Dean's Gift Book of Nursery Rhymes Old & New (1978, Dean, illus. Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone)

Dean's Book of Nursery Rhymes Old & New
Illustrated by Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone
©1972/1975 Dean & Son Ltd
My edition (featured here) published 1978
ISBN 0 603 07512 6

This collection is a lovely introduction to the artwork of Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone. As nursery rhyme collections go, it has familiar favourites, but I think falls more strongly on the side of the 'new' nursery rhymes promised by the title. There were many rhymes I hadn't come across before, although whether this was due to my lack of knowledge or because the rhymes were indeed 'new' I can't be a hundred percent sure! I consider myself fairly familiar with nursery rhymes, but there are always more to learn.

There is no contents page or index, but I've collated the contents below, listed in the order they appear in the book, titled by their opening lines. The authors (if given) are in brackets. In fact, only three authors are attributed – Robert Louis Stevenson for one rhyme, the mysterious J.J. for two, and the equally mysterious M.W. L. for eight. I did a hunt to see if I could identity J.J. and M.W.L. I had no luck with J.J., but it seems that M.W.L. is likely Martin Winbolt-Lewis, an interesting man who has been an editorial assistant, teacher, student house warden, freelance BBC researcher, minicab driver, vicar, and hospital chaplain, not to mention Olympian (running in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico). His Amazon author page, which features some of his other writing, including poetry for children, links to the 1972 Nursery Rhymes Old and New.

The title page explains that a number of the rhymes and illustrations in this edition were previously published in Nursery Rhymes Old and New (1972) and Gold Star Book of Ride-a-Cock Horse Nursery Rhymes (1975). That explains why the illustrations in this collection are so dominated by horses!

Frontispiece of Dean's Gift Book of Nursery Rhymes Old & New

I liked that the frontispiece is a special rewrite of the "ABC, tumbledown D" nursery rhyme, apparently written for Dean's books – or at least with an illustration that advertises them. We see other little signs of the times throughout this collection – a box with 'Jaffa Oranges' on it, a newspaper hat that shows 'Woodbridge Reporter' – but as with most Grahame Johnstone illustrations, the characters featured usually appear to be wearing clothing from earlier historical periods (frequently the 18th and 19th centuries), as is fitting for the rhymes they illustrate.

As well as the fashions, one of the things I love about the artwork of the Grahame Johnstone sisters is how much movement they bring to their art – characters are so often in action, bending and swooping and bowing.

Artwork from the endpapers

 A man in a hurry, from 'Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John' 

Children are their main characters (with horses a close second in this collection), but I do enjoy how they illustrate some of the older characters in these rhymes, too, namely the very pleased Gregory Griggs, the housewives exclaiming over Mrs. Mason's basin, and the delicate cobwebbed scarf of Old Mrs Mumblechin. There are a few fantasy characters in this collection – a group of merchildren in 'Under the green glass roof of waves' and the flute-playing 'MacHumph and Green Grishly' – as well as a double spread of animal rhymes, featuring a mouse, a cat, and a hedgehog.

Illustration for 'Under the green glass roof of waves'

While the nursery rhymes are not all familiar, this vintage book is quite lovely, and I suppose the more one reads it, the more familiar the rhymes become. While out of print, secondhand copies are not, I think, rare (I got mine at an op shop), and it's a lovely addition to any nursery rhyme book collection.

The book itself bids us adieu
(featuring Johnny from 'Ride away, ride away') 

Dean's Gift Book of Nursery Rhymes Old & New – Contents

• My daddy gave me a penny
• Bumbledee-Bee (J.J.)
• Your head and your heart keep up
• Ride away, ride away
• Under the green glass roof of waves
• One day my Mummy bought a treat (M.W.L.)
• In the Summer sky (M.W.L.)
• I had a little horse
• As I was going to London Bridge
• Little Betty Blue
• Autumn winds (M.W.L.)
• Hush-a-Bye, don't you cry
• One day from my playroom (M.W.L.)
• Little Robin Redbreast
• Whenever the moon and stars are set (Robert Louis Stevenson)
• Here goes my lord
• I cry my matches at Charing Cross
• Little boy, little boy, where wast thou born
• As Tommy Snooks and Bessy Brooks
• In the Brown Berry Hill with the furzely bush on
• Gregory Griggs, Gregory Griggs
• Mrs. Mason bought a basin
• A Master I have, and I am his man
• If wishes were horses
• A spotty pup with a shaggy coat (J.J.)
• To market, to market
• Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross
• What's this?
• Snubby nose
• A-Hunting we will go!
• Old Mrs Mumblechin
• Where do all the snowmen go? (M.W.L.)
• Ride a cock-horse to Coventry Cross
• I have a secret, don't tell a soul (M.W.L.)
• Elsie Marley is grown so fine
• Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
• In the field behind our house (M.W.L.)
• I had a little hen
• He that lies at the stock
• We find in our garden (M.W.L.)
• Robert Barnes, fellow fine
• When I'm on my Rocking-horse
• My father died a month ago
• I had a little pony
• Bell horses, bell horses