Read Mother Goose!
There's No Excuse!
Why Should I?
Exposing children to nursery rhymes, even if they are read to them, is a way of exposing them to literature at an early age. This is very beneficial to children, as it teaches them about the many ways in which language can work. Aside from that, they are catchy and have been passed down for centuries.
What Books Should I Try?
Hickory Dickory Dock by Keith Baker
This book is a rendition of the classic nursery rhyme "Hickory Dickory Dock". While in the original, the clock only struck one, in this version, the clock has a visitor for every hour. It's perfect to read to your child just before bed time.
Baker, Keith. (2007). Hickory dickory dock. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc. Unp.
Maria had a Little Llama by Angela Dominguez
This book is also a rendition, but it is a rendition of the nursery rhyme "Mary had a Little Lamb". It is a cultural story of the character Maria and her pet llama. The rhyme, for the most part, goes the same way as the original version, but it also has a Spanish translation on each page. It is perfect if you are trying to teach your child another language.
Dominguez, Angela. (2013). Maria had a little llama. New York: Henry Holt and Company. Unp.
Sylvia Long's Mother Goose
This is a collection of both well-known and less-known nursery rhymes. While the text may not be a rendition, the illustrations have a different take on some of the rhymes. Every character illustrated is an animal, even the ones that are normally known as human. This book is perfect for sharing nursery rhymes with your child for the first time.
Long, Sylvia. (1999). Mother goose. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. 109.
Complete Version of Ye Three Blind Mice by John W. Ivimey
This online book is, in a different way, a rendition of the nursery rhyme "Three Blind Mice". It tells us the whole version of the story, sharing how the three mice lost their vision and then got it back. It is perfect for sharing with your child if they want a full story with a beginning, middle, and ending. It can be found here.
Ivimey, John W. (2007). Complete version of ye three blind mice. Illus. Corbould, Walton. New York: Frederick Warne & Co. Unp.
And Many More!
There are so many Mother Goose books you can read with your child, and you will not regret it. By exposing your child to literature at an early age, you can create a Life Time Reader!
Remember, there's no excuse to not read Mother Goose!