This jaunty, lavish book, lovingly illustrated by Paul Delaney, is a cornucopia of silliness and sentiment. Composed to a significant degree of items that are the common inheritance of our culture, it also contains nursery rhymes, nonsense poems and song lyrics from specific authors, from Longfellow to Lisa O’Neill. Throughout the books pages the three Rs likely to captivate young children are evident - rhyme, rhythm and repetition. As the subtitle suggests, there is often a keenly Irish flavour to proceedings, partly, as mentioned in the book’s introduction, due to material from the National Folklore Collection – rhymes from schoolchildren dating back to the 1930s. Whilst there is certainly some (to this reviewer) novel verse included, there are also many abundantly familiar inclusions. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling or Jingle Bells may be common coin to us jaded grown-ups, but who’s to say they won’t be full of strangeness and wonder to the average two year old? Delaney’s colourfully schematic illustrations are a pleasure to behold, and constitute a large part of the books cosy, daft and sometimes antiquated charm. There is enough material here for countless bedtimes, and, bar the odd decapitation or threat of mortal gluttony, plenty to give little ones the sweetest of dreams!
ChildrensBooksIreland.ie this jaunty, lavish book is a cornucopia of silliness and sentiment … with a keenly Irish flavour due to material from the National Folklore Collection. There is enough material for countless bedtimes
Children's Books Ireland’s Annual Reading Guide 2024 Combining modern verses, familiar refrains, school-yard rhymes and material from the National Folklore collection, Webb and Delaney’s selection of poems from an Irish childhood will provide a trip down memory lane for older readers and a new exposure to the fun of rhyme for younger readers. A collection that can be re-visited time and time again, traversing seasons, landscapes and ending with a sweet goodnight
Irish Examiner Colourful & gorgeous, & has so many rhymes I'd forgotten, & those new to me from the National Folklore Collection
Irish History Bitesize includes beloved classics … adding sparkle and joy to bedtime
Irish Farmers Journal's Gift Guide there is a wealth of story wrapped up in all manner of forms in this charming collection that would make the perfect bedtime accompaniment for many
Armadillo Magazine There is no better Christmas gift you can give a young reader than time spent reading with them in front of the fire on a cold winter's day, and poetry anthologies can be perfect companions. Sarah Webb has brought together a lovely selection of rhymes from an Irish childhood in I See the Moon and the Moon Sees Me, from skipping favourites to traditional Irish songs, seasonal specialties and lilting lullabies, with Delaney's boxy illustrations providing a nice visual focus
Irish Times Perfect bedtime reading
Rollercoaster Webb's latest collection of childhood rhymes then, is an eclectic mix reflecting a diverse range of historical and societal influences, from the Scottish ‘Aiken Drum' and Doctor Foster's ill-fated trip to Gloucester to Spike Milligan's 'On the Ning Nang Nong' and American-composed song ‘When Irish Eyes are Smiling'. Drawing on the National Folklore Collection's Schools Collection and including ‘The Dublin Street Boys' and ‘Aon, do, tri, luichini istigh sa tui’, there's something old, new, or borrowed here for everyone
Irish Examiner