Hi & welcome to week 11 of Book Trivia Tuesday!  Last week we discussed the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, Selma Lagerlof.

This week we are switching gears & going even further back in history to the beginnings of the Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes.  Here is this week's question:  Where did the Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes Originate?

In January, I found a beautiful edition of Mother Goose by Fern & Frank Peat which was published in 1929.  It is filled with the most beautiful art deco illustrations (but I digress), in the beginning of the book is the history of Mother Goose & I was fascinated to learn more about these classics that have stood the test of time.

Did you know Mother Goose was first used as an English rhyme book in 1760 by John Newbery (yes, the same John Newbery we now have the Newbery Medal Award for the most distinguished contributions to American literature for children) entitled Mother Goose's Melody?  But the history is even older than that.  

"The title was borrowed from the French book of stories Contes de Ma Maere L'oye or Tales of My Mother Goose by Charles Perrault published in 1697.  This was the first appearance of Mother Goose in print, however, according to tradition, she had long been a popular teller of tales, and her origin is traced to the mother of Charlemagne, called Queen Goosefoot, who was a special patroness of children."

Read below for even more history of the Mother Goose Tales.  They date back to Shakespeare & earlier.  These sweet stories, poems & rhymes have stood the test of time & are still treasures today! 

To add some wonderful Nursery Rhymes to your own collection, click here.