Let’s Celebrate Mother Goose Day with These Picture Books
I love reading Mother Goose nursery rhymes to my littles any day of the year, but it’s especially fun to celebrate on the official Mother Goose Day, too! May 1 is the official holiday for Mother Goose Day. Here are some of my favorites to enjoy. I hope you’ll be able to find these at your library or purchase at your favorite indie, local, or online bookstore in time for the big day! This first photo shows a collection of classic treasuries, some I own and some I borrowed from my local library.
(Pictured in the photo above in order from top to bottom and left to right:)
Gyo Fujikawa’s Original Mother Goose. Art by Gyo Fujikawa.
Featuring Gyo Fujikawa’s timeless art, this large collection of nursery rhymes showcases several per page for a rich treasury of read-aloud verse.
Mother Goose. Art by Frederick Richardson.
If you’re looking for a classic way to introduce your children to Mother Goose, this is the original Volland edition with its historic art by Frederick Richardson.
The Random House Book of Mother Goose. Art by Arnold Lobel.
Young fans of Frog and Toad books will cherish this amazingly rich treasure of 306 classic nursery rhymes illustrated by beloved artist Arnold Lobel.
Mother Goose, edited by Watty Piper. Art by Tim and Greg Hildebrandt.
Not a complete collection, this oversized picture book includes many of the most popular nursery rhymes, several per page, with full color art throughout.
My Mother Goose. Art by David McPhail.
Endearing art makes this collection of nursery rhymes, songs, and concepts stand apart. This treasury includes learning concepts such as colors and ABCs as well.
Mother Goose. Art by Jessie Willcox Smith.
Quite a number of nursery rhymes are included in this 175-page book. Many of the pages feature just the text of the rhymes (no illustrations) with multiple rhymes per page, so this is also a handy reference.
A Treasury of Mother Goose. Art by Hilda Offen.
Classic nursery rhymes illustrated in full-color art as well as black-and-white.
The Glorious Mother Goose selected by Cooper Edens. Various artists.
If you grew up reading Mother Goose, you’ll love the historic feel of this treasury that features illustrations by the best artist from the past.
Mary Engelbreit’s Mother Goose.
This collection is one of my personal favorites, and my grandchildren’s too! I love all things Mary Engelbreit so her Mother Goose rhymes are a delightful treasure both to the eyes and to the ears in this cheerful and colorful book.
Mother Goose. Art by Will Moses.
With a folk-art and pioneer-times feel to the illustrations, young readers will experience these classic nursery rhymes with a glimpse into the past when the original verse might have been compiled.
The Complete Collection of Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes. Art by Gina Back.
The illustrations are rich with detail and most pages feature just one nursery rhyme in this beautiful treasury. Definitely one worth reading aloud over and over again to enjoy.
In this photo/list, you’ll find some unique takes on the classic Mother Goose. Definitely some fun titles here you’ll want to get and enjoy. And if you know of other favorite Mother Goose titles, I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!
(Pictured in the photo above from left to right, top to bottom.)
The Christian Mother Goose by Marjorie Ainsborough Decker. Art by Sarah Gibb.
Inspirational, sweet, and fun, each rhyme presents a biblical worldview for littles to learn. A refreshing and wholesome spin on traditional nursery rhymes.
La Madre Goose by Susan Middleton Elya. Art by Juana Martinez-Neal.
What a wonderful way to introduce Spanish to young children, or enjoy familiar words with littles who already know how to speak Spanish. The main text is in English with key words and cultural references in Spanish. Sweet, fun, and an exciting Latino twist added to favorite nursery rhymes make this book a multicultural winner!
A Pirate’s Mother Goose by Nancy I. Sanders. Art by Colin Jack.
A rollicking fun spin-off of favorite nursery rhymes—each one with a pirate-y flair for the wee ones in yer life! This is one of the books I’ve written, so naturally it holds a warm and happy place in my heart, especially when I read it aloud to young listeners!
On the Go with Mother Goose by Iona Opie. Art by Rosemary Wells.
Each nursery rhyme in this delightful padded board book features a train, car, boat or other transportation vehicle.
Marc Brown’s Playtime Rhymes.
Each nursery rhyme has a small illustration demonstrating an action or hand motion you can make for every line of text. A great way to encouragement and teach movement to young children!
My Very First Mother Goose by Iona Opie. Art by Rosemary Wells.
Fans of Rosemary Wells will love seeing her adorable bunnies and cast of characters portraying these traditional rhymes of childhood. With large text and humorous illustrations, this book is definitely a favorite.
One, Two, Three, Mother Goose by Iona Opie. Art by Rosemary Wells.
Each rhyme in this adorable padded board book is a counting rhyme.
Nursery Rhymes from Mother Goose in Signed English.
What a great way to introduce sign language to even the youngest learners! This collection of nursery rhymes features the sign for each word in the verses. I first borrowed this book from our local library but loved it so much I purchased a used copy online for my very own collection!
Jane Yolen’s Mother Goose Songbook with Adam Stemple. Art by Rosekrans Hoffman.
Simple piano music, including chords for guitar, is included for each nursery rhyme so families and music classes can play and sing along for fun!
-blog post written by Nancy I. Sanders, a bestselling and award-winning children’s author of over 100 books. For a free educator’s guide, coloring pages, and crafts to use with A Pirate’s Mother Goose, CLICK HERE to visit her website.
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This is such a fun post. Sometimes it is just nice to go back to the classics and then look at updated versions.
Thanks Claire! I love sharing classics with children.
Wow! What a great collection and resource of Mother Goose books and more. We need to bring these poems more into the forefront with children. So much curriculum seems determined to wipe out the past and replace with all new stuff. Let’s keep these rhymes in the foreground.
Yes, nursery rhymes are such a great way to pass on our wonderful heritage.
I had no idea there were so many Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme books. This really gives us a great selection to encourage our children with stylized illustrations.
When I was a child parents taught nursery rhymes because we had so few children’s books. It was and is great preparation for reading. Children think about the story to figure out the next rhyme. As a preschool teacher, I discovered parents no longer teach children any nursery rhymes other than Patty-Cake. Nursery rhymes are now on state standards.
There are so many more Mother Goose books too! It’s amazing how many there are…so glad you liked this list.
Hooray for nursery rhymes!! =)
Yes! I agree!