Poetry Speaks to Children [With CD (Audio)]

My kids, ages 5 and 19months LOVE this CD. They laugh together at the sillier poems and the inflection of the readers' voices and my daughter is always asking me to put this on. For myself, the gift is listening to the poets read their work, or have others read for them. Case in point: Basil Rathbone reading Poe. To hear the likes of Robert Frost read their work is magic in itself. This is perfect for children *and* adults, and is brilliant for those quiet evenings at home when you'd rather not have the television on.

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!

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.

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!

I left this book on the family room table planning to give it to my 4 year old. However, he found it before I could give it to him and was completely captivated. He LOVED it! In fact, we had to leave a few hours later for an errand and he wanted to bring it in the car with him. That was even before we played the CD for him. This book is an incredible gift for children and hopefully will reignite an interest in poetry for all ages. You can't go wrong with buying this book; the illustrations are enchanting and the CD is wonderful.