Fairytales and nursery rhymes

Introduction
Fairy tales are full of magic, wonder and
enchantment.   Princes and princesses
encounter witches and goblins, mythical
creatures grant wishes and cast magic
spells.   There is always a problem that
must be solved, usually involving good
versus evil in some way.   In the end,
everyone lives happily ever after.

What is a Fairy Tale?
q Characteristic of or suitable to a fairy tale;
especially: marked by seemingly unreal
beauty, perfection, luck, or happiness.
q A fairy tale is a story for children involving
magical events and imaginary creatures.
q A children's story about magical and imaginary
beings and lands; a fairy story.
q a traditional story written for children that
usually involves imaginary creatures and
magic.

Fairy Tales come under the genre
of Folktales
Folktales include:
q Fairy Tales
q Legends/Tall Tales - which
name specific or “real”
people
q Myths - tales about the
beginning of the world
q Fantasy- tales that happen in the
future

History of Fairy Tales
ü Fairy Latin “fatum” to enchant
French “fee” “fay” woman skilled
in magic.
ü Fairy Tales have their roots in
ancient oral storytelling traditions.
ü All cultures have their own myths &
legends. Many fairy tales wear
‘the easy doublet’ of myth.

A.D. 100-200, Ancient Greece
– “Cupid and Psyche” written by Lucius
Apuleius

A.D. 850-860, China
– The first known version of “Cinderella” is
written

C. 1300
– Troubadours and travelling storytellers
spread tales throughout medieval Europe

C. 1500
– One Thousand and One Arabian
Nights is first recorded

1550 & 1553, Italy
– Gianfrancesco Straparola publishes The
Pleasant Nights - he has been called the
'grandfather of fairy tales.

1600s, Italy
– Giambattista Basile writes The Tale of Tales
published posthumously in 1634. This contains
'Petrosinella', the earliest known version of
'Rapunzel'

1690-1710
- The French Salons invented and played
with fairy tales - Marie-Catherine D'Aulnoy
invented the term 'conte de fées'

1697 France
- Charles Perrault's Mother Goose Tales is
published in Paris.

1697
– Charlotte-Rose de la Force publishes her
collection which includes the tale we now know of
as “Rapunzel”

1740 France
- Gabrielle de Villeneuve writes a 362-page
version of “Beauty and the Beast”.

1756 France
– Jean-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont publishes
much shorter version of “Beauty and the Beast” -
first tale written specifically for children.

1812 Germany
- Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm publish Vol 1 of
Childhood and Household Tales.

1823 Great Britain
- Edgar Taylor publishes the first English
translation of the Grimms' tales in German
Popular Stories. The book is illustrated by
George Cruikshank

1825 Germany
– Grimms’ first edition for children - known
as The Small Edition - illustrated by
Ludwig Grimm.

1835 Denmark
- Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales Told for
Children.

1889 England
- Andrew Lang publishes The Blue Fairy Book -
the first multicultural fairy tale collection.

1890 Russia
- Tchaikovsky's “The Sleeping Beauty” premieres
in St Petersburg.

1893 Great Britain
- Marian Roalfe Cox publishes her book,
Cinderella: Three Hundred and Forty-five
Variants of Cinderella, Catskin, and Cap O'
Rushes’- the first fairy tale scholarship.

1910 Finland
- Antti Aarne publishes ‘The Types of the
Folktale’. Later, Stith Thompson translates and
expands it into English in 1961.

1937 United States
- Walt Disney's first
feature length
animated film is
released, Snow White
and the Seven Dwarfs

Now
– fairy tales have never been hotter! They
dominate our TV and movie screens, and
influence advertising, music, and fashion.
Plus of course fairy tale retellings.

Fairy Tale Tropes
§ Pure distillation of plot
§ Setting is anywhere and nowhere
§ Traditional sentences & archaic
language: Once upon a time ... Long
long ago … Once, twice, thrice ….
§ Abstract style - dark forest, brave youth,
golden bird

Fairy Tale Tropes
§ Fairy tale numbers and patterns:
the numbers 3 & 7 & 13 i.e. the
third sister, the thirteenth fairy
§ Magic & metamorphosis – talking
mirror, prince into frog, girl into
bear
§ Binary oppositions i.e. good & evil,
rich & poor, beautiful & ugly,
strong & weak.

§ Memorable language i.e. rhythm, rhyme,
repetition, alliteration, assonance,
onomatopoeia
§ Motifs & metaphors: ‘the language of the
night’
§ Structure – a series of trials & tribulations
(often three)
The Fairy Tale ‘happy ending’ …
(Though not all fairy tales end happily.
Many of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy
tales are very sad, for example)
Fairy Tale Tropes

Elements of Fairytale
Ø Contains
magic/enchantments
Ø Likely character types:
v Talking Animals
v Witches
v Fairies
v Nobles (Kings,
Queens, Princes,
Princesses)
v Godparents

Ø Special beginning and/or ending words
§ Once upon a time...and they lived
happily ever after. Sometimes, there’s
a surprise ending…
Ø Good character
§ a kind, innocent character, good
character, Is s/he helped by others.

