''Here Comes Mother Goose'' is a children's
picture book
A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. With the narrative told primarily through text, they are distinct from comics, which do so primarily through sequential images. The images ...
by
Iona Opie
Iona Margaret Balfour Opie, (13 October 1923 – 23 October 2017) and Peter Mason Opie (25 November 1918 – 5 February 1982) were an English married team of folklorists who applied modern techniques to understanding children's literature and ...
. It is a collection of 56
Mother Goose
The figure of Mother Goose is the imaginary author of a collection of French fairy tales and later of English nursery rhymes. As a character, she appeared in a song, the first stanza of which often functions now as a nursery rhyme. This, howeve ...
nursery rhymes, chosen by Opie and is the second such collaboration between her and illustrator
Rosemary Wells
Rosemary Wells (born January 29, 1943) is an American writer and illustrator of children's books. She is well known for using animal characters to address real human issues. Some of her most well-known characters are Max & Ruby (later adapted into ...
.
Reception
A ''
Horn Book
''The Horn Book Magazine'', founded in Boston in 1924, is the oldest bimonthly magazine dedicated to reviewing children's literature. It began as a "suggestive purchase list" prepared by Bertha Mahony Miller and Elinor Whitney Field, proprietres ...
'' review of ''Here Comes Mother Goose'' wrote "This companion volume to My Very First Mother Goose (rev. 11/96) is even more successful than the first-more cohesive in terms of quality of art and totality of design, more venturesome in the selection of the nursery rhymes."
[ and the '']School Library Journal
''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...
'' found it "another captivating collection" concluding "Make room on the shelves for this must-have title." The ''New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' especially commended the illustrator, writing "Wells .. is at the height of her powers in this generously large-format book, where she can stir a little mischief into the mix." and found it "a lovely assortment".
''Kirkus Reviews
''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...
'' concluded "in general the book is plainly the work of a match made in heaven, and merits as much popularity as its predecessor." and ''Publishers Weekly
''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...
'' in a star review wrote "Even if this volume isn't quite as illuminating as Opie and Wells's ''My Very First Mother Goose'', it abounds with charm and wit; there is no one like Opie for collecting traditional verse, and no one like Wells for radiant, childlike visual interpretation." and concluded "Beautiful and beguiling, this book will win over just about everyone."
Parents' Choice awarded it a 1999 Gold Award for picture books, wrote "she (Mother Goose) receives a fresh interpretation in this large, hold-on-the-lap volume. Rhymes familiar and uncommon are cheerfully illustrated with Wells' charming animals and the occasional pineapple."
''Here Comes Mother Goose'' has also been reviewed by ''Booklist
''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...
'', ''Parenting
Parenting or child rearing promotes and supports the physical, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood. Parenting refers to the intricacies of raising a child and not exclusively for a ...
'', '' Reading Time'', ''The Reading Teacher
''The Reading Teacher'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal published six times per year by Wiley-Blackwell. The current editors are Jan Lacina (Texas Christian University) and Robin Griffith (Texas Christian University). ''The Reading Teacher'' is ...
'', ''Teacher Librarian'', and ''Good Housekeeping
''Good Housekeeping'' is an American women's magazine featuring articles about women's interests, product testing by The Good Housekeeping Institute, recipes, diet, and health, as well as literary articles. It is well known for the "Good House ...
''.
It has been recommended for babies and toddlers, and is a 2000 American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members a ...
Notable Children's Book.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Here Comes Mother Goose
1999 children's books
British children's books
American picture books
Collections of nursery rhymes