American Children's Folklore

Although definitely not politically correct, this book peers into the world of children, their rhymes, their games, their jokes, and just about everything else that makes up childhood. What makes this book particularly interesting is the social, cultural, and psychological analysis given for each type of joke, rhyme, etc. If it is a gross rhyme the author notes when these became the most popular, the age groups it is most popular with and why. If it is a nonsense joke like elephant jokes then he notes when they were most popular and how they could have represented society changing to deal with civil rights. The book also includes various counting rhymes, games, toys, and other activities that are part of a child's world. For a nostalgic trip back to the days of childhood or a serious study of childhood social structures American Children's Folklore is a recommended read.

As a school teacher I find that children from grades one through five love and repeat the rhymes, jokes and stories in this book.