Ø Evil character
§ a witch, A demon, An
evil stepmother, A
sinister gnome?
§ In the end, the evil
character usually
loses somehow…
Ø Royalty
§ a castle, A prince, A
princess, A king, A
queen.

Ø Poverty
§ a poor working girl, a poor
family, a poor
shepherd. poor people
trying to eke out a
living to have enough
to eat
Ø Magic and Enchantments
§ magical things
happening.
Talking

Ø Reoccurring Patterns / Numbers
§ any patterns, you’ll see things,
phrases, tasks appear in “threes,"
“sixes,” and/or "sevens"
Ø Universal Truths
§ the tale probably touches on some
universal experiences (i.e., coming
of age) or hopes (i.e., to have
enough food and love)

Common Characteristics of fairy
tales share to a certain extent:
Ø Set in the past
Ø Use some form or variation of
"Once upon a time“
Ø Fantasy or make-believe elements
Ø Enchanted setting - can include
forests, castles, water or
kingdoms
Ø Clearly defined good and evil
characters
Ø Magical elements

Common Characteristics of fairy
tales share to a certain extent:
Ø Characters take on unusual forms
(giants, witches, dwarfs, talking
animals)
Ø Groups of 3 (objects, people or
events)
Ø Clearly defined problem, climax and
resolution
Ø Most often they have a happy ending
Ø Teach a lesson that is important to
the culture it came from

Fractured Fairytale
ü When authors modernize or
change one or more of the
elements of the story, the story
is called fractured fairytale.
ü Plot (conflict, rising action,
climax, falling action,
resolution)
ü Setting (time and place)
ü Character (name, character traits)
ü Point of View
ü Theme

Examples of Famous Fairy Tales

Trivia:
Did you know that the famous fairytale written by
Hans Christian Andersen entitled The Snow
Queen was the original source material for Disney
Frozen animated series?

Nursery Rhyme
➢A short, simple poem or song for very
young children.
➢Verse customarily told or sung to small
children.

History of Nursery Rhyme
1744
- The earliest known
collection of nursery
rhymes called "Tommy
Thumb's Song Book" was
published in London by
Mary Cooper

1765
- The single most important promoter of the
designation of Mother Goose as writer of children's
rhymes was John Newbery (1713-1767). He adopted
this name for a collection of mostly traditional
rhymes: "Mother Goose's Melody" or called "
Sonnets for the Cradle." The date for publication of
this important edition is agreed by scholars to be
about 1765 (1760-1766). It was a little volume,
described as a compilation of traditional English
nonsense songs and rhymes. It contained 52 rhymes
each with its own black and white illustration.

1786
- Isaiah Thomas published the first
authorized American edition of "Mother
Goose's Melody".

"Mother Goose"
- was associated with a mythical teller of
nursery rhymes for young children. No
one is sure where Perrault found this
name. It may be given to a woman who, in
early times, kept the village geese and
who was the traditional community
storyteller.

In 1860, a claim was made that the
originator of the tales was Elizabeth
Goose, great-grandmother of publisher
Isaiah Thomas's wife. Scholars have
searched fruitlessly for the supposed "ghost
volume" which simply does not appear to
exist.

Characteristics of Mother Goose or
Nursery Rhymes
1) Sources:
Mother Goose rhymes are derived from war songs,
romantic lyrics, proverbs, riddles, political jingles and
lampoons, and street cries (the early counterparts of
today’s television commercials). Few of these rhymes
were initially intended for children.

Nursery Rhymes
2) Protagonists:
The heroes of Mother Goose rhymes typically
come from the lower walks of life.
Examples: “Old Mother Hubbard”, “Simple Simon
”, “Solomon Grundy” and “
Tom Tom the Piper’s Son”.

Those that include kings and queens are often
comical and irreverent.
Examples: “Sing a Song of Six Pence”, “
Old King Cole” and “The Queen of Hearts (1, 2)”
Nursery Rhymes

3) Violence or Fun?
Mother Goose rhymes are often criticized for their share of
violence.
Examples: “Rock a Bye Baby” ,“Three Blind Mice”, “
There was an Old Woman who Lived in the Shoe”, and “
Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater”.
However, the violence in nursery rhymes is not
sensationalized. There are no terrifying elements and the
context of the violence is not only fictional but absurd.
Nursery Rhymes

It can be argued that this verbal expression of
aggressive behavior may help children to vent
natural hostilities and pent-up anxieties.
In fact, it is fun to read Mother Goose rhymes. Their
delightful nonsense and eccentric characters
remain with us long beyond childhood.
Nursery Rhymes

1) Cognitive Development
Learning Numbers and Counting
Examples: “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe” , “
One, Two, Three, Four, Five/Once I caught a fish alive
”, “Ten Little Monkeys”, “Ten Green Bottles” and “
As I was going to St. Ives Rhyme”.
Mother Goose Rhymes and
Child Development

