NURSERY RHYMES FOR MODERN TIMES

Willetts presents a collection of poems for young children about the accomplishments of historic and contemporary Americans.

These poems, featuring 25 notable figures from America’s historic and recent past, are presented in a child-friendly style of couplets and quatrains that provide an understanding of how each subject fits into the mosaic of American history.  Most of the choices are unsurprising: founding fathers and presidents (Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln among them); inventors including Thomas A. Edison and Samuel Morse; and activists for human and civil rights like Frederick Douglass, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Martin Luther King, Jr. More unexpected selections include marine biologist and conservationist Rachel Carson and Indigenous Americans Sitting Bull and Sequoyah. The book begins with Benjamin Franklin: “He invented lightning rods and bifocal glasses; / He built elementary schools and college classes. / His Franklin Stove kept us warm at night. / He even found money for our freedom fight.” The collection ends with Neil Armstrong, who “landed the Eagle on Tranquility Base. / He was first on the moon for the human race.” The introduction includes recommendations for ways parents can use the book to teach children “from infancy into elementary school.” Each poem is followed by a “Teachable Moment” section about the lives, times, and historic influence of each subject; activities and questions are included to inspire readers to think beyond the poetry. (Regarding reporter Ida M. Tarbell, one suggested question is, “Should we believe everything we hear or read?”; questions following the poem on Frederick Douglass ask children to ponder the meaning of fairness and equality.) The author takes pains in a forthright afterword to acknowledge that “one can, no doubt, find flaws in some of those depicted in this book,” and that some adults may have preferred other choices. But Willetts notes that the deliberate emphasis here is on the achievements and positive qualities of the subjects. Sasheva’s lavish, full-page, painterly illustrations of each person featured provide visual interest for all ages and are incorporated into suggested seek-and-find activities.

Simple poems and thoughtful, child-appropriate context make for a worthy kids’ intro to American history.