And the Green Grass Grew All Around

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Schwartz, Alvin (author) and Truesdell, Sue (illustrator). AND THE GREEN GRASS GREW ALL AROUND: FOLK POETRY FROM EVERYONE. 1999. New York: HarperTrophy. ISBN: 978-0064462143.

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Schwartz shares a compilation of “folk poetry,” which is essentially poetry that is passed by word of mouth rather written down, with no known author. Many of these folk poems may be familiar to readers, with variations in some of the rhymes. As Schwartz explains, folk poetry can be just about anything—people, school, food, work, weather, the list goes on and on. Some of these rhymes may have been heard on the playground while jumping rope or bouncing a ball or are just silly riddles. One thing they all have in common is that they have existed for some time—whether it be from the turn of the century or even as long as 2,000 years ago!

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Many adults will feel nostalgic when reading Schwartz’s collection of folk poetry. Some of the rhymes are sarcastic (“Liar, liar, pants on fire, Tongue as long as a telephone wire”), catchy (“I’m the boss, Applesauce”), or downright silly (“Higglety, pigglety, pop, The dog has eaten the mop”). While some of the folk poems may not be familiar to younger readers, most will enjoy the nonsense and humor found in nearly all of the verses.

To give readers more perspective on the genre, near the end of the book Schwartz clearly explains how folk poems differ from literary poems, as well as how the poems sometimes evolve. Readers will be interested in learning that many verses originated a hundred or more years ago, when children were viewed as miniature adults and not sheltered from grievances of the times.

Truesdell’s illustrations are found throughout the book and add even more humor to the verses. Her fun and whimsical characters reflect the silliness of many of the poems, providing a comic book feel.

4. AWARDS WON AND REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

• School Library Journal: “A marvelous book that is sure to become a classic if children have any say in the matter…Read this outrageous volume before it is shelved; once the kids discover it, it will always be checked out.”

• Kirkus Reviews: “Not since Carl Withers's A Rocket in My Pocket (1948) has there been such a grand compilation of familiar (and unfamiliar) rhymes and chants from the children's own tradition: riddles, games, wishes and taunts; poems about love, food, school, or animals; parodies, nonsense, and stories.”

5. CONNECTIONS

• For children ages 9 to 12; however, younger audiences would also appreciate many of the funny poems and songs.

• At the end of the book, Schwartz lists several additional books that may be of interest to young readers, including:

• Abrahams, Roger D. JUMP-ROPE RHYMES: A DICTIONARY. 1969. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. ISBN: 978-0292784000.

• Chase, Richard. AMERICAN FOLK TALES AND SONGS. 1971. New York: Dover Publications. ISBN: 978-0486226927.

• Emrich, Duncan. THE NONSENSE BOOK OF RIDDLES, RHMES, TONGUE TWISTERS, PUZZLES AND JOKES FROM AMRICAN FOLKLORE. 1970. New York: Four Winds Press. ISBN: 978-0590071574.

• To learn more about American Folk Life and for teacher/student resources on this topic, visit the American Folklife Center Web site: http://www.loc.gov/folklife/index.html

• Other books by Alvin Schwartz include:
  -Schwartz, Alvin (author) and Gammel, Stephanie (illustrator). SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK; COLLECTED FROM AMERICAN FOLKLORE. 1986. New York: HarperCollins Publishing. ISBN: 9780064401708.
  -Schwartz, Alvin (author) and Gammel, Stephanie (illustrator). MORE SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK. New York: HarperCollins Publishing. ISBN: 9780397320813.
  -Schwartz, Alvin. WITCRACKS: JOKES AND JESTS FROM AMERICAN FOLKLORE. 1973. New York: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN: 0397314760