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The Neat Line: Scribbling Through Mother Goose
Excellent Book
Hardcover
First published May 1, 2005
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16 people want to read
About the author
Pamela Duncan Edwards
61 books20 followersPamela Duncan Edwards is a British-born children's author living in the United States. She has written over forty picture books published in both the U.S. and the U.K., known for their playful language and engaging storytelling.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 1, 2008
Synopsis
A baby line grows up to move through a Mother Goose book and help out the characters.
Review
As the line interacts with the characters, the events in the poems becomes much more clear. He makes himself into a horn for Little Boy Blue and a path for Jack and Jill. It helps to make the poems into more of a story rather than just a series of nursery rhymes. This could also be an effective way to make the old standards fresh for parents so that they will be more likely to read them to children.
My only real criticism is that the beginning where the line starts a baby and grows up seems like a bit of a nonsequitor. The author could have been just as successful introducing the character of the line and then launching into the story.
Critical Reviews
Publisher's Weekly
PW calls this "Mother Goose meets Harold and the Purple Crayon." While I do agree that this book is cute in the way that it endows a personality on a line, it is a far cry from the creativity and charm of Harold and the Purple Crayon.
School Library Journal
SLJ also thought this book was a "thoroughly satisfying journey." However the focus of this review is the two page spreads and nice bold lines of the pictures. Those elements do make this appropriate for storytime.
Other Bibliographic Information
Published in 2005 by Harper Collins Books
32 pages
A baby line grows up to move through a Mother Goose book and help out the characters.
Review
As the line interacts with the characters, the events in the poems becomes much more clear. He makes himself into a horn for Little Boy Blue and a path for Jack and Jill. It helps to make the poems into more of a story rather than just a series of nursery rhymes. This could also be an effective way to make the old standards fresh for parents so that they will be more likely to read them to children.
My only real criticism is that the beginning where the line starts a baby and grows up seems like a bit of a nonsequitor. The author could have been just as successful introducing the character of the line and then launching into the story.
Critical Reviews
Publisher's Weekly
PW calls this "Mother Goose meets Harold and the Purple Crayon." While I do agree that this book is cute in the way that it endows a personality on a line, it is a far cry from the creativity and charm of Harold and the Purple Crayon.
School Library Journal
SLJ also thought this book was a "thoroughly satisfying journey." However the focus of this review is the two page spreads and nice bold lines of the pictures. Those elements do make this appropriate for storytime.
Other Bibliographic Information
Published in 2005 by Harper Collins Books
32 pages
December 7, 2009
Very clever, unusual book. I really liked it. I used the book to teach an art concept lesson on "line" and it ended up leading into a really interesting discussion. Liked the concept and illustrations...
May 8, 2024
This is a unique story that includes well-known nursery rhymes as part of the tale.
When a scribble grows into a Neat Line, he wriggles into a "real book."
There he stumbles onto such famous nursery rhyme characters as Little Boy Blue, Little Miss Muffet, Jack and Jill and others. The Neat Line helps each character/s with a dilemma of one kind or another.
For example, the Neat Line helps Little Boy Blue by drawing him his horn to help him bring the sheep home.
Each time the Neat Line moves onto "the next page," readers are tempted to guess which Mother Goose character is about to be assisted by the Neat Line.
I think that readers who are familiar with Mother Goose, will love predicting which nursery rhyme will be coming next.
If I was still teaching, after reading the story, I would have to students draw their own neat line, copy a different Mother Goose rhyme, and then illustrate how the Neat Line would help in that rhyme!
When a scribble grows into a Neat Line, he wriggles into a "real book."
There he stumbles onto such famous nursery rhyme characters as Little Boy Blue, Little Miss Muffet, Jack and Jill and others. The Neat Line helps each character/s with a dilemma of one kind or another.
For example, the Neat Line helps Little Boy Blue by drawing him his horn to help him bring the sheep home.
Each time the Neat Line moves onto "the next page," readers are tempted to guess which Mother Goose character is about to be assisted by the Neat Line.
I think that readers who are familiar with Mother Goose, will love predicting which nursery rhyme will be coming next.
If I was still teaching, after reading the story, I would have to students draw their own neat line, copy a different Mother Goose rhyme, and then illustrate how the Neat Line would help in that rhyme!
August 22, 2023
This is a really cute book. I can imagine having fun reading it to early grade kids who need more "book time."
September 16, 2023
Summer Challenge 2023
January 9, 2017
So clever.
March 12, 2017
A little line helped many different characters in nursery rhymes.
March 10, 2017
I thought that this was a good book. my 3 kids enjoyed this book as well. I thought that this was a different and cute spin on mother goose. I would recommend this book to others.
