Hey, Mama Goose [Hardcover]

Jane Breskin Zalben (Author), Emilie Chollat (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

When the Old Woman Who Lives in a Shoe runs out of room for her big family, she turns to her trusted real estate agent. Mama Goose has the perfect house: Snow White's cottage, complete with seven small beds. Snow White and the dwarfs take over Rapunzel's castle; Rapunzel moves in with Rumpelstiltskin, who spins her hair into gold; and so on, until all of the residents of Fairy Tale Land are bumped into a different dwelling. But somehow the new abodes don't feel quite right. Will they all find their way back to Home Sweet Home? Narrated in rollicking rhyme and illustrated with unique, candylike artwork, this house-swapping adventure is too good to pass up!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3 - When the old woman who lived in a shoe decides she and her kids are too cramped, she calls on the local real-estate agent, Mama Goose, who suggests they move into Snow White and the seven dwarfs' dwelling - they're staying at Rapunzel's. And so this romp begins, as Sleeping Beauty, Jack and Jill, the three bears, and other fairy-tale characters play musical houses. At the end of the story, the old woman and her brood realize that there is no place like home and they all go back to their original abodes. Most of the rhymes are successful although a few are forced. For example, when Rumpelstiltskin is considering moving into Hansel and Gretel's treat-covered cottage, the text reads: " 'Take it!' cried Hansel, explaining their woes./ 'The sweets made us too fat to fit in our clothes.'/They jogged up and down, determined to shed/The pounds they had gained from the iced gingerbread." The illustrations are filled with delightful detail and humor such as the dish and the spoon running around in a scene in which they aren't even mentioned. There are lots of bright colors, varying perspectives, and different styles of costumes on the characters. This book will provide grand entertainment to children who know the original stories and rhymes. - Linda M. Kenton, San Rafael Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-K. Played out in a nursery-rhyme world, this begins with the old woman who lived in the shoe and her brood. As in the original, the shoe is too small, so Mama Goose finds the family some new digs in Snow White's home. The rhyming text describes how Snow White left to live with Rapunzel, who has rented a room from a gnome, Rumpelstiltskin, who is trying to spin her hair into gold. He leaves and winds up with Hansel and Gretel, now obese from eating their candy cottage. The story continues with cameos by a host of other fairy-tale characters. Lighthearted and inventive, the jaunty text bounces along, although the thread of the moving houses story, especially when Mama Goose pops in and out, doesn't always follow through. That said, children won't care much; they'll be delighted to see old friends in new situations. With candy colors, unusual perspectives, and characters who look like cousins to wooden dolls, this will be fun to look at and listen to. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (February 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525470972
• ISBN-13: 978-0525470977
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,535,177 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A favorite in our house, August 31, 2009

By 

Susan Dwyer "Sunflower Suz" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hey, Mama Goose (Hardcover)

Got this book as a gift when my son was born. He is 2.5 now and I think I enjoy reading this more than he does. It is cleverly written with the nursery rhymes interlinking. My 5.5 year old niece came to visit, from Ireland, and she requested it be read to her every night at bedtime. I am ordering her a copy to send her for her birthday.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great new spin on classic characters - parents will like it too!, September 19, 2008

By 

Mom of 2 (Southern Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hey, Mama Goose (Hardcover)

I was coordinating 'Family Reading Night' at my local library. We decided to do a Bedtime Story theme and hired someone to play Mother Goose. We bought this book and read it to the kids when we broke into storytime/snack/craft groups. They liked it and the parents thought it was pretty cute too. We gave one copy away and bought one for the library. We have sinced check it out a few times and my kids always enjoy it. Since a Kindergarten teacher told me during the planning that she likes reading Nursery rhymes to youngsters, I have tried to read them to my kids from time to time. So they are somewhat familiar w/ the characters re-tooled in this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Odessa's mom, July 3, 2006

By 

Maria A. Volynsky "Odessa's_Mom" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hey, Mama Goose (Hardcover)

This book is adourable!!! You'll get to stroll down memory lane, with clever twists on familiar rhymes with many of the Mother Goose stories coliding into one . The artwork is wonderful and vivid, the text very lyrical, both my 20-month old and I love it!