Traditional Mother Goose rhymes.

From the international bestselling author of Red Herrings and White Elephants—a curious guide to the hidden histories of classic nursery rhymes. Who was Mary Quite Contrary, or Georgie Porgie? How could Hey Diddle Diddle offer an essential astronomy lesson? Do Jack and Jill actually represent the execution of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette? And if Ring Around the Rosie isn’t about the plague, then what is it really about? This book is a quirky, curious, and sometimes sordid look at the truth behind popular nursery rhymes that uncovers the strange tales that inspired them—from Viking raids to political insurrection to smuggling slaves to freedom. Read Albert Jack's posts on the Penguin Blog.

From nonsense to lessons learned, these 45 rhymes include Mother Goose favourites including Itsy Bitsy Spider, The Queen of Hearts, Ride a Cock Horse, and more, illustrated in detail by Scott Gustafson.

Bring the magic of nursery rhymes alive with this lovely collection of popular nursery-rhyme characters. The book includes a wide variety of projects of different levels to knit from scratch. Choose from beloved human characters, such as Little Miss Muffett or Jack and Jill, or delightful animals. Why not knit up five little ducks or five little monkeys? All the nursery rhymes are featured alongside the knitting patterns, so you can enjoy the book with young children or simply indulge in a nostalgic trip down memory lane.