Title: Pocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes
Author: Salley Mavor
ISBN: 9780618737406
Pages: 62 pages
Publisher/Date: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, c2010.

All households should have at least one collection of nursery rhymes for parents and caregivers to expose their children. This collection of nursery rhymes is a must have for any craft-minded parents. I can’t imagine the hours that Salley Mavor must have put in to delicately crafting and detailing scenes for each of the nursery rhymes. Not solely made from material, Ms. Mavor incorporates 3D objects into her creations, from buckles for “One, two, buckle my shoe” to tiny bells and shells for contrary Mary’s garden. Tiny utensils are used in Jack Sprat’s kitchen, silk flower petals (or maybe they are real) are used for some of the skirts, and the baby is rocked in the tree top quietly cocooned in what appears to be a walnut-shell. Even the stars twinkle on page 57 which includes “Star light, star bright” and “Twinkle, twinkle, little star.” And are those real eggs for Hickety pickety my black hen?

The book is filled with rhymes that you might already know, and some will sound familiar and you wouldn’t have realized you forgot them if you hadn’t been reminded. But there is still something for everyone to enjoy and learn. For me, I learned the second verses for Old King Cole and Jack and Jill. A coworker of mine was rendered speechless by the work on page 21 depicting wise old owl in a tree that is completely covered in unique cross stitching of various colors, providing a shaded look and the impression of light. I have two favorites that impress me for the same reasons. I throughly enjoyed Old King Cole’s castle, complete with individual bricks and shingles and “stonework” around the arched windows and door. That same stonework appears in the rhyme for Humpty Dumpty, who is overlooking Peter Piper picking peppers. The wall has two wooden gates, one of which has hinges and the other one is “tied” to the wooden posts.

A great choice for any new parent or grandparent. While anyone will certainly find something to ohh and ahh over, those who are crafty will probably get the most appreciation out of it. You can check out Ms. Mayor’s website/blog for more examples of her work. She recently did a post showcasing the creation of the Hornbook magazine cover, which you can read about here.

This post is in honor of Nonfiction Mondays. For the entire round-up of all the bloggers who participated, check out Mary Ann Scheuer over at Great Kids Books.