SIX GEESE A-LAYING!

In honor of this sixth Day of Christmas, I'd like to keep with a goose theme.  You can click here to read my past post about Mother Goose books, but I'm really excited to share six "Gossie" books with you!

"Gossie is a gosling.  A small, yellow gosling who likes to wear bright red boots.  Every day."

These simple, sweet board books are perfect for preschoolers.  Gossie, Gertie, Ollie, Peedie, and BooBoo will help your child learn about friendship, siblings, and sharing.

I've enjoyed perusing author/illustrator Olivier Dunrea's website.  He lives in a tiny remote village on the western edge of the Catskills Mountains on the Upper Delaware River. The house he lives and works in is called "Henwoodie" - the Henhouse. Henwoodie is a large Arts & Crafts style house surrounded by an acre of gardens, lawns, and terraces.

He says about his Gossie books:  "Gossie & Friends began in 2001 with sketches of goslings while I was staring out the studio window watching Canada geese fly overhead, honking loudly. A pair of red rubber toy boots sat on my bookshelf for some strange reason. As I sketched goslings I started drawing them wearing red rubber boots. And that is how the idea for Gossie and her "bright red boots" came to life."

Gossie


Gossie and Gertie


Ollie


Ollie the Stomper



Peedie


BooBoo

JESSIE WILCOX SMITH, MAGAZINES AND CHILDREN'S BOOKS

By chance, at the age of 20, Jessie Wilcox Smith found out she had a talent for drawing.  In 1889 she started her career as an illustrator in the advertising department of The Ladies Home Journal. She had been a kindergarten teacher prior to that, and it's apparent from her artwork that she idealized mothers and children, even though she never married or had children of her own.

For many, Jessie Wilcox Smith's artwork inspires a sense of nostalgia.  This is possibly because her illustrations appeared on the covers of GOOD HOUSEKEEPING Magazine every month from 1917-1933!  I especially love the covers that feature children reading and being read to...

As far as children's books, she illustrated over 40, including A CHILD'S GARDEN OF VERSES; LITTLE WOMEN; HEIDI; THE JESSE WILCOX SMITH MOTHER GOOSE;'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS; and two of George MacDonald's fantasies: AT THE BACK OF THE NORTH WIND and THE PRINCESS AND THE GOBLIN.  She is probably best known for Charles Kingsley's WATER BABIES.

Click here to see her illustrations of the various fairy tales from this book by Penrhyn W. Coussens.

Click on these Links for more information:
SEE MORE JESSE WILCOX SMITH GOOD HOUSEKEEPING COVERS
SEE JESSIE WILCOX SMITH ILLUSTRATIONS FROM OTHER MAGAZINES
ABOUT HER ART STYLE
BIOGRAPHY  

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Who was Mother Goose??? Well, there is no one answer, because there is no direct evidence to support just one theory. We do know that English speaking countries are the only places where her rhymes are well known.


Mother Goose Rhymes are nonsense poems that were made up not only to entertain children, but to teach them about language and math, and also to help calm their fears and lull them to sleep.

Whether "Mother Goose" came from France ("Queen Goosefoot" - said queen had one foot bigger than the other), or England ("Martha Gooch), the first book of nursery rhymes was printed in 1765 in England. (NurseryRyhmesOnline.com).

How to choose the best edition for your little gosling? Gladys Hunt, author of HONEY FOR A CHILD'S HEART, suggests durability of the book and simpler verses for the youngest. She also suggests taking into account which illustrations your child would like the best. Eventually you'll want to get a more comprehensive collection. Some of her recommendations:

Iona Opie's MY VERY FIRST MOTHER GOOSE and companion, HERE COMES MOTHER GOOSE (both illustrated by Rosemary Wells).
Mary Engelbreit, author and illustrator- MARY ENGELBREIT'S MOTHER GOOSE.
Tommie dePaola, author and illustrator - TOMMIE DEPAOLA'S MOTHER GOOSE.
Arnold Lobel - THE ARNOLD LOBEL BOOK OF MOTHER GOOSE (over 300 rhymes!)