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

Mary Engelbreit (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: September 20, 2005 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years

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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Score one for tradition. For listeners seeking a classic collection of the beloved nursery rhymes, this volume collected by author/artist Engelbreit and read in a bright and inviting tone by Redgrave will be the perfect cup of tea. The British actress is an inspired choice here, providing crisp pronunciation and lilting rhythm throughout. Cheery and playful without being silly, her performance catches all the fun-to-say and fun-to-hear elements of the verse. Marcus leads off with his praise of Mother Goose's ability to encourage children's love of language. From there, Redgrave's reading is largely unfettered, with brief pauses between each rhyme and a snippet of guitar instrumentals nestled after every 10selections. The recording works fine as a standalone, but may also serve as a read-along with Engelbreit's simultaneously released—and intricately illustrated—anthology of the same name. All ages. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 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 Engelbreits 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 Engelbreits adult following. A solid collection that would be useful in any library.–Barbara Chatton, College of Education, University of Wyoming, Laramie
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (September 20, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060081716
• ISBN-13: 978-0060081713
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 10.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (82 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #30,940 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mary Engelbreit's aphorisms and artwork appear on millions of greeting cards. Her popularity continues to grow due to the success of her books, calendars, home decor, stationery, and crafting products. She resides in St. Louis, Missouri.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Nice Mother Goose Collection (Mary Englebreight's MG) December 14, 2005

By Pam T TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

We borrowed this book from the library and now we are going to buy it - even though we own 3 other Mother Goose collections!

One of the reasons is the selection of poems. Somehow they have found new selections that were not included in our other volumes. Examples include: a poem which asks a mother hen how many chicks she has; one about a four leaf clover; one about a bat; and one about spinning mice and a mischievous cat.

Two poems follow:

One leaf for fame,
One leaf for wealth
One for a faithful lover,
And one leaf to bring glorious health,
Are all in a four-leaf clover.

Little Poll Parrot sat in his garret,
Eating toast and tea;
A little brown mouse jumped into the house
And stole it all away.

There are plenty of the classic poems as well so you won't miss out on Jack and Jill, nor the many sheep that M.G. writes about. And yes, it should be noted that this selection of poems has none of the `meaner' poems; ones that you wouldn't necessarily want read to babies and toddlers.

Five Stars. Great selections of poems which is prompting us to buy yet another Mother Goose book. Artwork is pastel and nice and uncluttered: generally one poem per page. [I've never been a fan of Mary Engelbreit's artwork but children are very attracted to her style and it works very nicely here.]

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A JOY FOR CHILDREN AND PARENTS ! September 30, 2005

By Gail Cooke HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

As almost everyone now knows Mary Engelbreit is no longer the little girl who copied illustrations from her mother's collection of storybooks - she has grown up to be a beloved, popular illustrator and, now that you mention it, an industry. Her sprightly, colorful art appears on everything from cups to fabrics. She's a phenomenon who has won our hearts.

I highly recommend Engelbreit's hardcover version of this title as well as the audio book, which is not to be missed as read by acclaimed actress Lynn Redgrave. She brings a rich, vibrant voice to her performances of some 100 familiar nursery rhymes. We may think we've heard Little Bo-Beep or Humpty Dumpty a number of times, but we've not heard them as read by Redgrave who injects added humor and a touch suspense to the familiar rhymes.

Introduction on the audio book is by Leonard Marcus, historian and critic of children's literature as well as the author of "Dear Genius: Margaret Wise Brown," and other titles.

This is an audio book that will be prized by both children and adults - don't miss it!

Gail Cooke

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Mother Goose Ever September 21, 2005

By Eileen Walker

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I just received my copy of Mary Engelbreit's Mother Goose. I pre-ordered it last December and have been waiting patiently for it to arrive and it was well worth the wait. It is the most beautifully illustrated Mother Goose book I have ever seen, and I have seen many editions. The large colorful illustratons are sure to appeal to young children. I can hardly wait to share it with my six (soon to be seven) grandchilden. Thank you for making it available.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Best best mother goose, but I don't like the CD February 3, 2006

By Li Zheng

Format:Audio CD

The book is so beautiful and charming, both my 3 year old daughter and me love it very much. The reason why I gave 3 star is I am a bit disappointed with the accompanying CD, we couldn't seperately review the CD only. Maybe it is just me, the voice isn't pretty. There is such a boring introduction (over 5min) in the begining, while the verses are mostly less than 20 seconds long. So go for the book but not the CD.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Pluses and Minuses Versus Four Other Mother Goose Books September 18, 2009

By ReviewerWhoPrefersToBeAnonymous VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

If you're reading this on Amazon, you probably want to know how this book compares with other large-format Mother Goose nursery rhyme books. Here's my comparison of this book with four others.

