The Kingfisher Book of Children's Poetry

The British have done it again! This is a collection for children who have enjoyed nursery rhymes, played with rhyming humor, laughed at Prelutsky and Silverstein and now are ready for more meaty poetry.Students are expected to understand personification, simile, metaphore and ever so much more on standardized tests. Here is a collection that will give them the material in which to find those styles embedded in meaningful thoughts.My fourth graders begin with "Knock at a Star" edited by Kennedy and then use this collection in the spring. I've bought class sets of both of these and the students are well ready to be led into understanding the deeper thoughts and feelings that poets embed in their poetry. Don't sell them short.

Well, unlike the other two reviewers, I enjoyed reading these poems to my children. I reviewed the book in the store before deciding to buy it. The two poems that were given as examples can be considered another way. The poem of war is very descriptive and true to life. Should war be viewed antiseptically? Should children believe war is a good easy thing the way our current administration would have us believe? The poem about the teacher was funny. Teachers come in with daggers in their eyes. The poem was symbolic. You know about symbolism don't you? What's wrong with getting the kids' attention, showing them that poetry isn't all stopping by the woods on a snowy evening. I've got tons of sweet poetry books for the early years. Many of these poems are great discussion starters. My kids listened intently. My son started some prose immediately after.