Product Description

Humorously illustrated by Greenaway award-winner Bob Graham, this collection of more than 100 poems provides an excellent, accessible introduction to poetry, with contributions from many cultures. Skillfully selected by Michael Rosen to catch the ears of young listeners, this collection includes short nonsense verses such as "Today I Saw a Little Worm" and traditional schoolyard rhymes such as "Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling" and "Mary Mack," as well as works by such poets as Shel Silverstein, Eve Merriam, John Agard, Afua Cooper, and Langston Hughes.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #485894 in Books
• Published on: 2004-04-08
• Released on: 2004-04-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 77 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Rosen's ( We're Going on a Bear Hunt ) effervescent anthology opens with rhymes about waking up and getting dressed, and closes with bedtime verses featuring the moon and stars (these last accompanied by an illustrations of a sleepy family and its dog, all cozily tucked into one bed). In between are some 100 poems; sprightly rhythms and often tongue-twisting rhymes make them ideal choices for reading aloud. Such themes as animals, food, rain and snow are playfully explored by anonymous and little-known poets, as well as by such celebrated writers as Eve Merriam, Jack Prelutsky, Eleanor Farjeon, Margaret Mahy, Robert Louis Stevenson and Langston Hughes. Rosen's inclusion of many lesser-known poems, as well as novel variations on familiar rhymes, is especially refreshing. And the book becomes a treat for the eyes as well as the ears with Graham's bustling pictures, which depict the amusing antics of lots of kids and animals. The volume's creative design arranges many of the poems around--or within--the engaging art. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 3-Rosen shows his mastery of the sound of good poetry in this anthology. It is a mix of traditional rhymes, verse by poets, and pieces written by children that ranges over time and cultures, united by a sure sense of the richness of well-chosen words. The obvious care behind each poem's selection is matched by Graham's humorous watercolor cartoons that extend, interpret, and celebrate their subjects. Like the compilations of Lee Bennett Hopkins, X.J. Kennedy, Myra Cohn Livingston, and Jack Prelutsky, this title demonstrates that a strong poetry collection, like a good recipe, relies on the quality and subtle blending of the various ingredients.
Kathleen Whalin, Greenwich Country Day School, CT
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 3-7. Yes, it's another illustrated anthology of poems for young children, but from the promising jacket through the lively introduction to the "don't stop now" quality of the verse itself this is more than just another poetry book. Keenly aware of the playful, physical aspects of poetry for children, Rosen has chosen poems for "their tone of revelation and discovery." He includes anonymous nursery verse ("Wakey, wakey, rise and shine, / Make your bed, / And then make mine") as well as rhymes written primarily by British, American, and Canadian children's poets, and does not rule out poems by Japanese, Australian, and African writers. The inclusion of a few rhymes written by children is unusual, but the collection is so eclectic in origin and boisterous in tone that they fit right in. Graham's appealing, cartoonlike drawings with bright, watercolor washes give the pages a look of constant motion and irreverent humor. An irresistible collection for reading aloud, just for the fun of it. Carolyn Phelan

Customer Reviews

A good read-aloud book
This is the only anthology of poems that we currently have formy 1 1/2 year old daughter and I am not sure it can be topped. Theillustrations are wonderful, from lyrical fish, to beret-wearing little girls throwing tantrums. The poems are from all over, and from all time periods, some by established writers, like Robert L. Stevenson, and others by unknown authors. Not all of the poems are big hits with us, but 85% are right on the money. "Dr. Stickles Tickled Me" really helped break the ice at recent trip to the pediatrician, and "Silvery Silvery, Over the Trees, the Moon Drifts by on a Runaway Breeze" makes a great bedtime verse. I bet most of us don't remember much poetry from our childhood, but this book makes re-learning it all great fun.