Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

The English lyrics were written as a poem titled "The Star" by 23-year-old English poet Jane Taylor (1783-1824) and published in "Rhymes for the Nursery" along with her sister Ann Taylor in London in 1806, with the poem consisting of five stanzas though typically only the first is widely known and sung today. Jane Taylor is renowned for her contributions to children's literature, and "The Star" is her most famous work, with she and her sister considered pioneers in children's literature, advocating for stories and poems specifically designed to entertain and educate young readers. While Jane Taylor penned the lyrics, the melody commonly associated with "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" comes from an 18th-century French folk tune "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman," which was first published in 1761 and gained popularity through Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Twelve Variations on 'Ah vous dirai-je, Maman.'" The combination of Taylor's poem and the French melody appeared in print around 1838, and this same tune is also used for "The Alphabet Song" (A, B, C, D etc.) and "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep." "Rhymes for the Nursery" was a significant collection of poems aimed at children that became widely popular throughout the 19th century, and the Taylor sisters' work helped establish the genre of children's literature, providing simple yet profound messages in an engaging manner.