Playful photographs and photo-collages featuring urban children and adults illustrate a selection of forty traditional Mother Goose rhymes in this lively volume. Nina Crews’s photographs were taken in a big-city neighborhood and are bustling with energy as well as occasional moments of repose. They range from shots of children caught in the midst of active play to humorous posed images. There’s the little girl with the forehead curl, who is caught in the act of being “horrid” as she cuts the hair off of a doll (there is a perfect, slight edge of worry to her expression, since she’s been caught, but no remorse). And there’s the little boy who’s gone “to market” and is carrying home a live pig in his brown grocery bag. The warmth and humor of the dynamic contemporary photographs adds a new dimension and resonance to these age-old verses for young children. (Ages 2–6)

Every day, children the world over sing, shout, and celebrate Mother Goose rhymes. And now there's a new reason to cheer: Nina Crews has added her own remarkable, jazzy style of illustration to a collection of forty-one favorite verses. Whether it's Jack jumping over a candlestick (atop a cupcake), Georgie Porgie kissing the girls (at the playground), or a fine lady riding a white horse (on the carousel), this exuberant treasury is sure to be read and enjoyed over and over again.