Product Description

Write about a radish
Too many people write about the moon.

The night is black
The stars are small and high
The clock unwinds its ever-ticking tune
Hills gleam dimly
Distant nighthawks cry.
A radish rises in the waiting sky.

This long-awaited, comprehensive collection by acclaimed poet Karla Kuskin contains her most celebrated poems as well as new works never before published. Whether she's writing about napping cats, reaches of beaches, or radishes as beautiful as the moon, Moon, Have You Met My Mother? amuses while it inspires.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #790718 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03-01
• Released on: 2003-02-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 336 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6-Many bits and pieces, some ambiguous or fragmentary, and others humorous or reflective, make up this substantial assemblage. Some of the poems have appeared in other publications and others are new. Kuskin provides an appealing introductory poem reminiscing on her writing of poetry since childhood. Arranged in thematic groups, the selections range over various categories of animals, seasons, wizards and other magical creatures, and night experiences. None of the poems are titled, which tends to blur the distinction among them. Small cartoon sketches here and there echo the often humorous tone of the poetry. Though some entries are but snippets of rhyme, patient readers will discover many enjoyable nuggets. Many pieces also encourage readers to be responsive observers of the natural world. Parents and teachers will find good read-aloud fare here.
Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. Long overdue, this collection brings together more than 40 years of Kuskin's poetry, as well as several newly published selections. Divided thematically rather than chronologically, the poems focus on Kuskin's favorite topics: animals and other creatures, the seasons, food, day and night, and our secret selves--"the outside me" and the "me inside of me." As always, Kuskin's sounds and playful nonsense are irresistible: "Butter / butter / butter / butter / that's a word / I love to utter." There is often surprising, blunt humor: "Pigeons love a dusty crumb. / The fact is that / they're pretty dumb." Some poems capture a melancholy loneliness with startling, beautiful imagery: "One child put her thin arms around the wind / and they went off together / Later the wind came back alone." The book's handsome design resembles a Shel Silverstein collection with small ink drawings--subtle, funny, and wild--on spacious cream-colored pages. Sly, joyful, wise, and filled with delicious sounds, these are poems that, collected together, will invite new generations of children to delight in the simplest words and explore their own secret selves. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
Karla Kuskin has written more than fifty books for children, Including Roar and More, The Philharmonic Gets Dressed, Soap Soup, and Any Me I Want To Be. She has two children, Nick and Julia, both of whom are professional photographers, and two darling grandchildren, Madeleine and Amelia, both of whom live abroad with their parents. Winner of the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children, she writes in Brooklyn, New York, and Arlington, Virginia, or on a porch on Bainbridge Island, Washington where she lives with her husband, William L. Bell.

Customer Reviews

Golly goshen, where have you been dear Kuskin
This book is magical and mischievious. This book brings to mind instant comparisons to the masterworks of Shel Silverstein. But Ms. Kuskin can maintain a certain gentleness that was often absent in Shel's poetry anthologies. This may also be some of the best, most magical drawings from Sergio Ruzzier, truly another unneeded reason to buy this book.
I am supremely cheap. I love the library. I needed to own this item. Get it, laugh, feel, find some strangely wonderful sweetness.

A lovely book of poems--
This is a book that I love and that my grandson brings to me for a reading session whenever he comes to visit. He is a very lively 6 year old, so that is quite a complement for the verses.

pure delight

I am so glad I discovered this book, and so sad that the author has lately passed away. Karla Kuskin has a fun,entertaining and imaginative way with words, that touches children and adults in this book of poems. Her subjects and thoughts capture what is relevant in a child's world. The words explode, pop and snap making the reader laugh and think while stretching one's imagination. As a former elementary teacher and now a grandmother I will treasure this book!