I Saw Esau

Illustrated by Maurice Sendak

Discover timeless rhymes and chants that capture the playful spirit of childhood.

4.0 Goodreads · 583 ratings

160 pages· ~620L

$14.00Save 7%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Dive into a collection of over 170 rhymes that echo through generations. From playful insults to tricky tongue twisters, this book captures the essence of childhood's wit and wisdom. With Iona Opie's insightful notes and Maurice Sendak's evocative illustrations, explore the chants that have shaped the playgrounds of the past. What secrets and stories do these timeless verses hold?

From the publisher

“The mood is insouciant glee. A treasure.” — _Kirkus Review_s (starred review)

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

That’s what children chant when they are being teased; it’s what their parents chanted, and their grandparents and their great-grandparents before them. Collected in this invaluable book are the wit and wisdom of generations of schoolchildren — more than one hundred and seventy rhymes ranging from insults and riddles to tongue twisters, jeers, and jump-rope rhymes. With Iona Opie’s introduction and detailed notes and Maurice Sendak’s remarkable pictures — vignettes, sequences, and full-page paintings both wickedly funny and comically sad — here is a book that deserves a place among the classic texts of childhood.

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