El Hermoso Libro De Rimas

Nursery rhymes with their short phrases and spirited cadences become part of a child's language and literature foundation sometimes before they are even born.  The reading, reciting and singing of these poetic pieces span generations.  All you need to do is begin one of the more popular titles and everyone, regardless of their age, will join in.

Many nursery rhymes are a reflection of the culture and historical time period in which they originated.  One of the better known collections of nursery rhymes are those bearing the name of Mother Goose.  La Madre Goose: Nursery Rhymes for Los Ninos (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, July 19, 2016) written by Susan Middleton Elya with illustrations by Juana Martinez-Neal is a charming bilingual blend and interpretation of eighteen of those poems.

Maria Had a Little Oveja
Maria had a little oveja.
Its lana was white as snow.
And everywhere that Maria went,
la oveja was sure to go. ...

In Baa, Baa, Black Oveja the words are changed to create a more familial setting for young readers but keep the same beat.  One bag of wool is given to my sister and my mother (madre) and the third is shared by my brother and my father (padre).  The theme of Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater is abbreviated but works splendidly.  His wife is able to use her artistic talents matching casita and bonita.

Little Miss Amarilla (Little Miss Muffet) and Young Juan Ramon (Little Jack Horner) have new twists when it comes to food selections; beans and rice, guacamole, tomato and beans.  Monday's Child names the days in Spanish but the final line gives a nod to an occupation which could lead to further discussion.

But the child that is born on domingo day
will be un toreador. !Ole!

A rhythmic rendition of One Potato, Dos Potatoes is created by substituting Spanish for the numbers in the first two lines and using Spanish entirely for the final two phrases.

In Old Mother Hubbard the dog, while still going without a treat or meal, does receive something special.  What Are Las Ninas (Little Girls) Made Of? and What Are Los Ninos (Little Boys) Made Of? are a lighthearted look at these rhymes with the slight changes making them absolutely perfect.  Readers will surely giggle at the antics of the dish in Hey, Diddle, Diddle.  

Moving toward the close of day we lift our eyes to the sky.  A star will still twinkle like un diamante.  And la luna will still see you as you gaze at her glowing, growing shapes.


Adeptly Susan Middleton Elya places Spanish for English.  Her gift is in knowing when to substitute one for the other without losing the cadence of the original rhyme.  When the words are changed they ring culturally true.  When Elya rewrites the poem creating a new rhyme, the bones of the first still remain.  Here is an entire rhyme.

What Are Las Ninas Made Of?
What are las ninas made of?
What are las ninas made of?
Azucar and flores
and all los colores.
That's what las ninas are made of! 


When you open the dust jacket for this title it sings of shared moments; it calls out to readers asking them to speak the words within aloud.  The charming scene of La Madre Goose happily walking with the laughing children on her back is a prelude to delight.  To the left, on the back, continuing with the yellow background bordered in delicate branches are small pictures of el gato and the fiddle, three little gatitos and baa, baa, black oveja.

On the book case colored in a pale sage green with the branches framing the edges in white a child sits cozily on a crescent moon on the front. They are clothed in striped pajamas wearing a wreath of branches and holding a stuffed toy cow.  You already want to be a part of the world you know you will find inside this book.  The matching opening and closing endpapers in a dusty teal hue with the palest similar shade are thirty etched images with labels in Spanish.  Some of them have more than one portion labeled.

Rendered in acrylics, colored pencils and graphite on handmade textured paper the exquisite illustrations by Juana Martinez-Neal, covering either a single page or two, are brimming with warmth and merriment.  Readers will pause at each page turn to enjoy her fine-lined tender details. The facial expression on all the characters will have you wanting to reach out and hug them all.  Her visuals extend the rhyme.

In This Little Cerdo Went to Market a little girl is chatting with a pig sitting next to her.  On the wall she has drawn all the parts of the poem in white chalk.  Mice can be seen laughing after they've taken the little kittens' mittens and then they are throwing them back for the second portion of the rhyme.  The Itsy Aranita is wearing a red and white polka-dot dress, eight white boots and carrying an umbrella, wondering if the sun will stay out.

One of my many favorite illustrations is for the rhyme One Potato, Dos Potatoes.  Spanning two pages the scene unfolds in a garden.  Along the edges of the garden are dainty purple flowers with yellow centers.  On the right side is a bag full of potatoes, labeled papas.  Standing on top is a rabbit holding a potato to be placed in the bag.  Next to the bag is another rabbit watching a third rabbit on the left.  This bunny is handing a potato from a row to a little girl.  She is wearing polka-dot tights, a jumper and a yellow and orange striped shirt.  In her hair are some of those purple flowers.


La Madre Goose: Nursery Rhymes for Los Ninos written by Susan Middleton Elya with illustrations by Juana Martinez-Neal is a wonderful addition to the children's literature realm.  It will have appeal for both English and Spanish speaking readers creating connections between cultures.  In the front of the book there is an extensive glossary of the Spanish words with their English translations.  You will want to include this title in your personal and professional nursery rhyme collections.

To discover more about Susan Middle Elya and Juana Martinez-Neal and their work please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  At Juana Martinez-Neal's site you can view several interior images from this title.  She also has a link to a blog she maintains.  Both Susan Middle Elya and Juana Martinez-Neal have accounts on Twitter at @susanpolkadot and @juanamartinez respectively.

