Rhymes for the Nursery (1806) is a collection of poems for small children by the sisters Ann and Jane Taylor. It contains The Star, better known as Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, one of the most famous nursery rhymes in English.
The book
After the success of Original Poems for Infant Minds (1804–1805), the London publishers Darton and Harvey asked Ann and Jane Taylor for poems even simpler, for the youngest readers. Rhymes for the Nursery appeared in 1806, without the authors' names.
The poems describe the cat, the cow, going to bed, being kind and the wonders of nature, in short lines easy to learn.
The Star
The Star, by Jane Taylor, describes a child gazing at a star and wondering what it is. Only its first stanza is commonly sung; the poem has five.
Set to a French tune, Ah! vous dirai-je, maman, it became a nursery song known around the world.
Success
The collection was reprinted dozens of times in Britain and America throughout the nineteenth century.
The sisters' work helped to establish poetry written specially for young children as a genre.
Anecdotes
Five stanzas
Most people know only the first stanza of The Star. The others speak of the traveller in the dark who is thankful for the star's light.
Anonymous authors
Like most of their early books, Rhymes for the Nursery was published simply as 'by the authors of Original Poems', without the Taylors' names.
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote Rhymes for the Nursery?
Ann and Jane Taylor, published in London in 1806.
Which famous poem does it contain?
The Star, by Jane Taylor, known as Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.
How many stanzas does The Star have?
Five, though usually only the first is sung.