This book (Mary Engelbreit's Mother Goose: One Hundred Best-Loved Verses, ISBN 0060081716) -- Published 2005. PLUSES: If you like Engelbreit's artistic style, this book is for you. A number of illustrations depict black and Asian children. Has some uncommon rhymes (e.g., "Three Little Ghostesses" and "Terrence McDiddler"). I found no violent rhymes. MINUSES: Some illustrations do not fit the rhymes well. As one example, Jack Sprat's wife appears to have some "lean" vegetables and fruits on her side of the table (though certainly a much larger quantity of food than Jack himself). As another example, "Three Little Kittens" shows the kittens in large mittens on a clothesline, while the rhyme calls on them to be losing and putting on the mittens. Some pages (22, 28, 69, 76, 90, 93, 112, 117) have two rhymes on them, which might be slightly confusing, but on the other hand it might also be fun for kids to guess the relationship between the two rhymes on a page (e.g., "Red sky at night" and "Touch blue" both deal with colors). SUMMARY: 4 stars.

Favorite Nursery Rhymes from Mother Goose by Scott Gustafson, ISBN 978-0867130973 -- 45 rhymes. Published 2007. PLUSES: Illustrations (oil paintings) are large, detailed, varied, and fanciful; think a combination of Norman Rockwell, Walt Disney, and Salvador Dali.... My favorites include "Jack Be Nimble" with Jack as a grasshopper, and "Simple Simon" as a monkey and the pieman as a gorilla. Several illustrations offset the "politically incorrect" aspects of the corresponding rhymes (e.g., for "Peter, Peter, Pumpkin-Eater" a squirrel couple serves pie to a boy in front of their pumpkin house). Some illustrations depict black and Asian children. MINUSES: Because only the first 1-4 verses from each rhyme is given, "Old Mother Hubbard" is missing a lot of verses. With the smallest selection of rhymes of the books reviewed here, it may not have some that your child may like (e.g., "Three Little Kittens"). SUMMARY: 5 stars.

My Very First Mother Goose by Iona Opie and Rosemary Wells, ISBN 1564026205 -- 68 rhymes. Published 1996. Organized into four chapters ("Jack and Jill," "Hey Diddle, Diddle," "Little Jumping Joan," and "The Moon Sees Me"), although I couldn't figure out why certain rhymes fell into certain chapters. The large majority of the illustrations feature animals acting like people. PLUSES: Interplay of text and engaging watercolor illustrations is more creative than in any other book reviewed here. For example, "There was a crooked man" has many small illustrations for the rhyme, while the text of "Pop goes the weasel" is contained within the large illustration. Font sizes vary considerably, from very large to moderately small, and the large initial letters of many rhymes are painted with something relevant to the rhyme (e.g., train tracks for "From Wibbleton to Wobbleton"). Extra information -- like tiny illustrations for cake-making under the main "Pat-a-cake" illustration, and four constellations' names for "Star light, star bright" -- add to the variety. I found no sexist or violent rhymes. Has some uncommon rhymes (e.g., "Mrs. Mason bought a basin"). MINUSES: Some illustrations may be confusing; for example, "Humpty Dumpty" is an actual (from-the-chicken) small egg that gets knocked to the ground, not a "living character" as in other books. Non-Christians may question the inclusion of two "Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John" rhymes toward the end. SUMMARY: 5 stars.

The Real Mother Goose by Blanche Fisher Wright, ISBN 0590225170 -- 305 rhymes. First published 1916. Typography and illustrations (almost all of which depict people as opposed to animals acting like people) are either "nostalgic" (if you like them) or "old-fashioned" (if you don't). It has the smallest page size (8.5"x11") of the books reviewed here. PLUSES: Probably the most well-known, "classic" collection. Includes uncommon rhymes (e.g., "Comical Folk") and longer rhymes (e.g., "This is the House that Jack Built") not in the other books. MINUSES: I compared the current (1994 Scholastic/Cartwheel Books) printing with a previous (1991 Checkerboard Press) printing, and the color in the illustrations is less saturated than before. Has some rhymes and illustrations that could be considered "politically incorrect" (violent, sexist, etc.) such as "Little Polly Flinders" (in which a mother "whipped her little daughter") and "Peter, Peter, Pumpkin-Eater" (picturing a woman stuck inside a pumpkin). Multiple rhymes on each page could be confusing to young readers. SUMMARY: 4 stars.

Richard Scarry's Best Mother Goose Ever (Giant Little Golden Book), ISBN 0307155781 -- 50 rhymes. First published 1964. PLUSES: Endearing large illustrations feature animals acting like people. The use of pigs is especially nice (e.g., a clothed pig stealing a gingerbread pig for "Tom, Tom, the piper's son" and Georgie Porgie as a boy pig "snouting" a girl pig). Has some uncommon rhymes (e.g., "The cat sat asleep by the side of the fire"). MINUSES: Has some rhymes and illustrations that could be considered sexist (e.g., "When I was a bachelor" and "I had a little hen") or violent (e.g., "Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum" and "Taffy Was a Welshman"). There is a certain monotony to the illustrations, and all of them follow their rhymes fairly literally, so I'm not sure they would hold older children's attention well. SUMMARY: 4 stars.

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