Jane Taylor’s Poem about a Pussy-cat is about How Kids Should Treat Pets
Kids Songs Around the World with English Translations
or French Translations
or Spanish Translations
Mama Lisa's World Blog
English Nursery Rhymes
Mother Goose in French
Wizard of Oz Audiobook
Poetry for Kids
ML Reviews
Mama Lisa's Hub
This is the USA Archive Page
- No categories
Categories
- 1512 (1)
- Arts and Crafts (21)
- Books (56)
- Children's Songs (432)
- Countries & Cultures (912)
- Customs (42)
- Folk Lore (6)
- Folk Songs (76)
- Food & Nutrition (4)
- Games (40)
- Gardens (2)
- History of Nursery Rhymes (8)
- Holiday Calendar (1)
- Holiday Songs (154)
- Holidays Around the World (340)
- Languages (723)
- Learning (37)
- Lullabies (40)
- Mama Lisa (422)
- Movies & TV (23)
- Music (63)
- Nursery Rhymes (161)
- Parenting (72)
- People (18)
- Photos (27)
- Podcasts (29)
- Poetry (96)
- Proverbs (20)
- Questions (309)
- Quotes (7)
- Recipes of the World (74)
- Recommendations (62)
- Recordings of Nursery Rhymes (19)
- Recordings of Songs (101)
- Rhymes by Theme (42)
- Seasonal (29)
- Songs by Theme (69)
- Teaching (41)
- Traditional Songs (2)
- Traveling (35)
- Video (23)
- Words & Phrases (16)
- YouTube (70)
My Tweets
Archive for the 'USA' Category
Contents
Posts
Jane Taylor’s Poem about a Pussy-cat is about How Kids Should Treat Pets
Monday, August 24th, 2009
The poem below by Jane Taylor (1783-1824) is about a child telling how gently she will handle her little pussy-cat. The 1st two verses can be found in many collections of nursery rhymes. If you read the whole poem, you can see how it could be a good one to read to children with pets… talking about how to treat them nicely.
Little Pussy
By Jane TaylorI love little Pussy,
Her coat is so warm;
And if I don’t hurt her
She’ll do me no harm.So I’ll not pull her tail,
Nor drive her away,
But Pussy and I
Very gently will play.She shall sit by my side,
And I’ll give her some food;
And she’ll love me because
I am gentle and good.I’ll pat little Pussy,
And then she will purr,
And thus show her thanks
For my kindness to her.I’ll not pinch her ears,
Nor tread on her paw,
Lest I should provoke her
To use her sharp claw.I never will vex her,
Nor make her displeased,
For Puss doesn’t like
To be worried or teased.
Did You Sing the Rhyme “Rubber Dolly”?
Saturday, August 22nd, 2009Ann Marie wrote me looking for information about the “Rubber Dolly” rhyme…
Hi Lisa:
Are you familiar with the rhyme entitled “Rubber Dolly?” It starts out:
My mother told me
If I were goodie
That she would buy me
A rubber dolly . . .These lyrics pop up in an essay I am working on. Specifically, I need to know if this is an American Clapping Song, a Rhyme, a Jump Rope Song, or . . . something else!
Thank for your time.
Best,
Ann Marie
Cleveland, OhioI found information that “Rubber Dolly” was a jump rope rhyme that was popular in the 1950’s.
Here’s a longer version:
My mother told me
If I were goodie
That she would buy me
A rubber dolly.My auntie* told her,
I kissed a soldier,
Now she won’t buy me
A rubber dolly.*Or sister
Some kids also did hand clapping games to “Rubber Dolly”. (I think jump rope rhymes and hand clapping rhymes are often interchangeable.) There’s also a fiddle tune based on the melody of the rhyme. Ella Fitzgerald sang a jazz song based on “My Mother Told Me” too.
If anyone grew up with the rhyme, please share your version if it’s different, also let us know if you played any specific game with it.
Thanks in advance!
Mama Lisa
Old Mother Goose Cartoon
Saturday, August 22nd, 2009Here’s a cartoon from 1950 called Little Audry: Goofy Goofy Gander. It’s a strange mixture of Mother Goose, comic books, jazz and Hollywood, with the goose that lays the golden eggs thrown in…
Can Someone Help with the Lap Rhyme, “Run run horsey with your long hair”?
Friday, August 21st, 2009Karla wrote:
Hi, My name is Karla Wass.
Recently my grandmother has passed, and as a child she would place us (15 grandkids + 10 great grandkids) on her knee and sing to us. Unfortunately, none of us could remember the name and she left so suddenly we were unable to ask her it. I would love to have the lyrics to the song or even some help finding how to sing, well just to know the words that she was saying would be great. She did sing it to us in English, and what i remember is “run run horsey with your long hair, the faster the horsey runs the short goes his hair”. She always said they would sing this while they were sewing.
