The Secret History of Nursery Rhymes

The Secret History of Nursery Rhymes
Author: Linda Kathryn Alchin
Publisher: Linda Alchin
Total Pages: 97
Release: 2010
Genre: Folklore
ISBN: 0956748627

Many nursery rhymes are believed to be associated with actual events in history, and include references to murder, torture, betrayal, greed, and to tyrants and royalty. The words were remembered but their secret histories were forgotten. Political satire was cleverly disguised in the wording of some, seemingly innocent, nursery rhymes. Although some of the most popular Nursery Rhymes are rooted in English history they are told to children throughout the English-speaking world. Old English Nursery Rhymes were taken to America with the settlers from England. They were then spread across Commonwealth countries including Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Pop Goes the Weasel

Pop Goes the Weasel
Author: Albert Jack
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 234
Release: 2009-09-29
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 1101162961

From the international bestselling author of Red Herrings and White Elephants—a curious guide to the hidden histories of classic nursery rhymes. Who was Mary Quite Contrary, or Georgie Porgie? How could Hey Diddle Diddle offer an essential astronomy lesson? Do Jack and Jill actually represent the execution of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette? And if Ring Around the Rosie isn’t about the plague, then what is it really about? This book is a quirky, curious, and sometimes sordid look at the truth behind popular nursery rhymes that uncovers the strange tales that inspired them—from Viking raids to political insurrection to smuggling slaves to freedom. Read Albert Jack's posts on the Penguin Blog.

Mother Goose in Prose

Mother Goose in Prose
Author: Lyman Frank Baum
Publisher:
Total Pages: 298
Release: 1905
Genre:
ISBN:

A collection of twenty-two nursery rhymes, including "Old King Cole" and "Little Bo-Peep," fashioned into full-length stories by the author of "The Wizard of Oz."

Heavy Words Lightly Thrown

Heavy Words Lightly Thrown
Author: Chris Roberts
Publisher: Gotham
Total Pages: 228
Release: 2005
Genre: Humor
ISBN: 9781592401307

A history of the origins and meanings of nursery rhymes reveals the popular sport behind "Jack Be Nimble" and Humpty Dumpty's identity as a cannon mounted on the walls of a Colchester church.

Nursery Rhyme Comics

Nursery Rhyme Comics
Author: Various Authors
Publisher: First Second
Total Pages: 132
Release: 2011-10-11
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1466805609

First Second is very proud to present Nursery Rhyme Comics. Featuring fifty classic nursery rhymes illustrated and interpreted in comics form by fifty of today's preeminent cartoonists and illustrators, this is a groundbreaking new entry in the canon of nursery rhymes treasuries. From New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast's "There Was a Crooked Man" to Bad Kitty author Nick Bruel's "Three Little Kittens" to First Second's own Gene Yang's "Pat-a-Cake," this is a collection that will put a grin on your face from page one and keep it there. Each rhyme is one to three pages long, and simply paneled and lettered to ensure that the experience is completely accessible for the youngest of readers. Chock full of engaging full-color artwork and favorite characters (Jack and Jill! Old Mother Hubbard! The Owl and the Pussycat!), this collection will be treasured by children for years to come.

The Secret History of Nursery Rhymes

The Secret History of Nursery Rhymes
Author: Linda Alchin
Publisher: Linda Alchin
Total Pages: 97
Release: 2013-04
Genre: History
ISBN: 0956748619

Many nursery rhymes are believed to be associated with actual events in history, and include references to murder, torture, betrayal, greed, and to tyrants and royalty. The words were remembered but their secret histories were forgotten. Political satire was cleverly disguised in the wording of some, seemingly innocent, nursery rhymes. Although some of the most popular Nursery Rhymes are rooted in English history they are told to children throughout the English-speaking world. Old English Nursery Rhymes were taken to America with the settlers from England. They were then spread across Commonwealth countries including Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Pop Goes the Weasel

Pop Goes the Weasel
Author: M. J. Arlidge
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 352
Release: 2015-10-06
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 069819490X

From the international bestselling author of Eeny Meeny comes the second thriller in the “truly excellent series”* featuring Detective Helen Grace. A man’s body is found in an empty house. A gruesome memento of his murder is sent to his wife and children. He is the first victim, and Detective Helen Grace knows he will not be the last. But why would a happily married man be this far from home in the dead of night? The media call it Jack the Ripper in reverse: a serial killer preying on family men who lead hidden double lives. Helen can sense the fury behind the murders. But what she cannot possibly predict is how volatile this killer is—or what is waiting for her at the end of the chase....

Two and Twenty Dark Tales

Two and Twenty Dark Tales
Author: Georgia McBride
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC
Total Pages: 342
Release: 2012-10-16
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0985029404

In this anthology, 20 authors explore the dark and hidden meanings behind some of the most beloved Mother Goose nursery rhymes through short story retellings. The dark twists on classic tales range from exploring whether Jack truly fell or if Jill pushed him instead to why Humpty Dumpty, fragile and alone, sat atop so high of a wall. The authors include Nina Berry, Sarwat Chadda, Leigh Fallon, Gretchen McNeil, and Suzanne Young.