Mother Goose Duo: Vintage popular Effanbee doll & IVANOV Tall Book of Mother Goose

The PoetryFoundation.org, writes "Mother Goose is often cited as the author of hundreds of children's stories that have been passed down through oral tradition and published over centuries. Various chants, songs, and even games have been attributed to her, but she is most recognized for her nursery rhymes, which have been familiar with readers of all generations. Her work is often published as Mother Goose Rhymes.

Despite her celebrated place in children's literature, the exact identity and origin of Mother Goose herself is still unknown. Some believe that the original Mother Goose was a real woman who lived in Boston during the latter half of the 17th century. After being widowed by Isaac Goose, a woman named either Elizabeth Foster Goose or Mary Goose (depending on sources) moved in with her eldest daughter, entertaining her grandchildren with amusing jingles which quickly gained popularity with the neighborhood children. According to the legend, her son-in-law, a publisher, printed her rhymes, and thus the reputation of Mother Goose was born."

Designed in her honor by Effanbee, I offer for sale a charming 11" Mother Goose Doll made in America around 1984. The doll wears a flowing soft pastel lace and ribbon trimmed flowered dress, with large, matching pointed hat, white lace-trimmed petticoat, bloomers and slipper type socks. Her waist-length blond hair peaks out from under the hat; her blue-eyed face delicately encircled by lace. The company describes her as an 'exciting 11" playsize Collectors Doll'. They have fashioned her out of vinyl and plastic, dressed her in soft fabrics, and made her popular fully jointed with rooted hair to encourage and survive a children's playing. The doll I am offering, however, is a show piece I inherited from a lifelong doll collector. She is aged but in excellent condition. Her colors may have dulled a little, but there are no scratches on the doll and no rips or stains in the clothing.

Accompanying the doll is "The Tall Book of Mother Goose" written and illustrated by Aleksey & Olga Ivanov. The 76 page hard cover picture book is a beautifully illustrated trove of our favorite Mother Goose rhymes and tales, printed in 2006 by Harper Collins Publishers. Except for one inexplicable "Doh" written in the front cover, the book is in excellent shape.

Thanks for considering them.