And the Green Grass Grew All Around

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Swartz, Alvin. 2001. AND THE GREEN GRASS GREW ALL AROUND. Ill by Sue Truesdell. Topeka, KS: HarperTrophy. ISBN 978-0-613-18231-7.

2. SUMMARY
This lovely book is a collection of “folk poetry from everyone.” Its gems include jumping rope rhymes, teases and taunts, riddles and warnings. The poems are organized by topic or usage and accompanied by cartoonish black and white illustrations.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This compilation of both familiar and new (to me, at least!) folk poetry is sure to please children who will delight in such rhymes as “Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, I bit the teacher’s toe.” The slightly naughty rhymes are presented in all of their schoolyard glory, without censorship or judgment. Many of the poems are accompanied by tune suggestions and some even include brief ‘sheet music’ to help an adult, (or musically educated child) figure out how they should be sung. Some of the poems are introduced, or fleshed out with explanation for their origins or word definitions and the book finishes with a full bibliography and index of first lines. This book will provide hours of fun and laughter and it may surprise some students to learn their favorite schoolyard rhymes are in print.

The illustrations in this book are cartoon drawings in black and white and are a great compliment to the hilarious text. Although the illustrations are sparse, (not everyone poems gets its own illustration) Truesdell does a great job of making the pictures as exciting and humorous as the poems.

Recommend this book to every child you know who gets a kick out of Shel Silverstein’s “Where the Sidewalk Ends”

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Notable Children's Books of 1993 (ALA)
Children's Books of 1992 (Library of Congress)
Starred Review in BOOKLIST - The late Alvin Schwartz has left a joyful legacy in this collection of folk poetry for everyone to share.
School Library Journal - Read this outrageous volume before it is shelved; once the kids discover it, it will always be checked out.

5. CONNECTIONS
*A great way to introduce the concept of ‘folk literature’.
Silverstein, Shel. WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS. ISBN 0060572345.