Nursery Rhymes (Mother Goose)

I am the first song you ever knew, a happy little secret whispered before bedtime. I am the bounce in a game, the rhythm you clap to, and the silly words that make you giggle. You have felt me in the twinkle of a star and imagined me in a dish running away with a spoon. I am not just one story, but hundreds of little rhymes living together, like a big, happy family of songs. You might know me as 'Humpty Dumpty' or 'Hey Diddle Diddle'. I am the Nursery Rhymes of Mother Goose.

For hundreds of years, I lived only in the air, passed from parents to children as songs and games. I didn't have one single creator; I was made by many generations of families who added their own little twists. Then, in the year 1697, a writer in France named Charles Perrault used the name 'Mother Goose' for his book of fairy tales. People loved that name. Later, in England, a kind publisher named John Newbery had a wonderful idea. Around the year 1781, he gathered many of the rhymes people had been singing for years—like 'Jack and Jill' and 'Baa, Baa, Black Sheep'—and printed them in a book called 'Mother Goose's Melody'. For the very first time, I had a home on a page for all children to read and share.

Once I was in a book, it was like I got a ticket to travel the world. I could visit children in faraway towns and even cross big oceans. My simple, catchy rhymes helped children learn to count their numbers, say the alphabet, and understand the world in a fun way. Even now, you can find me in cartoons, songs, and games you play on the playground. I am the itsy bitsy spider who teaches you not to give up and the little lamb who follows Mary everywhere. I am a timeless treasure, a collection of joy that connects you to every child who has ever sung my songs. I am here to remind you that a little bit of rhythm and a silly rhyme will always make the world a brighter place.