Poetry Book Review #4 - Author of Color

many colors of mother goose
adapted by Cheryl Willis Hudson
illustrated by Ken Brown, Mark Corcoran & Cathy Johnson

Most children in the United States grow up hearing and learning Mother Goose nursery rhymes. This book collects 31 classic rhymes, presenting them in a way that reflects a variety of cultures and races. The poems in this book are short, simple, and fun for young children. The upbeat rhymes reflect the music (jazz), rhythms, and lives of diverse people in a multi-faceted world. The poems seem to convey a message of happiness or lessons to be learned. (Rooster crows in the morning time/to tell all children to rise/for those who sleep late/will never be wise). The use of figurative language permeates throughout the books bringing the characters to life. In the poem There was an Old Woman the shoe could represent the world filled with people from all walks of life and nationalities living together peacefully.

There was an old woman
Who lived in a shoe.
She cared for lots of children
And knew just what to do.

She gave them hugs and kisses-
She shared happy dreams and good wishes.
And they lived, laughed and loved
All year through.

The illustrations for these well-known rhymes have traditionally reflected only a western European perspective. The illustrations seem to contribute to the overall tone of the collection The paintings are brightly colored filled with a plentitude of characters of color. There are also many elements of the African-American culture. For example, the jazzy poem Little Boy Lou is about a young boy, or perhaps the personification of the great jazz musician Louis Armstrong. As you read the poem you can almost feel yourself dancing behind the boy as he plays his horn.

Little Boy Lou,
Come blow your horn.
We’re jammin’ in New Orleans
Where jazz bands are born

In the poem Ole King Cole the author refers to musicians as happy cats who play a non-traditional type of music such as blue grass, soul, hop and rock n’ roll.

Ole King Cole was a partying soul
And a partying soul was he.

I recommend this book of poems as a fun, creative, good mood addition to any children’s library.

Hudson, Cheryl Willis, 1997. Many Colors of Mother Goose.

Illus. by Ken Brown, Mark Corcoran and Cathy Johnson. New Jersey: Just Us Books.