The Random House Book of Poetry for Children Book

This Poetry Was Music to My Students' Ears (And Don't Be Turned Off by the Title!)

A Review by Daniel L. Berek

Most young children love poetry, especially for its musical qualities, rhythm, imagery. And with famed children's poet Jack Prelutsky as editor, add "fun, funny, witty, and wise." When I taught young children (K through grade 3), I used this book extensively, and my students kept asking for more, more, more poetry, please. Do not let the awful title of this book, "The Random House Book of Poetry for Children," turn you off. The publishers should have used the subtitle instead, "A Treasury of 572 Poems for Today's Child." Why use the publisher's name as the title. This is not a dictionary, after all. Besides, there is already too much commercialism in books for children. Then again, to use a tired cliche, "You cannot judge a book by its cover." So open the book and sample what's inside. Arranged in themes (which is very useful for teachers looking for a poem for a special occasion), an immense selection of poems by poets of all walks of life awaits. Best of all, most of the poems are not ditties written for kiddies - they are honest-to-goodness poems by respected authors such as Christina Rosetti, Robert Frost, Walter de la Mare, John Updike, Walter Crane, Nikki Giovanni, John Ciardi, Gwendolyn Brooks, Hilaire Belloc, Joyce Kilmer, Langston Hughes, and William Butler Yeats to name but a sample, poems for readers of all ages. Of course, there are also verses by traditional writers of quality children's literature, such as Lewis Carroll, Mary Ann Hoberman, Charlotte Zolotow, Robert Louis Stevenson, Edward Lear, Ogden Nash, Eve Merriam, Judith Viorst, and the two Lillians, Moore and Morrison. There is something for everyone to like in a variety of themes, including nature, the seasons, animals wild and tame, children, the city, the home, food, people, and just plain silliness, something children and adults alike could always use more of. As an educator, I highly favor the use of poetry in all classes, not just language arts. The children will love it! Just don't let them know that it is also good for them....