If you are not able to help i understand, after searching the web and talking with some family members no one can properly sing this song, Her service is next Tuesday and she will be laid to rest with our grand father the following Saturday.
I appreciate and assistance thank you for your time.
If anyone can help Karla, please let us know in the comments below. (Even if it’s after the date of the service, I’m sure Karla will be glad to find the song any time.)
We appreciate it.
Mama Lisa
Gross, but exceedingly catchy… “Great Green Gobs of Greasy, Grimy Gopher Guts” with a Video!
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009WARNING: It really is CATCHY!!! You might find yourself singing it all day!
Great Green Gobs of Greasy, Grimy Gopher Guts
Great green gobs of greasy, grimy gopher guts,
Mutilated monkey meat,
Bloody, little dirty birdie feet,
Great green gobs of greasy, grimy gopher guts,
And me without my spoon…But I brought my straw.
I’d love to learn more versions of this song, please post any versions you know in the comments below!
Thanks!
Mama Lisa
Quick Reviews of Some Summer Movies – Some in The Theater and Some on DVD
Tuesday, August 11th, 2009
Rainy days and hot humid days in the summer are a good time to see some of those movies you’ve been wanting to see… and that your kids have been wanting to see. Here are some we’ve watched…
Night at the Museum – we watched the 1st one on DVD – my 8 year old daughter liked this movie and she even wants to visit the Museum of Natural History as a result. I chuckled a few times and didn’t mind watching it. I’d say it’s perfect for tweens. Unfortunately, we missed the 2nd one in the movies, so we’ll have to wait to see it when it comes out on DVD.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince – my 14 year old son and I saw this in the movies last month. This is the darkest Harry Potter Movie yet. I give this movie the same review as all the Harry Potter movies… it’s good as a companion to the books. I’d recommend reading the books first. (Don’t worry, kids can tell the difference between reality and fantasy and won’t think that magic is real!) The books are a lot of fun… look at how many people they’ve gotten into reading. According to Wikipedia, "As of June 2008, the book series has sold more than 400 million copies and has been translated into 67 languages…" You can’t beat a record like that!
Ice Age (The 1st Movie on DVD) – Mediocre – my daughter and I are planning on watching the 2nd one on DVD soon, so we can go see the 3rd one, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, in the theater (it’s out now).
The Secret Life of Bees – We watched this on DVD with my 8 year old daughter. I know a lot of people love this movie. I liked the book much more. While the movie was okay, it didn’t capture some of the essence of the book. It was one of the first serious movies my daughter has watched. I think it was a good first introduction to some of the day to day struggles of ordinary people during the civil rights era.
Watchmen – We watched this one on DVD – not appropriate for young kids. We watched it with my son who’s almost 15. I wouldn’t recommended it for children much younger than that. Watchmen is based on the graphic novel of the same name. I’d recommend reading it first. It’s better as a companion to the graphic novel (which is better than the movie). Though I would say this is worth viewing if you’re a fan of the genre.
Persepolis - Animation based on a graphic novel. The story is about a young girl growing up in Iran during and after the Iranian Revolution. I loved the animation and I found the story to be illuminating about life in Iran.
Star Trek – The new movie we saw in the theaters back in May – if you’re a fan, I’d recommend seeing this. It’s the basis of a whole new future series of Star Trek movies starring a different cast playing the old roles of Spock, McCoy, Kirk, etc.
Slum Dog Millionaire – More for adults than kids, I’d recommend this movie. It shows a part of life in India… wrapped around a story that’s not too likely perhaps. It’s very colorful. Loved the musical video at the ending!
The Darjeeling Limited – Shows another part of India… beautiful film, story okay, different. Again for more for adults.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – More for adults, than kids also, though teenagers might like this flick… my husband and I really enjoyed this one. It’s based on an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story. Fitzgerald based the story on a comment Mark Twain once made that it’s a pity that the best part of life comes at the beginning and the worst at the end. This was my favorite movie of the year so far.
Feel free to let us know about any movies you’ve seen lately, and whether or not you liked, them in the comments below!
Meanwhile, enjoy the show!
Mama Lisa
Poem – The Bee by Emily Dickinson
Friday, August 7th, 2009The Bee His labor is a chant,
His idleness a tune;
Oh, for the bee’s experience
Of clovers and of noon!Emily Dickinson – Poems XV
A Collection of Nursery Rhymes
Thursday, August 6th, 2009I’ve embedded this lovely book of nursery rhymes for you to enjoy! It’s A Collection of Nursery Rhymes… Nurse Lovechild’s Legacy (1916). Many of the illustrations are from the 18th and early 19th century Chapbooks. The book has been embellished by one of my favorite nursery rhyme illustrators: C. Lovat Fraser (1890 – 1921). You can click the arrow below to turn the pages or scroll with the other arrows on the side.
