A Little Book Of Old Rhymes

Before children’s books became packed with licensed characters, interactive sound effects and enough accompanying merchandise to support a medium-sized economy, there were nursery rhymes. Mysterious, memorable and occasionally alarming, they survived for generations by lodging themselves firmly in young minds and refusing to leave.

A Little Book of Old Rhymes, illustrated by the incomparable Cicely Mary Barker and published in 1976, is a delightful celebration of these enduring verses. Within its pages readers will find a treasury of traditional rhymes that have entertained, puzzled and occasionally confused children for centuries. After all, very few adults ever stop to ask why Humpty Dumpty was sitting on a wall in the first place.

Barker, best known for her beloved Flower Fairies, brings her distinctive artistic charm to the collection. Her illustrations possess that rare quality of appearing both nostalgic and timeless. Children encounter them with delight, while adults often find themselves unexpectedly transported back to earlier reading experiences and simpler times.

The rhymes themselves remain wonderfully resilient. Generations have grown up reciting them, often without the slightest understanding of their origins. Some are playful. Some are whimsical. A few seem faintly peculiar when examined closely. Yet all possess the remarkable ability to linger in the memory long after more sensible literature has been forgotten.

There is a delicious irony in the survival of nursery rhymes. Vast quantities of serious literature have vanished into obscurity, while verses involving lost sheep, crooked men and cats with fiddles continue to thrive. Human civilisation has preserved countless achievements, but somehow decided that "Hey Diddle Diddle" was absolutely non-negotiable.

The book also serves as a reminder of the importance of oral tradition. Long before television, streaming services and social media, these rhymes travelled from generation to generation through memory and repetition. They are among the oldest surviving pieces of popular culture, proving surprisingly difficult to eradicate.

Collectors of children’s books will particularly appreciate Barker’s contribution. Her illustrations have earned a devoted following and remain among the most recognisable and beloved in British publishing. Combined with these traditional rhymes, they create a volume that feels comforting, familiar and quietly magical.

As with many collections of classic nursery verses, the book rewards readers of all ages. Children enjoy the rhythm and repetition, while adults can marvel at the strange logic and enduring appeal of material that has survived hundreds of years of changing tastes and fashions.

This 1976 Blackie edition remains in good condition and comes from the shelves of Crappy Old Books. It has aged gracefully and remains an attractive example of a charming children’s title, ready to delight a new generation of readers or collectors.

An excellent acquisition for lovers of classic children’s literature, admirers of Cicely Mary Barker’s artwork, collectors of nursery rhyme books or anyone who appreciates the curious fact that some of the oldest and oddest verses ever written continue to outlive almost everything else. A small book filled with old rhymes, timeless illustrations and more cultural staying power than many far more ambitious works.

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