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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The descriptive words, rhythm, and cadence of poetry hold a natural appeal for children, who seem to possess an almost innate aptitude for understanding what a poem is about. A Child's Garden of Poetry is a 27-minute collection of more than 15 poems by great poets such as Robert Louis Stevenson, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, and William Shakespeare. Poems like "My Shadow," "The Road Not Taken," and "Calico Pie" spring to life through the words and songs of famous actors and singers, among them Julianne Moore, Dave Matthews, Natalie Merchant, and Liam Neeson. Some are even read by the poets themselves, thanks to historical recordings by E.E. Cummings, Carl Sandburg, and Edna St. Vincent Millay. Colorful animation and real-life footage of children keep young viewers engaged and focused on the program. Perhaps most impressive are the interludes between poems in which some precocious kids ranging from 6 to 8 years old present their ideas about individual poems and the art form of poetry. These youngsters have an impressive grasp of the meaning behind the poems and they express their thoughts in a simple, straightforward manner. From the mouths of children come wise reflections that describe poetry as a piece of art, music, and joy and haiku as not necessarily about what you see, but about how you look at things. Adults and children alike will enjoy this collection of great poetry. (Ages 3 and older) --Tami Horiuchi
Product Description
HBO Family presents an all-new special from the producers of the acclaimed, award-winning Classical Baby series that will give children an appreciation of the music and mystery of poetry. Poems by some of the greatest writers of all time are brought to life through lyrical animation and readings by some of today’s most respected performers. Welcome to A Child’s Garden of Poetry!
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Reading poetry to my children is something I have been doing since they were babies and was so happy when I learned that their school is really into poetry and having kids display their work. When I heard that HBO Family and The Poetry Foundation collaborated to present A Child's Garden of Poetry, I was thrilled.
Like songs, poetry is something that really speak to people on an individual basis. There is a feeling you get when you hear a poem or a song which to me is really poetry to music.
This presentation takes some of the best poems and puts them to animations. My kids and I adored the visuals accompanied by voice overs of some amazing performers like Dave Mathews, Claire Danes, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Liam Neeson and others make this a great DVD for kids and adults. My children especially loved the clips of kids reciting their favorite poems and what the poems mean to them. As children do, they are candid and speak from the heart. Truly an adorable DVD.
My personal favorite was The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost read by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Loved it!
Children and adults will love watching the poems come to life!
Another great moment is all the children painting to a poem by E.E. Cummings.
Like songs, poetry is something that really speak to people on an individual basis. There is a feeling you get when you hear a poem or a song which to me is really poetry to music.
This presentation takes some of the best poems and puts them to animations. My kids and I adored the visuals accompanied by voice overs of some amazing performers like Dave Mathews, Claire Danes, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Liam Neeson and others make this a great DVD for kids and adults. My children especially loved the clips of kids reciting their favorite poems and what the poems mean to them. As children do, they are candid and speak from the heart. Truly an adorable DVD.
My personal favorite was The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost read by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Loved it!
Children and adults will love watching the poems come to life!
Another great moment is all the children painting to a poem by E.E. Cummings.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By islandgirl
Adore this video! I found it to be very well done and inspiring. My favourite things about the DVD.
The stars and authors were not actually in the production, they just read for it. I like that...it's about the poetry, NOT the actors.
The children were engaging as were their thoughts and ideas regarding poetry! I like that they weren't "actor" kids!
The art is amazing and makes each poem come to life. I also like the words coming on screen so children can see the words not just hear them.
I like that the children interviewed were all ages and nationalities. One poem was signed for hearing impaired.
This video is sure to inspire all ages!!
I received this DVD (happily!) from the publisher to review, for my opinion (good or bad).
The stars and authors were not actually in the production, they just read for it. I like that...it's about the poetry, NOT the actors.
The children were engaging as were their thoughts and ideas regarding poetry! I like that they weren't "actor" kids!
The art is amazing and makes each poem come to life. I also like the words coming on screen so children can see the words not just hear them.
I like that the children interviewed were all ages and nationalities. One poem was signed for hearing impaired.
This video is sure to inspire all ages!!
I received this DVD (happily!) from the publisher to review, for my opinion (good or bad).
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By DIYjones
Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a great introduction to poetry for kids. They selected a good combination of diverse poems. The different voices of the readers, the graphics that are interesting but not overboard, and all the kids who are interviewed are all valuable. I think that a younger kid (4 or 5 years old), who cannot quite grasp the poetry part of this yet, will be intrigued to see these kids talking about poetry and how special it is to them. That will draw them in more than anything else here, and as they get older, hopefully they will come to appreciate the poetry itself.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Mark Twain
More than 5 stars worth. Beyond delightful. Creative, imaginative. Great voices, wonderful selections to hear and see. The kids are impressive in their grasp and ability to talk about poetry - the depth of understanding and the ability to articulate both the understanding and how poems make them feel...so good that I had to stop the dvd a few times to take it in. The adult voices - actors and the poets themselves - and the voices of the kids mesh perfectly. Am ordering a copy for a birthday gift for a 6 year old and would not object if someone gave me a copy for my birthday. A half hour of pure delight.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By A.
Amazon Verified Purchase
This film was done with charm and grace, giving the kids a sweet window to poetry.. I personally prefer the earlier version of it (classical baby- I'm grown up now- the poetry show ) but my 2 (!!) year old enjoys both a lot.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
I LOVED this video. It is put together masterfully and with the great simplicity needed to do justice to both children and to poetry. The poems and the animation were wonderful but what really blew me away were the children who commented on the poems and on poetry in general. They are so wise and sensitive. It was an honor to hear and see them. You can go to the website (part of the HBO website) for this video and download a lovely booklet with most of the poems and some of the graphics. I hope to use this video with some older adults I teach from time to time. I know they will love it too.
Amazon Verified Purchase
I loved the video and I hope more of this kind of work with children and teens and literature are produced.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best children's DVDs on the market
We have the whole HBO for Kids DVD collection. Our 2 year old daughter watches them before going to bed. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Aaron Heilbrun
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Child's Garden of Awesome!
My son loves this. We play it for him every night before he goes to bed. They have included a great selection of poems
Published 2 months ago by Nicholas A Breault
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fabulous for Young Children
Terrific for introducing kids to poetry.The pace and level is really geared to exposing children to an early understanding of the beauty of poetry.
Published 3 months ago by Priscilla Walton
5.0 out of 5 stars
MY MOST ENJOYABLE 30 MINUTES IN YRS
A WONDERFULLY CREATIVE SHORT FILM FOR ALL AGES. CLEVER & ECLECTIC ANIMATION WITH WELL-READ FAMILIAR POEMS. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Leslie Ralph Berger
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful little film teaching about poetry but from children's...
We love the poems featured, the ways they are read/performed and the insight that the various children provide. This is very well done little film. Great for all ages!
Published 5 months ago by Sommer McGuire
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic dvd
My kids love the Classical Baby Poetry dvd so I got them this one as well. Lots of good poems, great for kids and not annoying to adults like so many children's shows. Thanks HBO!
Published 11 months ago by Laura Ellen
