MotherReader

Today’s Poetry is from Mother Goose. That counts, right? In any case, it’s the first day of spring and the rhyme is definitely appropriate. Which is more than I can say for the weather today, a not-so-balmy 48 degrees here in Virginia.

Pit, Pat, Well-A-Day

Pit, pat, well-a-day,
Little robin flew away.
Where can little robin be?
Gone into the cherry tree.

Actually, this rhyme is specifically from Mother Goose and Friends, as selected and illustrated by Ruth Sanderson. Now, I love Ruth Sanderson. I bid on her snowflake during the Robert’s Snow auction. I didn’t get it, but oh, I wanted it so much. Her illustrations are so detailed and lovely, and Mother Goose rhymes are the perfect fit for her artwork. My inner girly-girl was tickled pink with the use of fairies throughout this title — even when fairies weren’t required — like “Ring Around the Rosies” with dainty, beautiful fairy girls circling a small rose bush. Ahhh. These are some of the prettiest illustrations I have ever seen.

But. I was very disappointed that she didn’t choose to include more children of color in this book. There are a few — little Miss Muffet and the boy in “The Elf-Man” — but there could have been and should have been more. I know that there’s that old-fashioned, old England feel to the book that you don’t want to spoil, but still some shades of brown seemed sorely needed.

Today’s Poetry Friday round-up is over at Wild Rose Reader.