If you prefer to have it on your own computer, you can download A Collection of Nursery Rhymes from Internet Archive ! Just go to the link and choose “PDF” to download it.
Enjoy!
Mama Lisa
PS You can also come visit Mama Lisa’s House for a HUGE collection of Nursery Rhymes… many including illustrations, mp3s, midis and scores!
A Collection of Nursery Rhymes
Recipe for Garlic Ginger Basil Salmon with a YouTube Video
Monday, August 3rd, 2009I made this Garlic Ginger Basil Salmon tonight… yum! It was good! The recipe comes from the YouTube video below.
I used:
1/2 pound Salmon
2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
3 Cloves Garlic
1 to 2 Tablespoons Ginger
1/4 to 1/3 cup Brown Sugar ( I eyed it – it depends if you like a more or less sweet sauce)
3/4 to 1 cup Water
5 Basil Leaves finely chopped
(In the video they added Chile sauce to the sauce mixture.
I left it out since my son doesn’t like anything too spicy.)Finely chop the garlic and ginger and then mix them with the brown sugar, rice vinegar and water.
Heat pan on medium low. Add vegetable oil to coat. Add salmon. Cook salmon half way through – about 4minutes. Then flip and cook the rest of the way through – about another 4 minutes.
Add the sauce and chopped basil. Heat till the sauce is warm and serve.
You can watch how to make this recipe in the video below from Food Wishes…
I think I might try this recipe out with tofu next.
Enjoy!
Mama Lisa
PS My son and I loved this recipe. My husband, who is a salty person, thought the sauce was a little too sweet (though he doesn’t eat fish – so he only tasted the sauce. I must say the sauce is superb with the salmon!)
PSS Tip on the video for buying salmon: make sure to ask for a center piece and specifically not the tail.
ABC’s in New York’s Roads and Buildings
Saturday, July 25th, 2009Rachel Young found all the letters in the alphabet using Google Maps in the buildings and roads of New York. Young was inspired by the idea of Australian graphic designer Rhett Dashwood who made an alphabet of roads and buildings in the state of Victoria, Australia.
I thought the use of Madison Square Garden for "O" in the NY ABC’s was a nice touch…
This shows an important point: there are so many ways to be creative in life… all it takes is an interesting idea!
Enjoy the Alphabet of New York… as a bonus you can hear my daughter sing the ABC’s when you click on the image above!
Mama Lisa
Proverb: Time and tide wait for no man.
Friday, July 24th, 2009Now’s a good time to keep this proverb in mind… if you’re going to take a walk on the beach or near a river… you may want to check a high tide chart… because…
Time and tide wait for no man.
My husband and I almost learned this lesson the hard way today. We were taking a hike on the shore of a river… on the way back we noticed the water was very obviously rising. Good thing we decided to turn back when we had or we would have had to swim back and I wouldn’t have had these lovely shots to take home (my camera would have gotten wet!)…
Can Someone Help with the Song, “Down in Mexico It’s Sunny”?
Thursday, July 23rd, 2009Ray asked:
Hi,
I learned this song in the 5th grade (in my 60’s now) and wanting to find the lyrics… Here is what I remember of the song…
Down in Mexico it’s sunny
Days are warm and sweet as honey
Children in the lazy weather
Laugh and sing and play together.Mothers… don’t remember…
Weaving long and weaving well…All I recall…
Just hoping you might have some info… would love lyrics and chords (guitar)… if possible…
Thanks,
Ray C
If anyone can help with this song, please let us know in the comments below.
Thanks!
Mama Lisa
Poem: Spinning Top
Wednesday, July 15th, 2009Spinning Top
When I spin round without a stop
And keep my balance like the top,
I find that soon the floor will swim
Before my eyes; and then, like him,
I lie all dizzy on the floor
Until I feel like spinning more.
Link of Spanish Kids CD’s
Tuesday, July 14th, 2009I stumbled upon this page today: a list of some musicians who have recorded children’s music in Spanish.
Enjoy!
Mama Lisa
Salvador Dali and Disney’s Animation called Destino
Wednesday, July 8th, 2009Imagine eccentric Dali, in his black cape, working with Walt Disney! The two did come together briefly on a short film project in 1946, called Destino. For unknown reasons, it wasn’t completed at the time. The artwork Dali originally composed for the movie was purchased by Disney a few years ago. In 2001, work began on the making of an animation based on Dali’s original artwork. It was completed in 2003.
