Children enjoy singing Mother Goose nursery rhymes.
Children of all ages recite Mother Goose stories. They are prevalent in children's literature and cinema. "Mother Goose is not actually stories, but short poems called nursery rhymes," writes librarian Lorie O'Donnell. Animation and cartoons dominate Mother Goose movies. Most live-action Mother Goose films or videos have puppets. Sometimes children are dressed in costumes. Vintage videos show actors presenting the poems on stage. The rhymes are often presented in songs.
History of Mother Goose
"Ring Around the Rosie" is a Mother Goose poem
Mother Goose history begins in the 17th century, when French writer Charles Perrault mentioned Mother Goose in his book of fairy tales. John Newberry later published "Mother Goose's Melody; or Sonnets for the Cradle" in England around 1765. Mother Goose rhymes include "Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater," "Little Miss Muffet," "Little Boy Blue" and "Ring-A-Round A Rosie."
Television Mother Goose Videos
Puppets can be Mother Goose props.
Many television shows for children teach Mother Goose rhymes. The dinosaur character Barney has a Mother Goose video titled "The Mother Goose Collection." He also has an older version called "Barney and Friends. A Little Mother Goose." The Muppets are featured in "Jim Henson Presents Mother Goose Stories."
Online Mother Goose Features
Mother Goose movies are available online.
Online live-action Mother Goose collections feature new and vintage films. The website The Mother Goose Club features children actors dressed in character. They sing the nursery rhymes. The Internet Movie Archive has two Mother Goose downloads. "Fantasy of Dreams" is a short silent film about a girl dreaming about Mother Goose books. Then she acts out each rhyme. Rhymes with a holiday twist are featured in "Santa Visits the Magic Land of Mother Goose."
Hard to find Live-Action Films
Old films feature Mother Goose.
Fans of vintage preschool television can find a Library of Congress listing for Captain Kangaroo. He made a video called the "Tales of Mother Goose and the World of Make Believe." H.G. Lewis, the director of "Santa Visits the Magic Land of Mother Goose," also made "The Magic Land of Mother Goose." Also look for "Songs from Mother Goose" and "Mother Goose Rock-n-Rhyme."
Additional Mother Goose Videos
Mother Goose has a large following.
Sesame Street has three live-action videos on their website, "Mother Goose: When I Grow Up," "Mother Goose: The Shoe People" and "Mother Goose Jamboree." Children learn reading through repetition. Mother Goose poems and rhymes are available in film, books and toys. Perhaps a live-action Mother Goose film will inspire children to perform the stories.
