Mother Osprey: Nursery Rhymes for Buoys and Gulls

“With clever twists on old standards, Mother Osprey is a salute to sea breezes, sand, and just plain silliness.” Sylvan Dell’s description of one of their newest Fall 2009 titles, Mother Osprey: Nursery Rhymes for Buoys and Gulls, sums up the content of Lucy Nolan’s delightful picture book in a “clamshell!” In fact, this collection of new poems and rhymes, based on the tried and true Mother Goose favorites, has already become a ‘popular pick’ at my house!

For example, ‘Jack and June went up a dune’ is quite a change from Jack and Jill going up a hill. Or how about, Mary had a little clam instead of a lamb? And no—London Bridge is not falling down! There’s been a mistake. It’s Hatteras Light. However, my absolute favorite selection is ‘One Flamingo’ based on the old ‘One Potato, Two Potato’ rhyme. In this one, we learn that a group of flamingoes is called a flamboyance, a band of jellyfish is a smack, a floating group of puffins is called a raft, and so on. What neat tidbits of information to present in a comfortable and familiar format.

Many of the rhymes and poems could be a jumping-off point for all kinds of educational activities and projects. Students could compare the new with the old or even try their own hands at re-writing nursery rhymes based on a certain theme. The selections could also be used as a catalyst to dig deeper into scientific study about oceans and coastal life
or even a historical study of the topics in each rhyme. And of course, the book could simply be read for fun and enjoyment. My five year old anticipated the rhyming words and tried to guess and shout out the ending of each phrase before I could finish.

In addition to Lucy Nolan’s splendid text, Connie McLennan did an exceptional job with the illustrations. She captured the ‘flavor’ of each rhyme perfectly, and her whimsical, colorful drawings will delight young children as each page is turned.

The ‘For Creative Minds’ section at the back of the book is a treasure-trove of extra information and activities. Included are explanations/background for each selection, a map with a key showing the location of various topics mentioned, map activity questions, poem related questions, and a section called ‘Food For Thought.’ As always, parents and teachers can access more activities, and free online resources and support for this book and other titles at www.SylvanDellPublishing.com.

About the Author: Award-winning author Lucy Nolan lives in Columbia, South Carolina. As a child, she spent many days at Pawleys Island, South Carolina and Amelia Island, Florida. Her love of the sea and storytelling came together in Mother Osprey: Nursery Rhymes for Buoys and Gulls. She is also the author of the Down Girl and Sit chapter books.

About the Illustrator: Connie McLennan is an award-winning illustrator and has been a freelance artist for over twenty-five years. She has also illustrated other Sylvan Dell titles including The Rainforest Grew All Around, River Beds: Sleeping in the World’s Rivers, Water Beds: Sleeping in the Ocean, and Octavia and her Purple Ink Cloud. She lives with her family in northern California.

Visit Amy O’Quinn at www.amyoquinn.com or www.homeschoolblogger.com/picketfencemom.