Product Description

In the tradition of Poetry Speaks, the anthology named a Best Book of 2002 by School Library Journal, and praised by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer as "a volume to delight longtime lovers of poetry and to spark new love for poetry, especially among the young," Sourcebooks MediaFusion is proud to introduce the joy of the written and spoken word in Poetry Speaks to Children.

Parents, educators, librarians, and poetry enthusiasts have wondered for years how to get children really interested in poetry. Until now, there hasn't been a collection of poems and poets that spoke directly to that elusive audience. Poetry Speaks to Children cracks through that barrier by packaging the best poems by the best authors along with a CD-making the engrossing and often mischievous verses come alive in the voices of many of the creators.

Poetry Speaks to Children reaches into the world of poetry and pulls out the elements children love: rhyme, rhythm, fun and, every once in a while, a little mischief.

More than 90 poems, for children ages six and up, celebrate the written word and feature a star-studded lineup of beloved poets, including: Roald Dahl; J. R. R. Tolkien; Robert Frost; Gwendolyn Brooks; Ogden Nash; John Ciardi; Langston Hughes; Sonia Sanchez; Seamus Heaney; Canada's best-loved children's poet, Dennis Lee; Rita Dove; Billy Collins; Nikki Giovanni and X. J. Kennedy.

On the accompanying CD, 52 of the poems are brought to life-most read by the poets themselves-allow the reader to hear the words as the poets intended.

Hear Gwendolyn Brooks growl her rhyming verse poem "The Tiger Who Wore White Gloves, or, What You Are You Are" with verve and inflection-relaying the story of the striped cat who "rushed to the jungle fair for something fine to wear," much to the hoots of his jungle peers. Amid jeers, sneers and sighs, the tiger eventually learns to be comfortable in his own striped skin! (or fur as it were!).

Follow Ogden Nash as he tells of the brave little Isabel, who "didn't worry, didn't scream or scurry" when confronted with a ravenous bear, a one-eyed giant or a troublesome doctor. Her clever solutions to problems ("She turned the witch into milk and drank her") will keep even the most reluctant readers interested.

Listen to James Berry, who quells a little girl's anxieties about her color by celebrating the marriage of "night and light," emphasizing how all colors are necessary in nature, in "Okay, Brown Girl, Okay."

Turn the page and tune in . . . kids won't be the only ones hooked!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21630 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 112 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781402203299
• Condition: USED - VERY GOOD
• Notes:
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From School Library Journal
Grade 3-8–A fine, basic collection. Approximately half of the 97 selections are read or performed on the accompanying CD. The book provides a mix of adult writers (Rita Dove, Seamus Heaney, and Billy Collins, among others) and those whose work is specifically for children, such as X. J. Kennedy and Mary Ann Hoberman. Topics include childhood, animals, nonsense poems, and humor (including C. K. Williams's Gas, which dwells on the fact that FARTING IS FORBIDDEN!). The three illustrators have captured the different tones of the selections, from a comic portrait of the Jabberwock slayer wearing a colander and wielding a plunger and the wailing children in William Stafford's First Grade, to the moving paintings of a girl with flowers echoing the natural images of James Berry's Okay, Brown Girl, Okay. The CD gives children the opportunity to hear several of the poets, such as Robert Frost reading Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening and Langston Hughes reading The Negro Speaks of Rivers. They hear a variety of accents and dialects–an Irish lilt, New England inflections, or James Berry's lilting Jamaican-British voice. Readers of Roald Dahl's books will enjoy hearing him read The Dentist and the Crocodile, and fans of The Lord of the Rings books and movies will appreciate hearing Tolkien read Frodo's Song in Bree. Joy Harjo frames her Eagle Poem with a haunting vocalization that echoes its serious tone.–Barbara Chatton, College of Education, University of Wyoming, Laramie
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 3-5. Teachers will celebrate this wide-ranging collection of both classic and contemporary poetry, including selections from Robert Bly and Rainer Maria Rilke, who aren't often included in anthologies for youth. There's little organization, although similarly themed selections sometimes appear together (the witches' lines from Macbeth come just after Karla Kuskin's "Knitted Things," also about a witch, for example). Almost every poem appears on a heavily illustrated page, and the literal, cheerful, color illustrations of animals and young children often overwhelm the imagery in the words. The pictures are handsome, but they seem aimed mostly at a picture-book audience. Many selections, such as Mary Ann Hoberman's "Rabbit," are appropriate for picture-book readers, but a large proportion of the poems will be most enjoyed by older elementary students, who will be able to focus on the words and appreciate the magnificent selection. A CD containing audio tracks of the poems being read aloud, in many cases by the poets themselves, rounds out the package. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"[a] wonderful new anthology [that has] broken new ground..." -- Nancy Pearl, librarian and author of Book Lust and More Book Lust

Customer Reviews

My Kids LOVE the CD!
My 4 and 6 year old really enjoy when I read to them from the book, but what they listen to all day is the CD! Since the book arrived, the CD has been playing non-stop. Who would have thought that poetry would replace disney songs? I am thrilled.

Poetry really does speak to children
I am an English teacher and had used Poetry Speaks when teaching poetry to my high school students. Poetry is meant to be heard, not just read, and who better to read it than the actual poets? When I found Poetry Speaks to Children at Bank Street Bookstore in Manhattan, I bought it for my sons (5 and 8) in the hope that I could spark their interest in poetry. Playing the CD seemed like a good way to introduce it to them without taking away from their beloved bedtime stories. I never thought they'd like it as much as they do. Every night after I turn out the lights, I let the CD play. They fall asleep to the sound of the poems, and in the morning, I am amazed by what they remember. My younger son cited two lines from the first poem, "Dig In" after only hearing it twice and talks constantly about the Jabberwock. They each have their favorites, and I'm sure they will develop new ones in time. I can't recommend this enough!

great book for children
A great mix of poems that our children loved to listen to, following the spoken word on the CD along with the illustrations. I came home from work one day to see my 3 year old quietly listening and following along -- not a common site to see him this concentrated. The color illustrations are great and the voices varied. Recommended for long car rides!