Mother Goose Goes to India by Kabir Sehgal

Mother Goose Goes to India Reviews

• 
  Rosie

  If I could grant more stars to this book, I would! The author has reworked some notable mother goose rhymes to be more inclusive and the artwork is so bright and beautiful - it’s a really incredible read! There are definitions of the new words being used in the rhymes and there is one nursery rhyme per page. Such a beaut of a book!
• 
  Cheryl

  Absolutely wonderful concept. Adorable illustrations. The best rhymes imo are those that are rewritten, less amazing are those with just a word or two substituted. For example I particularly enjoyed "Ek, Do, Time to Go" as inspired by "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe."
  
  I'd love to see a 'sequel' with even more rewrites... especially those that need updating. For example we need Old King Cole to be doing something other than smoking a pipe, and who even buckles their shoes anymore?
  
  And nursery rhymes are important for pre-readers. Learning what words rhyme with each other helps children to see patterns and to be able to decode new words faster, for example. Also the cadence lends itself to memorization, and being able to memorize helps one to learn all sorts of basic skills as stable foundations for higher-order learning.
  
  Even better than
  La Madre Goose: Nursery Rhymes for Los Niños, imo, but that is absolutely worth finding, too.
• 
  Kelsey

  Age: Toddler-1st grade
  Identity: Indian & American/English fusion
  
  What a terrific blend of cultures that is expertly achieved by these wordsmiths! The cadence and "message" of the original Mother Goose rhymes are maintained with Hindi words peppered throughout. The illustrations are detailed enough that children can soak them in while the adult reads the fun wordplay (with phonetic translations for non-Hindi speakers). I can't wait to use some of these in my baby storytime!
• 
  Vernon Area Public Library KIDS

  Identity: Indian American
  Location: India
  
  What a terrific blend of cultures that is expertly achieved by these wordsmiths! The cadence and "message" of the original Mother Goose rhymes are maintained with Hindi words peppered throughout. The illustrations are detailed enough that children can soak them in while the adult reads the fun wordplay (with phonetic translations for non-Hindi speakers). I can't wait to use some of these in my baby storytime!
  
  Reviewed by: Miss Kelsey, Youth and School Services, Vernon Area Public Library
• 
  Lauren Dentler

  Summary: Mother Goose Goes to India is a book of popular nursery rhymes retold using Indian cultural symbols and language. The book explores the different names and cities in India while teaching students about important holiday traditions and experiences.
  
  This is a great book for librarians interested in growing their diverse books collection or their poetry collection. Mother Goose Goes to India blends popular nursery rhymes that students might know with a diverse culture they may or may not have experienced. This can be useful in a library, reading class, or social studies classroom.
  
  Pink's illustrations were vivid and endearing. The children in the book were diversely portrayed and the book featured Henna style artwork throughout. Henna is a dye that is used in India for temporary tattoos during weddings or holidays to celebrate. The inclusion of henna-style artwork in the book created something that was culturally relevant and beautiful but also acted as a celebration of the stories in the book.
  
  The writing in the book mirrored the traditional nursery rhymes we all know and love but with a few twists. The authors included words in Hindi within the nursery rhymes and changed aspects to better reflect Indian culture. This switch makes the book and the text more inclusive and more interesting for students reading the stories. When introducing this book into a classroom read-aloud or into the library it would be a great opportunity to share some of the beautiful differences in languages around the globe.
  
  Thematically Mother Goose Goes to India is a cultural celebration. At its core, it's about the fact that we are all connected through our love of language and stories even though we might express them differently around the globe. I found this book to be fun and engaging to read for students and will invite some fun discussions for teachers and students.
• 
  Kathryn

  Sooo cute! I love the way this weaves Hindi words into nursery rhymes familiar to most English-speaking children so that they can learn these new words in a contextually engaging way. Some are bit more effective than others, but overall the effect is charming and I love the illustrations -- they are beautiful yet also child-like and include some wonderful cultural nuances that enhance the overall experience of Mother Goose in India (can you find her on every page?) Some of the rhymes just plain substitute Hindi words for English words, ("Taara light, taara bright / First taara I see tonight") but my favorites are those that change just enough to provide some novelty, for example:
  
  Hickory, Dickory, Dock
  The chuha ran up the clock.
  The clock struck das
  The chuha made a fuss
  Hickory, dickory, dock
  -------------------
  chuha (CHOO-hah): mouse
  das (duhs): ten
  
