Mother Goose of Pudding Lane: A Small Tall Tale. Told by Chris Raschka, with pictures by Vladimir Radunsky. Candlewick Press. Penguin Random House. 2019. $23.99 ages 6 and up

"The cock crows in the morn
To tell us to rise,
And he that lies late
Will never be wise:

For early to bed
And early to rise
Is the way to be healthy
And wealthy and wise."

This is a story about a real Mother Goose. Her name was Elizabeth Foster, and she married Isaac Goose in the late 17th century. He was the father of 10 children. After Elizabeth and Isaac married, they added four more to their already very large family. Does that remind you of a nursery rhyme? I am certain this family did NOT live in a shoe.

"Elizabeth Goose was certainly a mother,
and she was also a Goose.

She must have told stories.
She probably recited rhymes.
With fourteen children, how could she
not sing lullabies?"

Chris Raschka tells her story with a wide selection of verses that reflect the lives the Goose family lived - how the two met, the proposal, the marriage, and the life they had once married. It is a story told poetically. The nursery rhymes chosen for the telling are penned in a more original version than the ones we have come to know, love, and share with our children. The language used reflects upon the time in which the family lived.

There is talk that Elizabeth did indeed write lullabies and verses to occupy and entertain her many children. Unfortunately, there is no proof of them being published as no original copy has been found. Mr. Raschka includes his own poems, mixed with traditional rhymes. Was she the REAL Mother Goose, or one of many? We don't know, but it is lovely to think that Elizabeth might have been.

Vladimir Radunsky chose to use gouache and pencil to create his wise and humorous images that perfectly match the text and the way in which the words are placed on the book's pages.

It's important to note that many children today know few of these rhymes. So unfortunate, as we know that hearing and learning rhymes is very important for little children in developing a literary language. Kids who recognize rhyme are often much more accomplished readers in early years classrooms. This book could be the impetus in a classroom to reintroduce students to the real joy to be found in hearing and repeating traditional nursery rhymes. Why not try it?