There were photocopies of the storyboards of the beginning and end of the animation that Dali had worked on. But the middle of the story wasn’t totally worked out on paper. To make the completed animation, in addition to using Dali’s artwork for the project, Disney relied on a journal Dali’s wife had been keeping that detailed Dali’s plans for the piece. They also used a 3D model of Dali’s painting The Tower of Babel to give the animation more depth.
Originally, the film was going to include live people interposed with animations. According to an article on the Disney site (that has since been taken down), Dali was going to be in the film. He would have been working at an easel at one point, and an actor was going to ask him the meaning of the imagery in his works… such as the “melting” clocks. I found what Dali was going to respond to be very interesting:
“What you see here are just symbols. Surrealism is like a new language. Every object means something other than what it naturally appears to be. This watch, for instance — it symbolizes the relativity of time. Depending on the circumstances, in love for instance, one minute of waiting may seem like a thousand years…or an hour may pass as quickly as if it were a few seconds. The time of human being is different than mechanical time. It’s flexible and viscous, like the time in dreams.”
I thought that bit of dialog nicely elucidates Dali’s work and certainly the meaning of the clocks in his paintings.
The music in the animation is an adaptation of a ballad by Mexican songwriter Armando Dominguez. It was sung by Dora Luz.
Here’s a trailer from the animation…
Here’s a trailer of the strangest part of the animation…
You can see other clips of Destino and the whole animation by typing in “Dali and Disney” into YouTube. A higher quality version is coming out soon on DVD.
Animatronic Obama Now at Disney!
Sunday, July 5th, 2009Walt Disney World has added a robotic Barack Obama to its Hall of Presidents. Here you can hear CNN’s Rob Marciano report about it…
Happy July Fourth – Photo and Firework Video!
Friday, July 3rd, 2009Here’s a short video of some fireworks we saw last night and a photo of flags near the Empire State Building to help get you into the mood for the 4th of July…
Have a Happy July Fourth!
Mama Lisa
Exhibition of Original Artwork from Golden Books
Thursday, July 2nd, 2009This traveling exhibition presents original illustrations from Little Golden Books. They celebrated their 65th anniversary in 2007. It includes 60 original illustrations from: The Poky Little Puppy, Tootle, Home for a Bunny, The Kitten Who Thought He Was a Mouse, The Color Kittens, I Can Fly, and more. Check out the following link to see where the Golden Books Art Exhibit is currently touring.
Blueberry Pie Recipe made with Fresh, Unbaked Blueberries… Yum!
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009
My sister, Gwen, makes this wonderful blueberry pie every summer. This blueberry pie recipe leaves most of the blueberries uncooked. What’s so great about that is that you get the plumpness of fresh blueberries in your pie. (It doesn’t have the gooey feel of a baked blueberry pie – that might be more appropriate for the cooler weather). My sister’s pie is a very refreshing treat in the hot weather!
Blueberry Pie Recipe
Ingredients:
6 cups of Blueberries (2 1/2 pints) washed & drained
1/4 – 1/2 cup Cold Water
5 Tbsp. Flour or Cornstarch (we use flour)
Pinch of Salt
1/2 – 1 cup Sugar (depends tartness of berries)
1/2 cup Water
10 inch Pie Shell Baked (My sister uses frozen – I used a Graham Crust in the photo above.)1) Wash and drain berries thoroughly. Mix together 1/4 cup cold water, flour & salt to make a smooth paste (add more water as necessary to make a smooth paste).
2) Mix 1 cup blueberries, sugar, 1/2 cup water and paste in saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until mixture thickens. Remove from stovetop to cool.
3) When mixture is cool add remaining berries and put into already baked pie shell.
4) Optional – top with fresh whip cream. Mix 1 pint of heavy cream with 2 – 3 Tbsp. of confectionary sugar and whip with mixer.
Enjoy!
Many thanks to my sister, Gwen Eichler, for sharing her recipe with us!
Mama Lisa
Slave Narratives
Saturday, June 27th, 2009Last month I posted several songs that originate from the period immediately after the slaves were freed in the US. They came from a study of Slave Narratives that the US government did in the 1930’s, some of which are posted on Project Gutenberg. Recently Linda Austin wrote about what she read of the Slave Narratives on her blog Cherry Blossom Memories. Linda gives an interesting summary of some of the Narratives from Arkansas.
________
Copyright ©2009 by Lisa Yannucci. All rights reserved.
Help Support
Mama Lisa's World!
$5, $10, $25
or any amount welcome!
Advertisements
