My Book of Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes - Illustrated by Jennie Harbour

By Edric Vredenburg and Jennie Harbour

Mother Goose – The Old Nursery Rhymes is a collection of fairy tales and nursery rhymes, penned by the legendary (and only some claim imaginary), ‘Mother Goose.’ They have inspired many folklorists and illustrators (including Arthur Rackham, Jessie Willcox-Smith and Jennie Harbour) – as well as countless generations of children and parents. Harbour’s Mother Goose was originally published in 1900, to instant critical acclaim.

Jennie Harbour (1893 – 1950) was an immensely talented and popular illustrator. Despite this, very little is known about her life. She managed to capture the public’s imagination with her delicate and ethereal illustrations. They most commonly featured subtle yet bold washes of colour, with few of the thick black outlines so common in other illustrations of the day. Vibrant colours and Art Deco patterns full of energy and emotion characterise Harbour’s work. The illustrations are presented in conjunction with the Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes – both aspects further refining and elucidating the other.

Pook Press celebrates the great ‘Golden Age of Illustration‘ in children’s literature – a period of unparalleled excellence in book illustration from the 1880s to the 1930s. Our collection showcases classic fairy tales, children’s stories, and the work of some of the most celebrated artists, illustrators and authors.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: Apr 16, 2013
• ISBN: 9781446548417

Book preview

‘This is her son jack, a plain-looking lad.’

THE NEW DRESS

ITdoes not matter who you are, but there is no mistake about it, you like new dresses! Daddy and his boys are pleased and proud in their new suits; Mother and the girls are in love with their frocks and gowns, and even the toddlers are delighted with their fine clothes.

New hats, new shoes, fresh ribbons and laces and pretty pinafores to match your pretty faces are a joy indeed!

And that is why dear Old Mother Goose is being presented to you again in this lovely book. It is Mother Goose’s Nursery Rhymes dressed up again to please you, looking entirely new and charming, just as beautiful as can be.

See the White Lady on a White Horse with her crowd of little followers in their gay apparel, Would you not wish to join them?, or long to dance with the others around the dainty little figure of Daffy-Down Dilly? or See-saw with Margery Daw and pick those rosy apples and pluck the starlike flowers? And why not walk with Mary’s little Lamb in the green wood-land picture?

Surely there are many happy days in store for you in the land of the new Old Mother Goose that you have now before you?

Edric Vredenburg,

Jack’s goose and her gander grew very fond

Old Mother Goose

OLD MOTHER GOOSE, WHEN

SHE WANTED TO WANDER,

WOULD RIDE THROUGH THE AIR

ON A VERY FINE GANDER.

MOTHER GOOSE HAD A HOUSE

’TWAS BUILT IN A WOOD,

WHERE AN OWL AT THE DOOR

FOR SENTINEL STOOD.

THIS IS HER SON JACK,

A PLAIN-LOOKING LAD;

HE IS NOT VERY GOOD,

NOR YET VERY BAD.

SHE SENT HIM TO MARKET,

A LIVE GOOSE HE BOUGHT,

HERE, MOTHER, SAID HE,

IT WILL NOT GO FOR NAUGHT.

JACK’S GOOSE AND HER GANDER

GREW VERY FOND;

THEY’D BOTH EAT TOGETHER

OR SWIM IN ONE POND.

JACK FOUND ONE MORNING,

AS I HAVE BEEN TOLD,

HIS GOOSE HAD LAID HIM

AN EGG OF PURE GOLD.

JACK RODE TO HIS MOTHER,

THE NEWS FOR TO TELL;

SHE CALLED HIM A GOOD BOY

AND SAID IT WAS WELL.

THEN JACK WENT A-COURTING

A LADY SO GAY,

AS FAIR AS THE LILY,

AND SWEET AS THE MAY.

BUT THEN THE OLD SQUIRE

CAME BEHIND HIS BACK,

AND BEGAN TO BELABOUR

THE SIDES OF POOR JACK.

THEN OLD MOTHER GOOSE

THAT INSTANT CAME IN,

AND TURNED HER SON JACK

INTO FAMED HARLEQUIN.

SHE THEN, WITH HER WAND,

TOUCHED THE LADY SO FINE,

AND TURNED HER AT ONCE

INTO SWEET COLUMBINE.

THE GOLD EGG IN THE SEA

WAS THROWN AWAY THEN,—

WHEN JACK JUMPED IN,

AND GOT IT BACK AGAIN.

JACK’S MOTHER CAME BY,

AND CAUGHT THE GOOSE SOON,

AND MOUNTING ITS BACK,

FLEW UP TO THE MOON.

I Had a Little Nut-tree

I HAD A LITTLE NUT-TREE; NOTHING WOULD IT BEAR

BUT A SILVER NUTMEG AND A GOLDEN PEAR;

THE KING OF SPAIN’S DAUGHTER CAME TO VISIT ME,

AND ALL WAS BECAUSE OF MY LITTLE NUT-TREE.

I SKIPPED OVER WATER, I DANCED OVER SEA,

AND ALL THE BIRDS IN THE AIR COULDN’T CATCH ME.

Little Miss Muffet

LITTLE MISS MUFFET

SAT ON A TUFFET

EATING OF CURDS AND WHEY;

THERE CAME A BIG SPIDER,

AND SAT DOWN BESIDE HER,

AND FRIGHTENED MISS MUFFET AWAY.

Oranges and Lemons

GAY GO UP AND GAY GO DOWN,

TO RING THE BELLS OF LONDON TOWN.

HALFPENNY AND FARTHINGS

SAY THE BELLS OF ST. MARTIN’S.

ORANGES AND LEMONS,

SAY THE BELLS OF ST. CLEMENT’S.

PANCAKES AND FRITTERS

SAY THE BELLS OF ST. PETER’S.

TWO STICKS AND AN APPLE,

SAY THE BELLS OF WHITECHAPEL.

KETTLES AND PANS,

SAY THE BELLS OF ST. ANN’S.

YOU OWE ME TEN SHILLINGS,

SAY THE BELLS OF ST. HELEN’S.

WHEN WILL YOU PAY ME?

SAY THE BELLS OF OLD BAILEY.

WHEN I GROW RICH,

SAY THE BELLS OF SHOREDITCH.

PRAY WHEN WILL THAT BE?

SAY THE BELLS OF STEPNEY.