concepts that include shapes, colors, getting dressed, and methods of transportation. McPhail’s welcoming world of anthropomorphic animals and adventurous children is as distinctive and cozy as ever. Ages 2–5. Agent: Faith Hamlin, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

“McPhail's welcoming world of anthropomorphic animals and adventurous children is as distinctive and cozy as ever.” —Publishers Weekly

“McPhail portrays a classic, though updated, Mother Goose world, populated with people (not all white) and anthropomorphized animals.” —The Horn Book

From the Publisher

Beloved children’s illustrator David McPhail turns his attention to the classic rhythms and rhymes of Mother Goose. Over sixty timeless poems are gathered in one volume that should be on every parent’s shelf for babies and toddlers. The rhymes “Pease Porridge,” “Pat-a-Cake,” and “Simple Simon” follow one another as do other thematic poems like “It’s Raining, It’s Pouring” and “Rain, Rain Go Away” and also “Rock-a-bye Baby,” “Diddle Diddle Dumpling,” and “Wee Willie Winkie.” Interspersed among the poems are concept pages teaching little ones, colors, shapes, action words, numbers, clothing items, and an ABC of first words. Whimsical, pastoral, watercolors capture all the joy, energy and humor of Mother Goose. With one page devoted to each rhyme, there is plenty of white space to highlight the words and focus the eye on the delightful illustrations. With baby happily snuggled on a lap, this is a spot-on collection for sharing. In the market for a perfect baby gift? Wrap this book up and you will not go wrong. Reviewer: Beverley Fahey; Ages 3 mo. to 4.

Children's Literature - Beverley Fahey

11/01/2013
PreS—This collection includes many favorites such as "Old Mother Hubbard" and "Hickory Dickory Dock" as well as some lesser-known rhymes, such as "Little Jumping Joan." Though musical notation is not included, the songs housed within will likely be familiar to readers: "It's Raining, It's Pouring" and "Yankee Doodle Dandy," to name a few. Dispersed throughout are small picture-dictionary-style concept spreads exploring subjects like the alphabet, clothing, transportation, and actions. McPhail's illustrations, done in pen-and-ink with watercolor feature his distinctive cast of characters, both human and animal, joyfully enacting each rhyme. Readers will be pleased with this collection of classics.—Laura Hunter, Mount Laurel Library, NJ

School Library Journal