The Glorious Mother Goose Reissue

A collection of nursery rhymes, featuring those about Humpty Dumpty, Jack and Jill, Little Jack Horner, and Little Miss Muffet, is illustrated by some of the best-loved artists, including Randolph Caldecott, Kate Greenaway, L. Leslie Brooke, and others.

PreS Up-What makes this Mother Goose collection stand out from the others is the nostalgic charm of its illustrations. Each of the 42 popular rhymes is accompanied by interpretations by two different children's book illustrators from the late 19th and early 20th century, including L. Leslie Brooke, Randolph Caldecott, Walter Crane, Kate Greenaway, John Lawson, and Arthur Rackham. The contrasting styles of the paintings, which are presented in both color and black and white, make for interesting browsing. While the artist and date for each of the paintings are provided, there is no index of illustrators and no further information about their styles and techniques, which limits the book's usefulness for students of book illustration and the history of children's literature. Still, with its lovely reproductions by "The Best Artists from the Past," this will make a fine additional purchase.
Joan Zaleski, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.