THOUGHTS FROM THE FIELD
Tommy Thumb’s songbook
It was an auspicious day for English literature, 22 March 1774 being the date Tommy Thumb’s Songbook, the first-ever book of nursery rhymes, was published. Allegedly penned by a nursery maid called Mary Cooper, it was written not so much for children themselves but as an instructional aid for Georgian childcare professionals.
The book contains the lyrics
