Rhyme & Reason: Author Talk with Susan Ackroyd
Discover the fascinating history behind many well-known children’s rhymes with the author of Rhyme and Reason (English history through nursery rhymes), Susan Ackroyd.
Many of the 20 rhymes explored in the book are political satire, mocking the establishment of the day, particularly the Tudor and Stuart periods of the 16th and 17th centuries. They reveal the turbulent relationship between monarch and people, religious divides and the impacts of war. Over the centuries these rhymes have endured but their origins are now largely forgotten.
Centuries ago, someone felt irked by the unfairness of farm labour and whispered about black sheep.
People were so incensed by the antics of a bloke called Henry they made up a rhyme calling him a poor little doggie.
A siege machine was christened Humpty Dumpty, mocking a royal army’s attempts to fight.
And, Susan’s favourite rhyme, the baby in a treetop, spoke about a bloodless revolution giving birth to constitutional monarchy.
Hear Susan talk about the intriguing history behind these rhymes and more.
About the author
Susan’s working life was spent mainly in education, starting as a high school English/History teacher. She also worked with adult migrants and refugees before returning to university to become a lawyer. While studying, Susan found work in the vocational education sector and then worked for six years in the field of elder law, until the training sector lured her back.
Now retired, Susan has written two books: Rhyme and Reason (English history through nursery rhymes) and Rhyme & Reason (Edition 2 – Mystery and History).
