Whatever Happened to Humpty Dumpty?: And Other Surprising Sequels to Mother Goose Rhymes

Greenberg (Bugs!) carouses through Mother Goose's cupboard, pulling out an assortment of tales and pinning irreverent sequels to them. Remember Jack (as in ""Jack be nimble"")? Seems he wasn't exactly a blazing success in the end. In fact, ""Jack tripped over the candlestick,/ Caught fire in a flash./ Now all that's left of Jack/ Is a little bit of ash."" And Humpty Dumpty, on his way to becoming an omelette for all the king's horses and men, ends up as a royal mess when the monarch puts him in the blender without the lid. Other nursery celebrities include the old woman in the shoe, Miss Muffet and Jack Sprat and his wife; Greenberg also lampoons lesser-known characters such as Little King Boggen, Baby Dolly and Jerry Hall (no, not the one married to Mick Jagger), who is swallowed by a rat (""Now there isn't any question/ He will suffer in digestion""). As he gleefully mixes metaphors and scrambles genres, Greenberg risks annoying readers with forced rhymes or choppy rhythms that are a bit of a chore to read, but the overall fun factor compensates. Schindler's waggish illustrations join in the merry parody, at one point even conjuring a farmer's wife who resembles Martha Stewart to demonstrate the utility of the tails off the three blind mice (""They're good for noodles, pickup sticks,/ Good to tickle your toes,/ Good for yarn, candlewicks/ Good to pick your nose""). The oblong format adds to the volume's visual appeal. All ages. (Apr.)