mammybearsbooks Blog Nursery_Rhymes_Books-II 20200221

Mammy Bears Books 21 February · Most of us "baby boomers" grew up with nursery rhymes, from listening to older children chanting them out whilst playing hopscotch, skipping or just playing 'Ring-a-Ring-a-Rosie'. Do you remember doing that? I know I do As 'grown-ups' we often forget the sheer delight children have when they look at a wonderful picture and then hear the poem or rhyme that belongs to the picture... it helps to set the rhyme in their memory. So many wonderful illustrators have drawn the most amazing pictures capturing the very essence of the rhyme. My favourite book was 'Traditional Nursery Rhymes and Children's Verse', illustrated by many notables, one being the renowned Lawson Wood. From Arthur Rackham, Maurice Sendak, Hilda Boswell, Rene Cloke, Walter Crane to Eric Kincaid and the fabulous sisters Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone, not to mention Kate Greenaway (of which I have her First Edition - 'Mother Goose or The Old Nursery Rhymes' mbb000256 ) to name just a few. All these talented artists help to keep Nursery Rhymes alive. Why bother, you may ask, well nursery rhymes played an important part in teaching children - fun, moral lessons and history. They taught caution; described naughtiness and what THAT gets you!; related events in history - 'Oranges and Lemons', 'Ring-a-Ring-a-Rosie' etc. and made children laugh and giggle and play. If you have never thought to read your children or grandchildren nursery rhymes, I encourage you to check out the vast array of wonderful books on this subject...go on...dive in