Maybe Mother Goose

Codell and Chavarri reprise the irreverent conceit of 2011’s Fairly Fairy Tales, offering condensed versions of six nursery rhymes. Rhymes like “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep” and “Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary” appear in their full, traditional forms, followed by call-and-response recaps that end with out-of-left-field twists (“ ‘Black sheep?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Wool?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Bags?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Camera?’ ‘Nooooo!’ ”). “Well, maybe,” reads the following page, as Mother Goose, the Dish and the Spoon, and other recognizable characters don black-tie finery for a red-carpet-worthy photo shoot. Readers who are familiar with the original rhymes will be giggling over these quirky interpretations. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Edward Necarsulmer IV, Dunow, Carlsen & Lerner. (June)