Learning Alphabet
Examples: “Alphabet Rhyme”, “
A Picture Alphabet Rhyme”, and “
The Alphabet in Rhyme and Song”.
Developing Reading Skills (including word-
recognition skills, vocabulary and structural
knowledge, and content knowledge)
Developing a Sense of Humor (appreciation of
nonsense)
Nursery Rhymes

2) Aesthetic Development
Nurturing a Love of Sounds and Rhythms
Examples: “Hickory Dickory Dock”, “Humpty Dumpty”
, “Diddle Diddle Dumpling, My Son John”, and “
Hey diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle” For tongue
twisters, see examples: “
How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck?”, “
Peter Piper”, and “Betty Botter”.
Nursery Rhymes

Developing Sensitivity to Pattern
The idea of pattern forms the basis of much art,
for pattern results in order and beauty.
Nursery Rhymes

3) Social and Physical Development
Many nursery rhymes are based on cooperative
play. They require physical coordination and
social interaction.
Examples: “Pat-a-Cake, Pat-a-Cake” (a clapping
rhyme), “Bingo” (a clapping rhyme), and “
London Bridge is Falling Down” (an action
rhyme).
Nursery Rhymes

Alexander Anderson:
He designed and wood engraved the book “
Illustrations of Mother Gooses Melodies” published
by Evert Duyckinck and Charles Moreau in 1873. “
There was an old woman, she liv'd in a shoe”, “
Jacky, come give me your fiddle” and “
Two Blind Men”.
Illustrators of Mother Goose Rhymes

Walter Crane:
Between 1867 and 1876, Crane produced over thirty
so-called "toy books". He took these books so
seriously that he worked over every page, including
the typography, so that it came out a well-composed
whole. His "Baby’s Opera" and "Baby's Bouquet"
(1877) were a series of English nursery songs with
words, music, and pictures.

Randolph Caldecott:
Around 1878 he began to work on the picture
storybooks. He transformed the world of children's
books in the Victorian era. His illustrated Mother
Goose rhymes in paper-covered book form are
among his loveliest and most original creations.
Nursery Rhymes

1. He is often described as the father of the
modern picture book, being the first to really
explore and experiment with the relationship
between text and image. Before Caldecott,
illustration generally duplicated the story
conveyed by the words, but the two became
fused together, making complete sense only when
viewed as a whole.

2. His art is characterized by an economy of line and
a playfulness of manner that make his work
appealing even today, more than a century after his
death.
3. The American Library Association annually
awards the Caldecott Medal, which began in 1938
and was named in his honor, to the illustrator of the
most distinguished children’s picture book published
in the United States.

Kate Greenaway:
She illustrated the book “Mother Goose Nursery
Rhymes” published in London in 1881.
1. She is best known for sugar-sweet pictures of
innocent children and girls in bonnets. Her light,
sketchy style was uncommon at the time, with the
traditional illustrators trying to get as much detail
and "verisimilitude" into their drawings as possible.
Nursery Rhymes

2. The Kate Greenaway Medal, sponsored by
the Chartered Institute of Library and
Information Professionals in the U.K., has been
given annually to the illustrator of the most
distinguished children’s book published in the
U.K. since 1957.
Nursery Rhymes

Blanche McManus:
She illustrated the book “
The True Mother Goose - Songs for the Nursery” or
called “Mother Goose's Melodies for Children”
published in Boston in 1895. Her works have a
comic touch. “Jack Sprat”, “Little Miss Muffet”, “
Sing a Song of Sixpence” and “Pat-A-Cake”.
Nursery Rhymes

Arthur Rackham:
He illustrated the book "The Nursery Rhymes of
Mother Goose" for St. Nicholas Magazine in 1913. In
his illustrations, there are earthy old witches and eerie
creatures. His pictures are very alive with details and
some of them are surrealistic. “Little Miss Muffet”, “
Hey! Diddle, Diddle, the Cat and the Fiddle” and “
As I Was Going to St. Ives”.
Nursery Rhymes

Blanch Fisher Wright:
She illustrated the book “The Real Mother Goose”
in 1916 and 1944. The lines in her works are clean
and sharp and the characters are well-defined. “
Jack Sprat”, “Humpty Dumpty”, “
The Queen of Hearts”, “Pat-A-Cake”, and “
Sing a Song of Sixpence”
Nursery Rhymes

1) Musical quality
2) Action
3) Humor
4) Story Interest
5) Variety of subject matter
Qualities of Mother Goose Rhyme

a.) Animals
b.) Alphabets
c.) Dialogue
d.) Counting
rhymes
e.) Games
f.) People
g.) Time verses
h.) Riddles
i.) Tongue twisters
j.) Weather
k.) Accumulative
stories
l.) singing rhymes
Qualities of Mother Goose Rhyme

Values of Mother Goose Rhymes
• Mother Goose Rhymes serve as an introduction to
real poetry
• They are good for ear-training and for their pleasure
and amusement

Fairytales and nursery rhymes

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