  
  The back matter explains that the author loved Mother Goose nursery rhymes as a child in India and that "Mother Goose rhymes are universal, and they're read around the world." I do wish that the author's note had mentioned that there are many different languages spoken in India (Hindi is the first official language and most prevalent but there are actually 22 official languages). You can read more in this article on Babbel and I quote from it here: "The first thing you need to know about India’s linguistic landscape is that it’s impossible to speak about an ‘Indian language’ as if there were only one. Did you know that if two unknown Indians met randomly on the street, there would only be a 36% chance that they would understand each other? Of course, that 36% depends a lot on their ethnicity and place of origin." --
  https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/wh...
• 
  Thompson McLeod

  
  In this charming rendition of beloved Mother Goose rhymes, readers are transported to India where the colorful illustrations by Wazza Pink capture the country and culture in vibrant, bold orange, yellow, pink, green and purple, Each page is a blossom of Indian art and design. Not only beautiful, this lovely rhyming book captures the rhythm, beauty and joy of India by introducing readers to Indian words incuding dahi (yogurt), panee (water) and naan (Indian bread).
  
  Featuring Patty Cake (Pat-A Naan) and Star Light, Star Bright (Taara LIght, Taara Bright) and thirteen other Mother Goose favorites, children are sure to love this introduction to Mother Goose and the Indian language.
  
  Highly, highly recommended baby-5 years old. A must-have for every child reader.
• 
  Ms.Gaye

  15 traditional English nursery rhymes have been creatively redone with an Indian twist - (ex. Jai & Jill and Garam Cross Buns) keeping the rhyming intact. At least two Indian words and their pronunciations are introduced in each rhyme. The images highlight Indian culture and are colorful and engaging. A delightful book for all young children ages 2-5.
• 
  Colleen

  This book is exactly what it seems to be - Mother Goose rhymes updated with Indian names and Hindi words. I liked it because it was fun and is a twist on the very familiar Mother Goose rhymes. I just wish the endnote mentioned the words were Hindi - it is only mentioned on the jacket cover, which I initially skipped.
• 
  Karen Meno

  This Indian adaptation of Mother Goose rhymes is beautifully illustrated. The illustrations are whimsical and bright evoking a magical feeling. I appreciated the pronunciations and the definitions included under each rhyme. I was disappointed that they were not authentic Indian nursery rhymes. This book is a fun way to introduce bits of a new language to children.
• 
  Erin Buhr

  Gentle illustrations and slight tweaks to traditional mother goose, these are Indian twists that don't shy too far from the originals. Names are changed. Hindi numbers are substituted. Little Miss Muffet eats dali with her whey. A collection of rhymes that is fun to read and integrates Indian language and culture seamlessly.
• 
  Liz

  This book is a collection of 15 classic nursery rhymes adapted with Hindi words. While Kabir Sehgal and Surishtha Sehgal change some words, the rhyming beat is maintained. The rhymes are also a little less disastrous/violent than some of the original ones. Pink's illustrations transport the reader to India and match the words beautifully.
• 
  Helen Ishmurzin

  Cleverly re-imagined versions of the well-known mother Goose rhymes. The changes enrich the originals and make for fresh, exciting new versions. The illustrations are absolutely stunning.
• 
  Lindsey

  This book is adorable! The familiarity of the nursery rhymes, combined with the pronunciation guides, will make it very easy to incorporate these rhymes in my library storytimes.
• 
  Leova Manbhat

  Gorgeous illustrations with rich colors and patterns. I love how Nursery Rhymes stay true to it's original form while incorporating Hindi words.
  
  Reminds me of Susan Middleton Elya's La Madre Goose.
• 
  Andrew

  Mother Goose goes to India. This time, the all-too-familiar Nursery Rhymes feature more language introductions and delightful vibrantly colorful illustrations! A fun new way to enjoy Mother Goose!
• 
  Robin

  Absolutely love these traditional nursery rhymes rewritten and illustrated with a Hindi flair.
• 
  Rachel

  Updates the rhymes and adds new words and cultural conversations.
• 
  Chuck Ledger

  Most of the nursery rhymes were very good (3 1//2). The illustrations were excellent (5 stars).
• 
  Jennifer Smith

  They do go to India. 😂
  Beautiful art and reworking of the stories/songs 😊
• 
  Jacqui

  Great to compare with regular nursery rhymes.
• 
  Bethany

  Meter and scansion don’t quite line up, but I appreciate the attempt and decolonizing something that is very White!
• 
  DeAja

  Read for class
• 
  Mackenzie

  Read:
  This Little Sooar
  Pat-a-Naan
  Hickory Dickory Dock
  Humpty Dumpty