Mother Goose: A Canadian Sampler

Dave Jenkinson is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and the author of the “Portraits” section of Emergency Librarian.

Twenty-eight Canadian children’s illustrators were invited to
illustrate a nursery rhyme of their choice. The resulting book,
beginning with Simon Ng’s evocative cover illustration, constitutes a
rich gift to Canada’s children. Not only can parents and their
youngsters revisit well-known rhymes, such as “Hickory, Dickory,
Dock,” but they are also introduced to the less familiar, like
“Elsie Marley, Grown So Fine.” Perhaps more important, the book
allows its child and adult readers to sample the artists’ smorgasbord
of styles. Variety of mood and technique abounds, from Barbara Reid’s
bright Plasticine renderings to Ian Wallace’s sombre tones, from the
realism of Brenda Clark and Karen Reczuch to Marie-Louise Gay’s
cartoon-like work and Franklin Hammond’s zany collage.

Criticisms are few. Some children may question why Victor Gad’s
illustration of “A Was an Apple Pie” omits the letters “I” and
“U.” An opportunity to educate the book’s readers beyond the
“pretty picture” stage of describing illustrations is missed when
the Index of Illustrators fails to indicate the media that each
illustrator used.

Adding to the work’s appeal is the realization that its numerous
contributors represent only a fraction of Canadian children’s
illustrators. Consequently, the possibility for a sequel exists. Highly
recommended.