The Oxford Nursery Book

Poems from such poets as Blake, Longfellow, Lear, Rossetti and Stevenson rub shoulders in this attractive 96-page anthology with nursery rhymes, riddles and lullabies, many of which one remembers from one's own childhood. The sounds and rhythms of the words are compelling and will be enjoyed by listeners still too young to fully comprehend their meanings. Ian Beck's decorative illustrations worked in pen and ink with colour washes and cross hatching have a charmingly nostalgic nursery feel. A collection to treasure.