March 7, 2016
Sandra Carolina Argueta
March 4, 2016
ETEC 545
Edwards Duncan, Pamela. The Neat Line, Scribbling Through Mother Goose. Illustrations , Bluthenthal Cain, Diana. Katherine Tegen Books. China, 2005
In this adorable beginning picture book, a baby scribble, practices and practices until it grows up to be a Neat Line. Now that Neat Line is grown and has skills, it climbs into a Mother Goose nursery rhyme book to rescue the characters in the rhymes who find themselves in precarious situations. The Neat Line turns itself into a horn that prompts the cows and the sheep back where they belong so Little Boy Blue can get back to sleep. It draws a road for Jack and Jill so they can safely travel up and down the hill without falling.
And on and on -this Neat Line guides its readers through a visual journey that gives four Mother Goose Nursery rhymes a clever spin.
The illustrations and text are gorgeously arranged page by page. The Rhymes are written in purple, setting them apart from the side story which is written in black, creating a consistency and balance between the text and illustrations.
This nursery rhyme book with its creative spin, is appropriate for ages 0-5.
March 4, 2016
ETEC 545
Edwards Duncan, Pamela. The Neat Line, Scribbling Through Mother Goose. Illustrations , Bluthenthal Cain, Diana. Katherine Tegen Books. China, 2005
In this adorable beginning picture book, a baby scribble, practices and practices until it grows up to be a Neat Line. Now that Neat Line is grown and has skills, it climbs into a Mother Goose nursery rhyme book to rescue the characters in the rhymes who find themselves in precarious situations. The Neat Line turns itself into a horn that prompts the cows and the sheep back where they belong so Little Boy Blue can get back to sleep. It draws a road for Jack and Jill so they can safely travel up and down the hill without falling.
And on and on -this Neat Line guides its readers through a visual journey that gives four Mother Goose Nursery rhymes a clever spin.
The illustrations and text are gorgeously arranged page by page. The Rhymes are written in purple, setting them apart from the side story which is written in black, creating a consistency and balance between the text and illustrations.
This nursery rhyme book with its creative spin, is appropriate for ages 0-5.
March 7, 2021
Grade: 1-3
Genre: Traditional Literature
Pamela Duncan Edward's 'The Neat Line: Scribbling Through Mother Goose' is a cute twist on classic nursery rhymes. While this story would be great on teaching a unit involving fairy tales I personally found the story predictable and boring. Everything being said, I would still use this book in my classroom. I think younger students would enjoy seeing a small line travel through their favorite fairy tales and help out some of their favorite characters.
Genre: Traditional Literature
Pamela Duncan Edward's 'The Neat Line: Scribbling Through Mother Goose' is a cute twist on classic nursery rhymes. While this story would be great on teaching a unit involving fairy tales I personally found the story predictable and boring. Everything being said, I would still use this book in my classroom. I think younger students would enjoy seeing a small line travel through their favorite fairy tales and help out some of their favorite characters.
August 2, 2012
A fun story that includes well-known nursery rhymes as part of the tale. When a scribble grows into a Neat Line, he wriggles into a "real book." There he stumbles onto such famous nursery rhyme characters as Little Boy Blue, Little Miss Muffet, Jack and Jill and others. The Neat Line helps each character/s with a dilemma of one kind or another. For example, the Neat Line helps Little Boy Blue by drawing him his horn to help him bring the sheep home. Each time the Neat Line moves onto "the next page," readers are tempted to guess which Mother Goose character is about to be assisted by the Neat Line. So much fun to read aloud and possibly use as draw and tell tale, where the teller draws the Neat line!
May 7, 2012
This book? Is so neat! (Yes, pun intended). A scribble starts out as a baby, but practices and practices, and soon grows up to be a neat line (the illustration for this transition is fabulous). He is then able to wriggle into a real (nursery rhyme) book. Throughout the following pages, the neat line meets well-known nursery rhyme characters and helps them out of sticky situations by reshaping himself into something else. He learns how hard it is to be a neat line, and is relieved to arrive at the final page and find it blank so that he can end his day. Very clever. You’ll want to pick this one up.
November 6, 2011
This is a fun romp through the Mother Goose rhymes, featuring a little line who works his way into the scene. It's a fun book to read aloud and although our girls are growing up so fast, we enjoyed revisiting these classic rhymes in a fresh way.
April 22, 2013
This book tells the story of a Scribble who grows up into a Neat Line and then helps out Nursery Rhyme characters. I think it would make a great read aloud and the students could then draw their own story about the Neat Line.
October 1, 2008
Cute!
Read
August 15, 2011Nursery Rhymes and "line" taking matters into its own hands.
February 24, 2015
The neat line makes life easier for the nursery rhyme characters; very cute.
December 29, 2012
Cute take on the regular MG rotation
October 5, 2013
Very creative and fun to read!
June 30, 2014
Good use of combining mother goose with a simple artistic perspective and to help show problem solving skills too.
July 19, 2016
I expected another compilation of Mother Goose Nursery rhymes, however it was refreshing to find a story about a scribble that takes part in the classic nursery rhymes. Great job! We loved it.
August 10, 2012
This is a fun story to read aloud, especially to an audience that recognizes the nursery rhymes.
November 5, 2017
Four of the most known nursery rhymes are visited by a "neat line." Nothing much happens though and the ending is dull.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews