Many times, children’s books deal with very innocent topics, but in early times, it seems that children's nursery rhymes actually had very dark backstories — those kids didn't grow up listening to ...

“Do you know the muffin man?” Chances are you’re familiar with the nursery rhyme this line kicks off, but you might not be as clued up on its history. As with many sweet-sounding rhymes, there are ...

Can a catchy little rhyme really be that problematic? Yes—and it’s one way racism was inextricably woven into American life. Get ready to cringe at these childhood favorites. It’s no longer enough to ...

Rhyme thrives at both poles of literature. It is the material of a greeting card—“Roses are red / Violets are blue / Sugar is sweet / And so are you”—and the high-tragic language of Racine. Rhyme ...

Ring a Ring o Rosie isn't about the plague, Mary Mary Quite Contrary isn't about Queen Mary and Humpty Dumpty wasn't a cannon used during the English Civil War. Loading... Despite the proliferation of ...