Nonfiction Monday: A Seaside Twist on Mother Goose

Mother Osprey: Nursery Rhymes for Buoys and Gulls
Written by Lucy Nolan Illustrated by Connie McLennan
Sylvan Dell Press, 2009 Ages 4-8

In this oceanic twist on traditional Mother Goose rhymes, Lucy Nolan takes readers on a trip to the seashore. We see flamingoes, sea lions, lobsters, whales and lighthouses among the many wet, sandy scenes. Many of Nolan’s rhymes are clever and fun, but my personal favorite is her lovely take on Sleep Baby Sleep:

Sleep, baby sleep,
upon the river deep.
The Mississippi rolls along;
it hums a peaceful nighttime song.
Sleep baby sleep.

Sleep, baby sleep,
the moonbeams dance and leap;
the paddle wheel sings and sighs,
it spins out gentle lullabies.
Sleep, baby sleep.

Sleep, baby sleep,
upon the river deep.
When morning comes, you’ll be with me,
your cares will drift on out to sea.
Sleep, baby sleep.

The For Creative Minds section at the back of the book includes factual information about each of the rhymes and a map of the U.S. where readers can pinpoint where they would find the creatures and sites featured in the poems along with related questions.
This book is a wonderful introduction to the beauty and majesty of the sea.

This book was reviewed by Kim Hutmacher. This post is part of the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up at Mother Reader.