The Neighborhood Mother Goose

Crews, N. (2004). The neighborhood Mother Goose. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Genre: Poetry
Format: Picture Book
Recommended Age: 3-5

This book is sure to give each reader a whole new experience of Mother Goose as contemporary photographs of inner city children at play jump off of each page to tell the story of each classic rhyme. At times, a single photograph encapsulates the entire rhyme, such as demonstrated in the rhyme "Georgie Porgie", where a little boy is seen chasing little girls around the playground. At other times, the author had her own fun by photoshopping several images together, making it appear as though a tabby cat is playing the fiddle, or as if thirteen shrunken children really could fit into a shoe. Whereas the content of nursery rhymes is typically intended for younger audiences, older children and even adults are sure to enjoy the visual elements of this book as well. Never have I seen a book capture the playfulness and free-spirit of children so beautifully.

Lempke, S.D. (2004). The neighborhood Mother Gosse [Review of the book The Neighborhood Mother Goose]. The Horn Book, 80(3), 339-40.

Lempke gives this book a raving review, as she proclaims Crews' photographs to be natural-looking and "brimming with infectious joy. " I couldn't agree with her more that the multiethnic children photographed throughout the story help "move the rhymes from their olde English roots into the present day." This is a book where the setting brought the story alive in a whole new way, and I would personally recommend it to those of all ages from all backgrounds.