This book contains some reworked traditional rhymes and some original poems. “To Be or Not to Be” is an updated version of “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor” with modern occupations added and all possible offensive stereotypes expunged. “Nova Scotia Lobster” is the skipping rhyme “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear” in crustacean’s clothing. Others are original, and, like the title poem, many contain Canadian place names. Some of these poems read well, but Heidbreder’s sense of rhythm is often just a bit off the beat. As a result, some poems lurch rather than skip, and are not easy to read aloud. This is too bad because children like a strong, reliable rhythm in their poetry. Scot Ritchie’s illustrations are cute. His small-eyed, loose-limbed people and animals are appealing, but cute in the older sense, meaning clever, as well.

Although touted as being “for all ages,” these simple poems will appeal most to pre-school and primary school children – those who are most readily influenced by adults. Symbols in the book suggest the use of various poems as counting-out rhymes, skipping rhymes, action or clapping rhymes, but in fact, most kids learn their action rhymes on the playground. The inclusion of these symbols suggests that the author would like to replace those folk rhymes with this more polite and acceptable material.

It is true that children’s folklore is often rude, sexist, racist, and in Canada, heavily Americanized, but it is also extremely resistant to well-intentioned adult interference. This is probably a good thing, because playground culture gives kids a needed sense of control, the opportunity to be rude and rebellious in harmless ways. Take this away from them, and their only recourse is physical aggression.

The law of the jungle gym is not kind. Most of what passes into oral tradition on the playground does so, in part, because of its ability to make our greying hair stand on end. Whether any of the rhymes in Eenie Meenie Manitoba survive this process of natural selection remains to be seen.