The Star Tales of Mother Goose
A Book by Mary Stewart Adams
Illustrated by Patricia DeLisa
About the Book
For over 20 years Mary Stewart Adams has been leading audiences in finding the delightful connection between the night sky and the cultural arts such as nursery rhymes, fairy tales and mythologies. Through decades of dark sky programs, the Fairy Tale Moons calendars, and her ongoing weekly radio series, Mary inspires the imagination in answer to the inherent longing to understand our connection with the stars. This is her first book, in which she continues to weave the brilliant night sky together with the wonder literature of the ages.
The Star Tales of Mother Goose is designed to awaken the imagination in relationship to the stars as a companion to the science of astronomy. The book includes traditional Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes in their connection with the constellations of the night sky as imagined by Mary. Rich with original illustrations by Mary's sister and long-time collaborator Patricia DeLisa, the book introduces basic astronomical concepts and the history of each rhyme, as well as the history of Mother Goose herself. You can catch a video of Mary’s book launch at this link.
The book is suitable for children and designed for adults. Sing a Song of Sixpence, Hey Diddle Diddle, Little Bo Peep, Little Boy Blue, Humpty Dumpty and more are found here on the page, carousing beneath a sky full of stars.
Book Includes
History of Mother Goose
Keys for finding the stars with their corresponding Mother Goose rhymes
Easy-to-use sky maps
Glossary of astronomical terms
Historical references
9x11 hardcover format
112 full color pages
“I always learn something from Mary Stewart Adams, whose grasp of night sky lore is second to none. Her Star Tales of Mother Goose brings forth something new under the stars, reimagining the classical constellations of the Western canon through the cultural lens of Mother Goose and putting its own unique spin on familiar fairy tales and nursery rhymes. Vividly illustrated with her sister’s fanciful art, this book evokes the wonder of childhood when it seems that anything is possible, and reading it makes me want to go outside tonight and reacquaint myself with old friends — the stars. A must-read for anyone ready to approach the night sky anew with the wide-open eyes of a child, whether they have kids of their own or are simply kids at heart.”
— John Barentine, PhD
International Dark Sky Association
Authored and Illustrated by...
Mary Stewart Adams
Star Lore Historian & Author
Mary Stewart Adams is a Star Lore Historian and host of the weekly public radio segment and podcast "The Storyteller's Night Sky," designed to restore the mythic grandeur of knowing the stars. In 2011, she led the team that established the 9th International Dark Sky Park in the world in her home state of Michigan.
Patricia DeLisa
Artist & Illustrator
As an artist and illustrator Patricia's whimsy speaks through color and design. It is a perfect match for children's wear, fairy tales and nursery rhymes, as evidenced by her Cozy Cocoon line, her collaboration with Mary to create the Fairy Tale Moons Calendar series and previous illustration for Bell Pond Books of Little Red Riding Hood.