The McElderry Book of Mother Goose

PreS-Gr 3–These 57 rhymes offer children a new and fresh perspective on the familiar world of Mother Goose. Although there are countless collections in print that offer lesser-known poems and rhymes, such as Jackie Morris’s The Cat and the Fiddle (Frances Lincoln, 2011), this one stands out because of its format and artwork. The watercolor illustrations on every page are visually stunning, and they add either appropriate humor or darkness. Among the well-known rhymes are standards like “Hey Diddle Diddle” and “Hickory, Dickory, Dock,” while the more obscure poems include “Hinx, Minx, the Old Witch Winks” and “From Wibbleton to Wobbleton.” There is no table of contents, but there is a helpful index. A “Dear Reader” afterword explains why Mathers chose the poems she did. She notes that much of Mother Goose is based on true events, and that “sad things happened alongside happy ones,” thereby underscoring the importance of showing young readers realistic scenes from life as well as fantastical ones. A gem for any collection.–Rita Meade, Brooklyn Public Library, NY