Favorite Nursery Rhymes from Mother Goose

By Scott Gustafson

Classic rhymes reimagined with whimsical illustrations and unexpected twists.

4.5/5 Goodreads · 454 ratings

100 pages

$20.00Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Dive into a world where nursery rhymes come alive with unexpected twists. Meet a baking bear, a pelican captain, and a pug Peter Piper. Scott Gustafson's vivid illustrations transform familiar verses into a whimsical adventure. Discover a crooked man who's more than meets the eye, a cricket Jack Be Nimble, and a chipmunk Yankee Doodle. Each page offers a new surprise, blending classic tales with imaginative artistry. Will these characters teach lessons or simply entertain? Explore the magic within these 45 rhymes and let your imagination soar.

From the publisher

IPPY Award Winner

From nonsense to lessons learned, these 45 rhymes include the very well known (Itsy Bitsy Spider) and the somewhat familiar (Hickety, Pickety, My Black Hen). The truly fantastic pictures speak more than a thousand words as artist Scott Gustafson riffs in paint on themes present and imagined in each verse.

Nursery rhymes are classic, and so are some of the artist’s interpretations. But other paintings are surprises, like an anthropomorphic baking bear, a pelican sea captain, and Peter Piper as a pug on two legs. Welcome to a world where “There Was a Crooked Man” is not about a hunchbacked senior but rather a madcap, double-jointed dandy who might be “crooked” in more ways than one. Jack (Be Nimble) is a leaping cricket and Yankee Doodle a fun-loving chipmunk on a fullsize horse.

Scott Gustafson’s unique style, influenced by legendary book illustrators Arthur Rackham and N. C. Wyeth, makes this a volume to be treasured by children and illustrated-book lovers of all ages.

At a glance