And the Green Grass Grew All Around

1. BIBLIOGRPAHY
Schwartz, Alvin. 1992. AND THE GREEN GRASS GREW ALL AROUND: FOLK POETRY FROM EVERYONE. by Susan G. Truesdell. USA: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0060227583

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Alvin Schwartz book AND THE GREEN GRASS GREW ALL AROUND is a collection of rhymes, riddles, folk poems and songs that both children and adults will enjoy. The book is broken down into chapters by subjects like food, school, and rise and shine. Whether you are just learning these riddles or remembering them from your childhood anyone will smile when reading this book.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Alvin Schwartz book’s is easy to read as well as fun to read with the entire family. The book is broken down into chapters which make it simple to find your favorite riddle or rhyme in the book. There is also a very helpful section that details the riddles and the origin of where they come from. Also, sheet music is included in the chapters so readers could sing the riddles to the correct hymn. What I like about this book is that it brings back memories from when you are a child singing these rhymes and riddles on the playground and you have a complete collection of all of them in one book. The only negative is that it is hard to tell when a riddle ends and a new one begins because there are three or four on some pages.

Sue Trusedell illustrations are just perfect for this book. They are simple black and white pictures yet very detail in terms of the facial expressions and props to go along with the riddles. She also makes them very funny which kids will like and want to keep reading to see what the next character is going to do. The illustrations will also help younger children who are not able to read yet understand what the words are saying.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
* Children’s Literature- “Perhaps the best collection of folk rhymes I have seen, this award-winning compilation covers many childhood favorites, such as "Do your ears hang low? Do they wobble to and fro?" and "Here comes the bride/Big, fat, and wide."
* The Horn Book Magazine- “Full of vigorous, swinging rhythms and funny, often nasty, sentiments, the pages are filled with well known rhymes as well as new discoveries.”
* School Library Journal- “A marvelous book that is sure to become a classic…”

5. CONNECTIONS
* In one work station write out the lines to several rhymes and riddles on sentence strips and have the students put them in the correct order and then write the riddle in a poetry folder.
* On a recorder have the music to Turkey in the Straw and let students sing the different rhymes that go along with the hymn. Have the words to:
-Do your Ears Hang Low, page 6
-The Cow kicked Nelly in the Belly, page 76
-Did you ever go Fishing on a Bright Summer Day, page 124
-Have the students create their own lyrics
* Have a writing workshop to compare and contrasts two different poems.