Starred Review ALA Booklist (Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2011)

Starred Review Having 50 of the finest cartoonists draw simple nursery rhymes, each no more than two or three pages long, is such a crazy move that it's borderline genius. The ridiculously deep pool of talent here includes those who work in kids' comics circles (Eleanor Davis, Gene Luen Yang, Raina Telgemeier) and those more known in the indie scene (Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez, Tony Millionaire, Kate Beaton). Illustrating these near-nonsensical rhymes allows the artists all kinds of creative license. Some toy around with the original, like James Sturm's "Jack Be Nimble," in which Jack admonishes the reader for suggesting he do anything as foolish as jumping over a lit flame, only to turn away and reveal a scorched bum. Others play it more straight with equally splendid results, such as Craig Thompson's sumptuous take on "The Owl and the Pussycat." This collection is a truly dual-purpose book: the dizzying array of visual styles will delight kids encountering these nursery rhymes for the first time, while the great versatility of the medium will make the familiar fresh again for their parents. As if all that weren't enough of a bounty, the esteemed Leonard S. Marcus provides a characteristically illuminating introduction. A can't-miss treasure chest for any collection.

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

No fewer than 50 cartoonists and comic-book artists provide distinctive visual riffs on as many nursery rhymes in this memorable showcase. Featuring plenty of the usual chestnuts ("Mary Had A Little Lamb," "Hey, Diddle Diddle," etc.) interspersed with an array of such less-well-known entries as "The Lion and the Unicorn," "Yon Yonson," "Cindereller" and "There Was an Old Woman Tossed Up in a Basket," the choice of verses alone makes this a refreshing change of pace for children and parents. The "rich, loam-like mix" of artists, as scholar Leonard Marcus puts it in his well-caffeinated introduction, gives these "nutshell narratives" a "back-story elaboration" that ranges from "endearing slapstick" to "noir-ishly operatic high drama." Lucy Knisley's "Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe" is a tattooed rocker who runs a daycare center. David Macaulay repeatedly builds up London Bridge in typically complete and precisely drawn detail. Each of Cyril Pedrosa's five little piggies has a (sometimes fatal) encounter with a wolf. Most of the illustrations are framed in sequential panels, though Jules Feiffer, Craig Thompson, Gahan Wilson and some others take more freestyle narrative approaches. Visually far more complicated than the usual toddler-friendly nursery fare, this is best saved for older children—and for parents who crave a little graphic stimulation after putting baby to bed. As much as the visual styles may vary, the high levels of wit and invention never falter. (Graphic nursery rhymes. 5 & up)

Horn Book (Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2012)

In this sequel to The Pale Assassin, aristocrat Euginie flees the French Revolution to live with her English cousin Hetta until anxiety about her brother pulls Euginie back to Paris. With courage and luck, the cousins navigate the political factions dividing the country as well as the vicious plots of Raoul Goullet. The story is rich in historical detail and adventure.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

No fewer than 50 cartoonists and comic-book artists provide distinctive visual riffs on as many nursery rhymes in this memorable showcase. Featuring plenty of the usual chestnuts ("Mary Had A Little Lamb," "Hey, Diddle Diddle," etc.) interspersed with an array of such less-well-known entries as "The Lion and the Unicorn," "Yon Yonson," "Cindereller" and "There Was an Old Woman Tossed Up in a Basket," the choice of verses alone makes this a refreshing change of pace for children and parents. The "rich, loam-like mix" of artists, as scholar Leonard Marcus puts it in his well-caffeinated introduction, gives these "nutshell narratives" a "back-story elaboration" that ranges from "endearing slapstick" to "noir-ishly operatic high drama." Lucy Knisley's "Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe" is a tattooed rocker who runs a daycare center. David Macaulay repeatedly builds up London Bridge in typically complete and precisely drawn detail. Each of Cyril Pedrosa's five little piggies has a (sometimes fatal) encounter with a wolf. Most of the illustrations are framed in sequential panels, though Jules Feiffer, Craig Thompson, Gahan Wilson and some others take more freestyle narrative approaches. Visually far more complicated than the usual toddler-friendly nursery fare, this is best saved for older children—and for parents who crave a little graphic stimulation after putting baby to bed. As much as the visual styles may vary, the high levels of wit and invention never falter. (Graphic nursery rhymes. 5 & up)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

In this easy-to-read and fun to read aloud collection, classic nursery rhymes get a contemporary spin from artists as varied as the New Yorker's Roz Chast and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. Each miniature story is beautifully colored, making each two-page spread a visual treat, and the traditional panel form of comics and graphic novels merge easily with the syncopated beats of the familiar rhymes. The interpretations of the nursery songs range from literal-such as Lilli Carré's "Sing a Song of Sixpence" to the slightly wacky. In Dave Roman's "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe," the numbers in the title refer to tiny clones created by a wizard inventor, with the help of gadgets like the Clone Master 3000 and the Mega Incubator. And any preconceived notions you have about old women living in footwear should be abandoned before reading Lucy Kinsley's delightfully original "There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe." Instead of a crotchety crone, the titular woman lives in a funky boot and runs Ruth's Rock & Rock Babysitting. Every panel explodes with enough rich detail to keep attention glued to the page. Ages 3-up. (Aug.)

School Library Journal (Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2011)

Gr 3 Up-Fifty artists have taken on 50 old-fashioned nursery rhymes, resulting in an anthology that is funny, strange, sweet, and surprising. Some of the artists, like Nick Bruel and Marc Rosenthal, are familiar names in children's publishing; some, like the talented Mo Oh and Jen Wang, are relative newcomers. Craig Thompson and Jaime Hernandez are better known for their adult graphic novels, while Tony Millionaire and Patrick O'Donnell are more frequently found in the newspaper. The dizzying variety of mediums, styles, and techniques employed by these artists joyfully demonstrates the range and the limits to which the comics can be pushed. But as pleasurable as it is to survey this art, what really stands out is the way the artists have interpreted the texts. Many nursery rhymes, after all, have tragic or violent overtones, and most make little or no literal sense. Therefore, Scott Campbell draws "Pop! Goes the Weasel" as a series of tiny stories, each interrupted by that rascally weasel. Lucy Knisley turns "The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe" into a happy old punk-rock hippie babysitter who "whips" the kids into a rock-and-roll frenzy before putting them to bed, happily tuckered out. Dave Roman populates "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe" with a series of gnomelike clones and a wizardly inventor, while Craig Thompson draws a fairly literal interpretation of Edward Lear's "The Owl and the Pussycat." Add this updated nursery rhyme collection to any library whose readers appreciate both the silly and the sublime. It's clearly not your mother's Mother Goose. Paula Willey, Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, MD