Sylvia Long's Mother Goose [Hardcover]

Sylvia Long (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up | Series: Mother Goose

From bestselling artist Sylvia Long comes an enchanting collection of over seventy-five classic Mother Goose rhymes. Imbued with the artist's love of nature and overflowing with charming details, this spectacular compilation includes such timeless favorites as Old Mother Hubbard, Mary had a little lamb, and Rock-a-bye baby. Sylvia Long's Mother Goose is a perfect gift that, like the rhymes themselves, will be passed from one generation to the next.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Many adults can look back and see that it was in [Mother Goose] rhymes that they first found a love of language, rhythm and story.... Recited by heart, passed lovingly from parent to child, these verses--magical, musical, sometimes silly, sometimes wise--are part of our collective childhood."

In her artist's note, Sylvia Long admits that she approached the project of creating a new Mother Goose anthology with some trepidation. The award-winning artist was convinced that the only way she could take on a new version would be if hers were somehow unique. And unique it is. Integrating well-known rhymes with less familiar ones, and altering otherwise frightening images with clever, comforting artwork, Long has come up with a fresh, fun, yet still respectfully traditional approach to these classic verses. Linking the pages visually, Long encourages readers to discover playful connections between different rhymes. For example, the queen in "Pussycat, Pussycat, Where Have You Been?" is seated next to Old King Cole on the opposite page of the spread; apparently, these two are a royal item! Long's love of nature is reflected in her gorgeous watercolors of birds, rabbits, cats, frogs, insects, bears, and mice, all of whom figure prominently as old friends Jack and Jill, Old Mother Hubbard, Little Boy Blue, and Little Robin Red-breast. More than 75 classic Mother Goose rhymes are included in this stunning compendium. (Ages 3 and older) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly

In a thoughtful opening note, Long (Liplap's Wish) explains that she saw no point in creating a new Mother Goose collection "unless I could find ways to make it unique." She fulfills her mission in various ways: she includes a number of lesser-known rhymes, and she imaginatively softens what she calls "the more frightening images." Thus in "Humpty Dumpty," the egg that cracks open when it falls off a wall hatches a duckling, and the "baby" rocking perilously in the treetop is a young bird who flies to safety as the bough breaks. Long also notes that in one case, "The Old Woman in the Shoe," she has mitigated the suggestion of violence by changing the words; here her mother is a spider who doesn't spank her brood, but rather serves them broth and bread and "kissed them all sweetly/ And put them to bed." Working in her characteristic pen-and-watercolor style, Long conjures up winsome animal characters. She carefully suggests the texture of their fur or feathers, but she also kits them out in humorous garb (the cow who jumps over the moon wears a tutu and ballet shoes; nimble Jack is a frog in a tuxedo, and he leaps from one roof to another, over a lamppost lit by a candle). She links the rhymes inventively, particularly when she devises a single illustration to encompass two rhymes. For example, the jubilant frog who recites a relatively obscure verse that celebrates "a rainy day/ In the month of May" dances atop a lily pad; sitting near him, a mouse seeks shelter under other greenery and sings, "Rain, rain, go away." A robin's-egg blue ribbon that serves as a bookmark adds extra elegance to this handsome production. All ages. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811820882
• ISBN-13: 978-0811820882
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 9.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #43,306 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sylvia Long's Mother Goose, April 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Sylvia Long's Mother Goose (Hardcover)

This is a beautifully illustrated version of classic Mother Goose stories and rhymes. I had been waiting to introduce Mother Goose to my fourteen-month old daughter because some of the stories are a little scary. I read an enthusiastic review about this edition in one of my parenting magazines and quickly made my order. The words are nestled around beautiful images that completely engage the adult. It is a fun experience for both the parent and the child to read this book. The colors and drawings are imaginative and compelling and convey the storyline in a positive, whimsical manner. I love the Humpty Dumpty page where instead of coming to an unhappy outcome Humpty the Duckling gets help hatching from his shell when the egg he is nesting in rolls off the wall. This and other stories are illustrated in the way that children understand these wonderus tales.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heirloom-Quality...Enchanting!!!, March 17, 2002

By 

Christine "loves to read" (Setauket, NY, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sylvia Long's Mother Goose (Hardcover)

This is the most beautifully illustrated Mother Goose book I have seen. Sylvia Long has taken her own interpretations of these classic rhymes and turned them into a wonderful imaginative feast for the eyes. The animal characters behave so life-like as they take the place of their human counterparts! I also like the way the author groups the rhymes according to themes. For example, all the rhymes containing words about specific animals, physical traits or characteristics tend to be grouped together. There is also an index of first lines in the back of the book.

My daughters continually pour over the images every day, and were even inspired to write and illustrate their own interpretations in their personal copybooks. The rhymes are classic, but in this book, the images tell their own stories as well!

5 Stars.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best children's books available., February 14, 2002

By 

Aquaria.Info "Aquaria.Info - Aquarium Fish On... (Aquaria.Info) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sylvia Long's Mother Goose (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book. The book takes you through more than 75 classic Mother Goose Rhymes including Jack and Jill, Old Mother Hubbard, Little Boy Blue, and Little Robin Red-breast.

Each rhyme is superbly illustrated allowing your youngster to understand the meaning of the rhyme through pictures.

This is a keepsake book that will surely be passed down from one generation to the next.