4 and 20 Blackbirds: Old Nursery Rhymes
Collected by Helen Dean Fish (sound familiar, she also wrote Animals of the Bible, the 1938 Winner)
Illustrated by Robert Lawson
Robert Lawson (October 4, 1892 – May 27, 1957) was an American author and illustrator of children's books. During World War I, he also served as a camouflage artist. After the war, Lawson resumed his work as an artist, and in 1922, illustrated his first children's book, The Wonderful Adventures of Little Prince Toofat. Subsequently he illustrated dozens of children's books by other authors, including such well-known titles as The Story of Ferdinand the Bull by Munro Leaf (which later became an animated film by the Walt Disney Studios) and Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater. In total, he illustrated as many as forty books by other authors, and another seventeen books that he himself was author of, including Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin By His Good Mouse Amos and Rabbit Hill. His work was widely admired, and he became the first person to be given both the Caldecott Medal (They Were Strong and Good, 1941) and the Newbery Medal (Rabbit Hill, 1945).Book Summary
This is a collection of classis nursery rhymes that were passed orally to children. Helen Dean Fish comments that she wanted to get them on paper because there was no collection in a book like this one.
Okay now the real summary:
Classis Nursery Rhymes!! What can you say, how sad, how evil, how scary! I would not read many of these to my children. Funny how times change! They are supposed to teach lessons but man did they show the negative side of breaking the rules! Fun to read as an adult, not so much for a child!
Illustrations:
Art Medium: pen and ink
What do I think? This book has black and green ink along with the white space that is created. They pictures seem to have a bit of whimsy to them. The human characters appear realistic with a bit of silly. There was one in particular that I enjoyed it was Number 7 (you my number!) called Poor Lady Dumpling.
Poor Lady Dumpling,
Poor Lady Dumpling,
She grew so fat and big
She couldn’t ride in coach or cars
Or even in a gig.
So round she had to trot,
Till on a summer’s day
The sun came out so hot,
She melted all away.
The illustration of this poem made me laugh and still does! There is a lady with a big huge dress on and the bottom of the dress seems to melt into the ground! Then she is holding this very small umbrella that really is of no use, it looks like the size used for a Barbie doll. Then she has chin after chin after chin! The thought used when illustrating this rhyme! Funny stuff!
So in summary the illustrations are well done, they bring life to the rhymes in the book but I don’t think they are outstanding. (Again, just my personal opinion.)
Final Thoughts:1. Would this be a book I would pick up again? Probably Not
2. Would I recommend it to others to search out and take a look at? Not really
3. Would I spend my hard earned money on the book? Already did! J Should you? No just borrow mine!
Want more information? Here you go!
Here is a website with some images of his work.
http://www.bpib.com/illustrat/lawson.htm
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