Review
I'm starting to fancy myself a bit of a Mother Goose aficionado or perhaps it's more of a compulsion, but what's the difference really? I own more versions than I could count or would care to fess up to. When I see a nicely illustrated edition I can barely resist purchasing it for my personal collection. (Yeah, that's probably a compulsion.) Anyway, for me it's really less about the poems - I mean they are what they are with minor variations here and there - and more about the illustrations that accompany them. And Mother Goose illustrations can really run the gamut - from lavish and fantastical to clever and comical to basic and uninspired. My favorites come from the golden age of illustration - Frederic Richardson and Byam Shaw are among my personal favorites. The Glorious Mother Goose is a truly fantastic compilation of various golden age era Mother Goose illustrations.
Facts are that I rarely come across a modern collection that I like very much. There is no denying that Ruth Sanderson is a hugely talented illustrator, but I've had mixed reactions to her work in the past so I wasn't sure what to expect here. First a quick note about the poems - Sanderson has included approximately sixty poems. Most of these are the standard Mother Goose fare, but there are a handful which are not from the 'traditional lexicon'. I don't really have strong feelings about this either way. What is clear is that Sanderson truly loves and respects the material and wanted to create a lasting and memorable for children to enjoy for many years to come. It took her almost three years to create the art! Now that's dedication!
The first poem (Old Mother Goose) features a truly enchanting two page spread featuring a cozy little hollow at twilight - complete with wee folk and the eponymous Mother Goose riding off on her famous 'steed'. It immediately set a magical tone and drew me into the collection hook line and sinker. Truth be told a lot of the art is pretty darn cutesy - think kitty-cat tea parties and sparkly fairies aplenty - but I'm not afraid to admit I loved every bit of it! And I think that children in particular will love that so many of the illustrations feature youngsters like themselves!
Facts are that I rarely come across a modern collection that I like very much. There is no denying that Ruth Sanderson is a hugely talented illustrator, but I've had mixed reactions to her work in the past so I wasn't sure what to expect here. First a quick note about the poems - Sanderson has included approximately sixty poems. Most of these are the standard Mother Goose fare, but there are a handful which are not from the 'traditional lexicon'. I don't really have strong feelings about this either way. What is clear is that Sanderson truly loves and respects the material and wanted to create a lasting and memorable for children to enjoy for many years to come. It took her almost three years to create the art! Now that's dedication!
The first poem (Old Mother Goose) features a truly enchanting two page spread featuring a cozy little hollow at twilight - complete with wee folk and the eponymous Mother Goose riding off on her famous 'steed'. It immediately set a magical tone and drew me into the collection hook line and sinker. Truth be told a lot of the art is pretty darn cutesy - think kitty-cat tea parties and sparkly fairies aplenty - but I'm not afraid to admit I loved every bit of it! And I think that children in particular will love that so many of the illustrations feature youngsters like themselves!
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