In our opinion, Good Sam's Nursery Rhymes: History for Young Americans is the best book of nursery rhymes written since the original. The original nursery rhymes sounded like children's' rhymes when they were really coded poetry, designed to spread restricted information not allowed by the elite of that age. In addition, since many could not read, the rhymes were made simple so they could be spread easily from person to person. Below is some additional information from a great website, Nursery Rhymes History and Origin.

Click to read:

Nursery Rhymes History and Origin
Nursery Rhyme #11: Who takes up arms
Nursery Rhyme #10: Dingy Harry he did frown
Nursery Rhyme #09: How dare Sarah speak so plain
Nursery Rhyme #08: Next time you sit with socks to darn
Nursery Rhyme #07: Beware the handsome peddler
Nursery Rhyme #06: Naughty Nancy helped herself
Nursery Rhyme #05: The acorn plays a shell game ...
Nursery Rhyme #04: Mac and Mae were coaxed to play ...
Nursery Rhyme #03: The son of a goat herder ...
Nursery Rhyme #02: To market, to market ...
Nursery Rhyme #01: Barry split the dinner ...

From Nursery Rhymes History and Origin:

“The origins of most nursery rhymes reflect events in history. … Two examples of these types of nursery rhymes origins are 'Ring a Ring o Rosies' which refers to the Bubonic plague and 'Remember Remember' which alludes to Guy Fawkes' foiled attempt to blow up the English Houses of Parliament! Many of the words and nursery rhymes lyrics were used to parody the royal and political events of the day, direct dissent would often be punishable by death!” (Therefore, early nursery rhymes were written in code, ... as these are.)

Rhymes 10 and 11 are two of Good Sam's newest rhymes.
Updated: January 12, 2009

Good Sam’s Nursery Rhymes
     History for Young Americans
         Copyright 2009, Groundbreaking Press

Click the "Nursery Rhyme" link to see the Rhyme graphic.

Nursery Rhyme #11
Who takes up arms
To fight a band
On books found wholly libel
Yet won’t extend
A finger tip
To save the Holy Bible?

Nursery Rhyme #10
Dingy Harry he did frown

For every time he wore his crown

Upon his head

And took his seat

His head and crown

And end did meet

Nursery Rhyme #9
How dare Sarah speak so plain
To those in lower classes
Teach them to think for themselves
And let them use her glasses

Nursery Rhyme #8
Next time you sit with socks to darn
Recall the teller Frank
Who spun a golden blarney yarn
While cleaning out your bank

Nursery Rhyme #7
Beware the handsome peddler
I think his charm’s a curse
He winks at me with one eye
While the other’s on my purse

Nursery Rhyme #6
Naughty Nancy helped herself
To apple pie saved on the shelf
When Mother found the empty pan
Toward her brother pointed Nan

Nursery Rhyme #5
The acorn plays a shell game
Underneath its cap
And hides a co-conspirator
Whose interests overlap 

In turn the shell’s companion
Shares the benefits it reaps
And shades the artful acorn
And the company it keeps

Who’s in the acorn’s pocket
Will reveal itself in time
The answer to this riddle
Can be found within this rhyme

When looking for a fire
You might first search for smoke
For the secrets of the acorn
You must first seek out the oak

Nursery Rhyme #4
Mac and Mae were coaxed to play
With hooligans on a wall
And bet a game of Blind Man’s Bluff
Which caused a great downfall

For Mac and Mae did stumble off
And plummet to the earth
Were buried to their necks in mud
No net to save their worth

The siren failed to blow its horn
Warn others of the crash
The thieves prepared their getaway
With pockets full of cash

And when the two left standing
Began to lose their hold
They bailed out and sailed in
A parachute of gold

Nursery Rhyme #3
The son of a goat herder
Went to Berlin
Robed in sheep’s clothing
And stuck with a pin

He flashed them his passport
Proclaimed them his flock
Then flew back to Chi-town
On pure poppy-cock

Nursery Rhyme #2
To market, to market
Went Fannie and Fred
With houses constructed
Of sweet gingerbread

Tied up in paper
That made buyers ill
Oh you should have seen it
The huge doctor’s bill!

Nursery Rhyme #1
Barry split the dinner
Cooking in the pot
To George he served the cold half
Then managed with the hot

He then gave George the scrapings
And served himself the steak
To George he tossed the wishbone
He was saving room for cake

He ate the last potato
But left a bite of rue
And since George was his brother
It’s the least that he could do

Brad Fregger, CEO
Groundbreaking Press
www.groundbreaking.com

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