Heavy words lightly thrown - the reason behind the rhyme

The adult origins of many popular nursery rhymes explored in an intelligent, amused and, hopefully, amusing fashion.

Heavy words lightly thrown first emerged in November 2003 and featured adult illustrations by a variety of artists that best illuminated the original meanings of many childhood rhymes. The simple premise behind the book was to tell the history and origins of a collection of favourite nursery rhymes and make people regard them in a different light by bringing in 21st century social references and contexts. As many of the songs were initially written for an adult audience in a sense the book was just returning the rhymes to their rightful place. The media coverage at the time was quite extensive.

"An enormously entertaining study” Daily Telegraph 'Books of the Year'

"Entertainingly mischievous readings of these traditional songs" The Guardian

"An irreverent romp through the received wisdom of the nursery rhymes with which we all think we're so familiar" Sunday Herald

"A highly entertaining, extremely informative and enlightening book" Big Issue
"Rumpty Dumpty! Or why those nursery rhymes aren't as innocent as they seem" Daily Mail

"Entertaining expose of the surprising stories behind well-known nursery rhymes revealing a seething subtext of sexual innuendo, religious hatred and political subversion" Bookseller

So once again, with this extended electronic version, there is the chance to find out whether Jack Horner really was a squatter, whether Mary was all that contrary and Jack particularly nimble and why there was such a fuss about geese and their gendering and much else besides.