Audiobook · read by volunteers
Mother Goose in Prose
L. Frank Baum (1856–1919)
Read by Barbara Wedge, Westwinds12, Patricia Oakley, Andrew Lebrun, Christie Nowak, Julian Jamison, Cynthia Lyons (1946-2011), JemmaBlythe, Charlene Harris, Judy Bieber · 23 chapters · 4 h 46
About the book
Whether Mother Goose was a real person or a legend, the rhymes attached to her name are among the first things many of us learn. Some are full tales in miniature. Others are mere hints, leaving a curious mind to wonder what really happened to Humpty Dumpty, to Little Jack Horner, to the woman who lived in a shoe, to Little Miss Muffet and her fright.
In Mother Goose in Prose, L. Frank Baum, the creator of the Land of Oz, took these familiar nursery rhymes and imagined the stories behind them, turning verse into simple, lively tales for young readers. In twenty-three short sections and a little under five hours, this recording offers a gentle, playful way to revisit old favourites, and it may well be a first meeting with some of them for young listeners.
Introduction
L. Frank Baum (1856–1919) was an American author best known for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published in 1900, and the many Oz books that followed. Before that, he had tried his hand at several careers, including the theatre and shopkeeping, and he had a long-standing interest in stories for children. Mother Goose in Prose was published in 1897, some years before Oz, and was illustrated by the young Maxfield Parrish.
The idea of the book is simple and attractive. Many nursery rhymes are very short, and they leave the reader with questions. Who were these people? What happened before and after the few lines we know? Baum decided to answer these questions in the form of short prose tales, one for each rhyme, giving the characters a setting, a motive and a little more life. Some of the stories are comic, some more thoughtful, and they show the touch for plain, direct storytelling that later made Oz so popular.
The recording is divided into 23 sections and runs for about four hours and forty minutes. It was made by volunteers for LibriVox, and the variety of voices suits the many small characters.
Why listen today? Nursery rhymes are part of a shared inheritance, and this book gives them a fresh angle. It is useful for parents and teachers, interesting for anyone curious about the early work of a famous author, and enjoyable in short pieces at bedtime or on a journey. Each tale is short and complete in itself, so there is no need to listen in order. Children will find familiar words in a new setting, and adults may enjoy spotting the rhymes.
Public domain
L. Frank Baum died in 1919: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text