Chasing That Shoe

I love it when my mind's eye sees something while my conscience eyes are focused on something else entirely.  While looking ahead at a special section in the public library this past week, what should register on my radar but the new Alison Murray book, One Two That's My Shoe!(Disney-Hyperion Books, June 5, 2012)  I was as pleased as could be to see the rascally familiar black and white pooch on the cover in all his lovable glory. 

As in the first book, Apple Pie ABC, Georgie and his human, Grace, are characters in the retelling of an old nursery rhyme.  Alison Murray's version of "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe" is a series of classic "catch-me-if-you-can" snapshots.  This youthful chant has never been better than when altered by the clever words and artwork of Murray.

Grace is all comfy in the big red chair reading with Georgie comfortably resting, his head on her lap.  When she leaves the room, Georgie follows.  Spying her pair of red shoes unattended on the floor, keeping his eyes on Grace, Georgie picks one up, running away.  One and two have been counted.

Once three and four have been noted Georgie has left the house.  Leading his girl on a merry path through a group of butterflies, into the tulips, through the trees, past laundry on a line and into chicks with hens, the dog on the run is clearly having great fun as the counting is done.  Finding himself in a bit of trouble, Georgie is grateful for Grace's intervention; giving her the most favored show of affection, a doggy kiss. 

As in Apple Pie ABC the front cover foreshadows the storyline Murray will chose to follow but the back cover, rather than a continuation of the front, again gives readers a hint about the book's conclusion.  The endpapers, front and back, feature large blocks framing elements from Georgie's romp with Grace in the upper left-hand corner pursuing the wayward dog as he scurries off the page in the lower right-hand corner.  In this volume red is still prevalent but in use as more of an accent color.

Alison Murray has chosen to vary her palette from the warmer shades of red, orange and yellow with spots of blue found in Apple Pie ABC to the cooler hues of greens and blues with more white space; numbers are in white within squares of blue.  Beneath each number in a paler, dusty turquoise are small representations of the objects used in the counting; three teddy bears, five butterflies, seven trees.  The two page spread including the verso and title page actually begin the story. 

With the exception of four pages all the visuals are two page spreads; indicating the chase is on.  Despite Georgie's escape with Grace's shoe, Murray has made it clear with the lift of an eyebrow, the curve of a mouth and open-eyed looks, this game may have been played and even enjoyed before...well, at least on Georgie's part.  Combining digital drawings with textures created using other mediums, works in these illustrations to give readers a sense of lightness, playfulness and inviting openness. 

One Two That's My Shoe! is not only a rousing variation of an old favorite but the illustrations by Alison Murray are so charming readers will be leaning in as the pages are turned.  Join in the counting waggery with this delightful duo.  This title begs to be used in creative drama.

The Alphabet Never Tasted So Good

Recently browsing through one of my favorite local bookstores, a book resting on the shelves beckoned to me.  Scottish author/illustrator, Alison Murray, has fashioned an alphabet book, Apple Pie ABC (Hyperion, May 31, 2011), that is good enough to eat.  Her take on the classic nursery rhyme is fresh, vibrant, unique and just plain delectable.

Georgie, a lovable mutt, is on a quest for the apparently unattainable.  His forever friend, Grace, has made an apple pie.  Nothing will deter her canine companion from acquiring that apple pie.

Every letter of the alphabet follows Georgie in his persistent efforts.  A apple pie, B bake it, C cool it, ...N not giving up, O ogle it, P pine for it, ...U underneath it, V very nearly, and W whoops!  Despite Grace's attempts to protect her perfect pastry Georgie's goal is met.  Love for Georgie shines through in Grace's final peek at her best buddy.

It was color that first brought my eye to Apple Pie ABC.  Rich reds radiate throughout the book beginning and continuing with vibrant text. Large blocks of red surround each creamy alphabet letter or they are shown entirely in red. 

Murray's endpapers are a collage of squares highlighting A, B, and C with Grace and Georgie silhouetted in opposite corners as ingredients and cooking utensils fill the others.  The title and publication information is laid out across double pages picturing Grace at a table reading a recipe book with Georgie smiling looking up.  Letters A, I and Z are illustrated using two pages while the remaining letters may have a single page or share space with letters; pleasing in its effect but also creating tension as Georgie nears his objective.

Use of orange, blue, golden yellow, spots of pale green and black coupled with the illustrative design bring a warm nostalgic feel to the title. Apple pie is definitely comfort food.  Murray's interpretation of two friends sharing while the one is the creator and the other the consumer is lovable in every aspect; word choices are the kind that roll around on your tongue in joyful anticipation.

In an email request as to her techniques employed in illustrating this book she generously responded as follows:

I mainly work on computer.  First I draw the characters and some of the background objects in Adobe Illustrator.  Then by hand, I create different textures using pastels, paint strokes and various print techniques.  I scan these into my computer and then combine the two in Photoshop.  I think the blotches and happy accidents that you can make by hand humanise the line work drawn on computer.  I built up the image in layers a bit like the process of screen printing but on the computer. You can keep changing the colours till you (are) completely happy with the final illustration.

I see that another book, One Two That's My Shoe, featuring at least Georgie, will be released in 2012; lucky readers one and all.  Sharing Apple Pie ABC with others as a group or one on one is something to be relished repeatedly.  I can visualize a group acting out Georgie's antics as we weave our way through the alphabet toward a taste of that perfect pie. 

Alison Murry has a picturesque web site devoted to Apple Pie ABC.   Please see it by clicking on the link at the top.  Offering interesting information and fun activities it is a plus for viewers.