Most Popular Books by Iona Opie

For nearly forty years Iona Opie worked with her late husband Peter on a notable series of books on the traditional lore of childhood. As part of the fieldwork from 1970 onwards, she visited the local school playground every week. The children accepted Mrs Opie as a regular feature of the playground, a harmless collector of jokes and games. Her aim, however, was to provide the living context of school-lore, rather than the lore itself. She achieved this by writing down events exactly as they happened, and conversations exactly as they were spoken. The result is a startlingly honest portrait of children at play, at once charming and hilarious, alarming and poignant, and full of infectious vitality. We see games seasons as they come and go, watch ephemeral amusements being devised and forgotten, and see how school-lore evolves and is transmitted. Much fundamental human behaviour is recoreded: the differences in attitudes between the sexes; the boys'' irrevocable devotion to fighting and football, and their innate kindness; the art of storytelling; the friendships and enmities; the excited interest in sex; the diversity of characters; and above all, the hilarity which pervades the playground, creating entertainment out of trivialities. In the uninhibited language and astonishing inventiveness chronicled in these pages we recognize the games and jokes of previous generations; at once a revelation and a reassurance of continuity, this book offers a unique insight into the world of the child.

Twenty years after Iona Opie and Rosemary Wells released their first collection of Mother Goose rhymes, the celebrated original is back in a gorgeous anniversary edition. To a small child, words are magical. And the most magical of all are the beloved words of Mother Goose. Here, folklorist Iona Opie has gathered more than sixty treasured rhymes in their most perfect, honest forms, from “Hey Diddle, Diddle" and “Pat-a-Cake” to “Little Jack Horner” and “Pussycat, Pussycat” — familiar verses that have been passed from parent to child for generations and are every child’s birthright. With watercolors by Rosemary Wells capturing the simple joy and sly humor of the classic nursery rhymes, this special anniversary volume features a case cover and jacket and includes a note from the illustrator on the unparalleled influence of Mother Goose, both during childhood and far beyond it.

SUMMARY: Presents the texts of twenty-four well-known fairy tales as they were first printed in English and summarizes the history of each title, especially from the textual point of view.

A collection of eight nursery rhymes including "Wee Willie Winkie," "Jack and Jill," and "Star Light, Star Bright." On board pages.

This board book offers a selection of Mother Goose nursery rhymes.

Presents reproductions of a variety of early 19th-century children''s books including rhymed alphabets, nursery rhymes, a pictorial grammar, limericks, and nonsense rhymes.

This board book of classic nursery rhymes introduces children to the magic of Mother Goose! Heartwarming illustrations and over 24 traditional rhymes and verses -- taken from the classic versions -- will delight babies, toddlers, and parents alike. This charming board book lovingly brings to life Little Miss Muffett, Humpty Dumpty, Mary, Mary Quite Contrary, and Little Boy Blue, as well as a host of other favorites for children to laugh with and treasure. This Mother Goose collection is the perfect addition to any family''s library.

These four bright board books, based on "My Very First Mother Goose", the award-winning classic, bring the timeless rhymes to the youngest children in a user-friendly format featuring large letters, a generous page size, and sturdy board pages. Full color.

This collection of fifty-nine poems spans six hundred years of literary tradition, from Chaucer to Auden, and includes such selections as Pope''s "Rape of the Lock" and Coleridge''s "Ancient Mariner."