Some of the rhymes in this collection can be dated back several centuries, and the most recent are about 100 years old. There is nothing the least bit trendy about nursery rhymes. They endure because generations of children have chanted them while skipping rope, sung them while splashing in bathtubs, and recited them authoritatively from books held upside down. Decade after decade, these discerning critics have determined which sing-songy nonsense is forgettable verse and which is worthy of the name “Mother Goose.” - JCC