cover image Mommy Goose: Rhymes from the Mountains

Mommy Goose: Rhymes from the Mountains

Mike Norris, illus. by Minnie Adkins. Univ. of Kentucky, $19.95 (48p) ISBN 978-0-8131-6614-8

Norris presents nearly 50 charming nursery rhymes inspired by the culture, language, and traditions of Appalachia, which are accompanied by folk artist Adkins's hand-carved and brightly painted figurines (the duo previously collaborated on Sonny the Monkey and Bright Blue Rooster Down on the Farm). References to home cooking, farm animals, music, and misbehavior from young and old folks alike pepper the rhymes, a mix of brief, easy-to-memorize fare ("Pray for the pot./ Pray for the pot./ Sometimes it's full,/ Sometimes it's not") and longer offerings (in one early poem that spans several pages, "The raccoons ate up all the corn,/ Climbed in the car and honked the horn./ They played the radio and danced,/ And tried on Granpaw's underpants"). Wearing eyeglasses, a blue hat, and a stern, schoolmarmish expression, "Mommy Goose" herself makes several appearances, holding up rhyming messages about words written on what looks like wood shavings or bark ("A word can be sour,/ or sweet as a kiss,/ soft as a purr,/ harsh as a hiss"). Though the rhymes are grounded in Appalachian soil, their often-silly humor and the rough-hewn whimsy of Adkins's figurines should have broad appeal. All ages. (Feb.)