The Little Mother Goose is today better known simply as Mother Goose. Many illustrators pictured this classic book for kids yet only a few can compare with the popularity of the edition by Jessie Willcox Smith. She worked for Good Housekeeping for years before publishing of this book and illustrated numerous old children's verses, first strictly in black and white, later also in full color.
Editors at Good Housekeeping decided to put all existing material and add some new, all with images by Miss Willcox Smith to make an attractive book which was first published in 1918. It was a tremendous success and is actually still in print, although the copyright (you may note the notice in right down corner of the picture above) already expired. The edition from 1986, for instance, published by Derrydale Books, New York, and distributed by Crown Publishers, has just slightly different arrangement of some pictures and a few additional info about the collection and the artist.
This edition (1918) was published by Dodd, Mead & Company, New York.
Not all the rhymes (hundreds of them) in the book were illustrated by they were listed in an alphabet order on five consecutive pages with a nice decorative header on the top of the first one.
All the pictures in color are listed on another page. This listing is decorated as well. As you can see there are exactly ten full page full color illustrations, each accompanying different verse and scene from the child's life.
All illustrations, not matter if they are black and white or color, are presented in the rest of the post. Black and white images (there are exactly sixty of them) are often small and it would be wrong to cut them from the context because they really become alive when they are connected with the text on the same page. So we decided to present all illustrated pages with pictures and text. The pagination is seen as well. Later we intend to add a few tidbits related to specific verses as well. But for now, enjoy the pictures.
At such images with a stylish sun hat and voluminous crinoline it's hard to avoid comparison with Kate Greenaway.
That's all from the book. An interesting fact about the fictional character Mother Goose, who dates at least back to the middle of the 17th century:
There is an organisation called Mother Goose Society which promotes Mother Goose Day since 1987 when it was founded by Gloria T. Delamar, when she published her book tiled (what else) Mother Goose - From Nursery to Literature. This unusual (and unofficial, yet pretty popular in some circles) holiday is celebrated every May 1st (check May calendars for more interesting holidays and observations in May) and promotes reading fairy tales and nursery rhymes to youngsters. It's a lovely opportunity for bonding among uncles, aunts, parents, grandparents, and - of course - kids.