Playing hopscotch in the schoolyard or hide-and-seek in the woods, Appalachian children once recited traditional nursery rhymes from memory. As kids do, they frequently altered the original rhymes, making them even more colorful in the process.
In Mommy Goose: Rhymes from the Mountains, author Mike Norris honors this special piece of American heritage with a one-of-a-kind collection of fifty original nursery rhymes celebrating Appalachian tradition and speech. Illustrated with art-quality photographs of more than one hundred new hand-carved and -painted works by renowned folk artist Minnie Adkins, this enchanting book introduces readers of all ages to the whimsical world of Mommy Goose and shares her love of the rare music of Appalachian speech and of words in general.
Mommy Goose is designed to engage young children with a series of simple and often humorous verses that gradually become more challenging as the book progresses. Readers can advance to longer, more complex rhymes as their skills develop—at home or with the guidance of teachers. Featuring sheet music for the original song "Tell me, Mommy Goose," this multidimensional book is certain to entertain while introducing a new generation to hallowed folk traditions.
To hear a complete recording of the book's companion song, "Tell Me, Mommy Goose,"
Mike Norris was the director of communications at Centre College for sixteen years before he retired. He is the author of Sonny the Monkey and Bright Blue Rooster: Down on the Farm and has recorded several collections of original music. Minnie Adkins is a folk artist with permanent collections at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Gallery of Art, the American Folk Art Museum, the Huntington Museum of Art, and the Kentucky Folk Art Center. She won the the Kentucky Arts Council's Artist Award honoring lifetime achievement in the arts and holds an honorary doctorate from Morehead State University. She has contributed essays to numerous collections on folk art and crafts.
Table of Contents
About Mommy Goose Hammer and Nail The Raccoons Old Doc Hale Calico Cat A word can be sour Level Cows Little Mary Speckled Hen Mommy Fell Lester Frye Mommy Had to Mop Some words strike home Lizzie Green Billy Was Bad Rooster Can't Crow Aunt Sal Little Johnny Hicks A word is the brick The Kudzu Man The Rooster Wake Up, Girls The Bluebird and Robin The June Bug A word's always waiting Fiddle It High
EXTRA EGGS Benjamin Grimes I Bit My Tongue Pray for the Pot The Boy from Rowdy Possum and Bear Penny in the Well Uncle Ed Love Me, Love You Cow's in the Barn I Know an Old Man Nag, Nag, Nag Clete, the Parakeet Daddy Hammered Harlie Creech The Latch and Keep Kite Who, Who, Who? The Prettiest Sight Blind Sam Young The Road Spring Name Me A Word from Mommy Goose
"Tell Me, Mommy Goose," words and music by Mike Norris About the Author and Ullustrator