About This Website

Vintage illustration of Mother Goose reading to children.

At first glance, nursery rhymes seem incredibly small and irrelevant. Yet these short and easy poems have travelled farther than most songs ever will. Any child in the English-speaking world can hear the same verses and recognize them instantly. They’re rhythmic, often a little strange, and almost impossibly easy to memorize.

This website was created more than a dozen years ago to gather those rhymes in one place and present them with accuracy and context. Beautiful historic illustrations give the experience an aesthetic dimension. Many verses have backgrounds and histories worth exploring — old folk customs, satire, references to real people, and hints of long-forgotten events. When reliable information exists, it’s offered here briefly and without unnecessary guesswork. When origins are uncertain (and many are), that uncertainty is stated plainly.

But accuracy doesn’t mean stiffness. Nursery rhymes have always been playful, and the cheerful mischief inside them is part of their charm. So now and then, you’ll also find a humorous illustration meant to put a grin on your face. While these may not be historically essential, they offer something equally valuable: children learn through delight, and laughter helps memory stick.

So whether you’re here to:

  • read aloud to a child,

  • finish a school assignment,

  • research folklore,

  • or simply revisit the verses you once knew by heart —

there’s space for you.

Even with more than 300 rhymes already collected, the archive continues to grow. The goal is simple: preserve the rhymes, share their stories honestly, and keep a little fun along the way.

Welcome — and enjoy exploring.

Vintage black-and-white illustration of a dog lying on a sofa reading a newspaper.