The inner city Mother Goose
Eve Merriam, Lawrence Ratzkin (Illustrator)
Mother Goose rhymes were not always considered to be nonsensical fare for young children, originally these verses were written as social and political commentary. In 1969 when author Eve Merriam wanted to comment about social and political issues of the time, she turned to Mother Goose rhymes in a nod to their original purpose. Her resultant poems, inspired by traditional "nursery rhymes," depict the grim reality of inner city life, including such topics as crime, drug abuse, unemployment, and inadequate housing
Print Book, English, 1969
Simon and Schuster, New York, 1969