The Bill Martin Jr Big Book of Poetry

Children's books written in verse seem to be making a come back. Works like Brian Lies "Bats at the Beach" remind us of the wonder and pleasure we all took as children in wonderful rhyming books. Yet too often, people underrate their children's ability to appreciate poetry. This tremendous treasure of a volume brings back so many wonderful memories of the poetry my parents read to me and offered me the opportunity to read with my children and grow their love of language. To the editor's credit, he did not choose a selection that in any way reads "down" to children, but with poems by Frost, Dickenson, Hughes, and Stevenson, instead sought to lift them up to wonderful heights. Will your child love all of these poems? Of course not. What he or she will however enjoy is the diversity of the pieces. Moreover, the varied and beautiful illustrations are sure to move even the smallest imagination to new flights of wonder.

I've bought several books of kids poetry before and they have not been a hit. My son can't close the book fast enough when I bring one out. But we both loved this book. Becuase the poems are grouped in themes, he felt like he was getting stories read to him -- and he would ask for one more page. Because the poems are really wonderful, I don't mind reading them over and over. And anything by Eric Carle is huge in our house. Good book -- give it a look!

If you are a lover of poetry then a quick flip through this collection of poems will bring you face to face with old and new friends. If however, the last time you read poetry was when you were still a child in school then this book may just chide you into thinking, "why did I ever stop?" If you're unsure whether or not to order this book, stop right now and put it into your cart. I can't imagine anyone being disappointed with such a delightful tome. (and no, I'm not being paid to say that - it's just my honest opinion.) You can't tell from just the picture above but this book is chock full of poems; it weighs in at over 2 pounds worth! Although you *could* sit down and just read it from cover to cover, it's so much more fun to just open the book *anywhere* and just start reading. The poems are divided into categories so you could easily find yourself among a group of poems about animals or a chunk of poems about food or a cornucopia of poems about holidays and seasons or a gaggle of poems full of nonsense and silliness. Then there are the illustrations . . . oh the pictures! From just as diverse a group of artists as the poems are from distinct authors, each poem's page is decorated with the artwork of notable childrens illustrators as well. Your child will get exposure to many different forms of illustration to illuminate the words on the page. Each time I open this book I "discover" something new inside, something to bring joy and delight to me and my child. I've had this book for a while now and I *still* keep finding fun new things to enjoy. It's certainly hard to say who loves this book more, me or my child. However, any book that continually brings a smile to both our faces is a true winner.

There's a staggering 161 pages of poetry in this big book: everything from "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost to "Hey Diddle, Diddle" by Mother Goose. The Big Book of Poetry provided a much-needed break from the Dr. Seuss cycle of bedtime reading at our house - The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham and How the Grinch Stole Christmas - without sacrificing the opportunity to teach rhyme, alliteration, homonyms and vocabulary. Like many a coffee table book, you can open it to any page and start right off. At bedtime, my sons (ages 6 and 4) each pick five poems to read. They've already chosen two early favorites: "Beans, Beans, Beans" by Lucia and James L. Hymes Jr. (the funny illustration by Derek Anderson will have parents recalling Blazing Saddles); and "My Shadow" by Robert Louis Stevenson. In summary, there's something for everyone in the Big Book of Poetry and young readers will have a lot of fun finding their favorites (and practicing their alliteration, too.)

As a child I was a voracious reader and a collector of storybook dolls among other things. When I was grown, gone and married, Mom asked what she should do with all of my "things" (the obvious hope being that I would send for them). No, I just asked if she would give them away. She did this, albeit reluctantly, save for some books. There was a time when I thought that was sentimental but unnecessary as I'd never ever look at those books again. Wrong! It's been a joy for me to share my childhood favorites with my children, and these books are known in our family as "keepers." I'd like to suggest that this Big Book of Poetry is a "keeper" for this generation of young readers. Martin has collected almost 200 of his favorite poems from such diverse authors as Robert Frost, Mother Goose, Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, and the ever popular Anonymous. The verses are divided into ten chapters with a Foreword by Eric Carle and an afterword by Steven Kellogg. Some of the poems will be familiar to you, others will be happy discoveries. Each poem is accompanied by a colorful illustration by such noted artists as Chris Raschka, Lois Ehlert, and Steven Kellogg. Wait `til you see the illustration accompanying Norman Norton's Nostrils! Young readers will return to this volume again and again - it's a "keeper"! - Gail Cooke