The Neighborhood Mother Goose by Nina Crews

Crews, N.  (2004).  The Neighborhood Mother Goose.  Greenwillow Books. 

This book has several Mother Goose nursery rhymes illustrated with pictures from actual neighborhoods.

This is a collection of nursery rhymes, both popular and not so well-known.  Some of the nursery rhymes included in this collection are “Hey Diddle Diddle!,”  “Humpty Dumpty,” “Jack and Jill,” “Jack Be Nimble,” “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” “Lucy Locket,” “There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe,” and “Peter Piper,” among others.  The pictures are actual photographs of children in a city setting, and they complement the nursery rhymes well.  Each photo corresponds to the nursery rhyme on each page.  Five- and six-year-old children would enjoy these nursery rhymes for their rhythm and rhymes.  The photos are realistic, so they would be able to see themselves doing the activities in the nursery rhymes.  The title refers to Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes, but it seems as though the nursery rhymes are happening in a city.  When I think of nursery rhymes, I think of the setting as the countryside or a rural area, but this book shows that nursery rhymes could be set anywhere.

This book reminded me of the nursery rhymes I learned when I was in kindergarten.  It has a unique way of illustrating the rhymes:  realistic pictures of children in an actual city.  This book was an ALA Notable book in 2005.  It was also named a Notable Children's Book by NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English), was one of School Library Journal's Best Books in 2004, and was one of Parent Magazine's Best Books of the Year in 2004.  Learn about Nina Crews by visiting http://www.ninacrews.com/.  Nina Crews also wrote The Neighborhood Sing-Along and did a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk, both of which feature photographs.