The McElderry Book of Mother Goose (review)

Explaining in a note that this is the "Seldom Heard but Not Forgotten Mother Goose," noted illustrator Mathers has here collected nearly sixty verses, many of which are largely absent from contemporary collections. The compilation mixes traditional verse with authored material that's been treated as traditional ("Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"; "I Do Not Like Thee, Doctor Fell") and ranges in tone from the whimsical and cheerful to the sad and savage. The volume is elegantly designed, with a picture book-style layout that gives a poem or two to each spread. Mathers' quirkily flat, vividly toned watercolors set the scene and provide an amusing interpretation of the rhymes: "Dr. Fell" is illustrated by a pooch sporting a bandaged paw and a veterinary collar, clearly indignant about his veterinary treatment, while "How Many Miles to Babylon?" features a sneaks-and-headband-clad runner checking his progress with a Middle Eastern local. The book is oddly spare on its notes, though: it only once identifies a written poem's author, and it glosses over a couple of confusing terms while leaving larger perplexities unexplained (the classic "I Saw a Fishpond All on Fire" riddle is going to baffle audiences who don't know the key). Between the tone and the occasional opacity, this is best suited for an older crowd than the usual nursery rhyme audience; kids beginning to puzzle out the occasional strangeness of poetry (and fans of Opie's I Saw Esau, BCCB 5/92) will enjoy the opportunity for exploration and even memorization. A title index of the verses is included, as is a compiler's note and list of source books.