Customer Reviews

A Child's Garden of Verses

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This is a very lovely edition of Stevenson's "A Child's Garden of Verses." The paintings illustrating each poem are well chosen and quite beautiful. The print quality is also excellent. However, I was a little disappointed to see this selection not include some of my favorite poems from Stevenson's work, most notably "The Pleasant Land of Counterpane." What is included is exceptionally well done, but this is not the complete Garden of Verses.

Everyone knows Robert Louis Stevenson; everyone has at least one of the myriad books of his poetry. There are some stunningly illustrated collections of his poetry out now, notably two by Thomas Kincaide, among others. But how many of us have actually read all or most of his work? I'm guilty as charged.

This smaller, quieter version of Stevenson's poetry helped me finally, actually read all the Garden poetry. True, the illustrations are spare, but delightfully accurate. My children (7 and 10) were not as mesmerized by this book as they are by others with fanciful graphics, illustrations and larger type to accompany the poetry.

Still, this small book found its way into my purse to be used for waiting moments, e.g. at the orthodontist, doctor, and also to my bedside, where it's shear diminutive size did not dissuade me from reading "for only a minute or two." And within Stevenson's words and language lie the ferment of creative pictures. I liked to have my children close their eyes while I read short poems to 'force' them to use only their mind's eye.

I thoroughly enjoyed the adventures, moods, and images Stevenson conjures and at long last can understand why his poetry remains so classic.

This review is of the Chronicle Books edition (ISBN 0877016089).

First published in 1885, Stevenson's marvellous collection of children's poetry has never gone out of print, and remains near the top of numerous "best book's for childen" lists. For example, Maurice Sendak, when asked to list books that he thought every child should have the opportunity to read, named this collection first. Harold Bloom, renowned literary critic (he has received more major awards from his peers than any other) and author of the thought-provoking and controversial "The Western Canon", included ACGoV in the list he furnished in response to an interviewer's request for a "Western Canon, Jr". Among the homeschooling set, everyone from "Unschoolers" to "Classical Christian Educators" recommend it.(It"s on the Classical Christian Support Loop's "1000 Good Books List").

The Chronical Books edition, containing all 64 of the poems that appeared in the original 1885 edition, is lavishly illustrated with more than a hundred pictures, many of them full page, by several of the most distinguished children's book illustrators of the late 19th and early 20th century. The book is well laid out, with a pleasing juxtaposition of art and text, and printed on high-quality paper. It was named one of the "Top Ten Picturebooks of the Year" by Redbook, was an American Bookseller "Pick of the Lists" in 1989, and was given a starred review in Booklist.

Stevenson perfectly captures the child's world of sunshine, stars, dreams, toy boats, swings, apple tarts, fairies, flowers, and far-away places in simple, evocative language which remains just as accessable for today's children as it was for their grandparents. And I can think of only one poem that might offend modern "Politically Correct" sensibilities: "Foreign Children", wherein the speaker imagines asking various nationalities' children "O! don't you wish that you were me!" I guess the historical and socio-cultural context of this poem could be discussed with your child if you were so inclined.

In short, this venerated work, and especially this glorious Chronical Books edition of it, belongs in every child's library. No other volume of children's poetry has been so well loved by so many generations. ...

Poems are perfectly chosen words which are a pleasure to read. Writing them is a true art and Robert Louis Stevenson is able to perfect this art by remembering his own childhood. These poems were written between 1881 and 1884.

This is a selection from the most popular collection of poems about childhood in the English language. Each poem is accompanied by evocative paintings, which are as vibrant as the words in each poem.

The paintings are impressions of color and light and show children and a few animals on beautiful canvases of cities, gardens, meadows and seas. The poems are about flying kites, cows which give cream to enjoy with apple-tart, flowers where fairies live, children sitting in the warm sun, children on a swing, children playing with toy boats and children playing in gardens who will never grow up as they are frozen in time in the beautiful pictures. Here is an example of part of the first poem in the book.

THE WIND

I saw you toss the kites on high
And blow the birds about the sky;
And all around I heard you pass,
Like ladies skirts across the grass-

What lovely poems to share with a child. Highly recommended!

~The Rebecca Review

Most everyone knows that Robert Louis Stevenson was sickly, both as a child and as an adult, and the happy result for the reading public was his nearly feverish flights of imagination. Here, in an edition of his classic "A Child's Garden of Verses," that fever is complemented in spades by the fantastical illustrations of English artist Joanna Isles.

Isles uses an arsenal of utterly frivolous flowers, borders, insects, birds, kings and queens, fairies, and more to expand upon the imagination exhibited in Stevenson's poems. The children in these pictures are depicted as being in charge, being at one with their environment, and being delighted to be alive.

Some of the illustrations hint at the influence of artists more famed than Isles (Henri Rousseau appears to be a special favorite of hers--see the illustration for "The Unseen Playmate," in which a boy lies down in weeds that might have sprung from the edge of Rousseau's painting "The Dream"). Using both primary colors and pastels, Isles creates a world within the world of Stevenson's verse. The marriage of the two is a happy one.

Author of The Rebel's Pledge, a historical romantic novel of Colonial Maryland.

Beautifully illustrated, my children and I enjoyed reading the poetry of Stevenson on rainy days and before bedtime. My children are in their teens now, but this book has stayed on our library shelf and will be pasted down to a grandchild one day.

This book is a wonderful way to build a love for classic poetry in your child. I highly recommend it!

First published early in the 20th century, this version of a Child's Garden Of Verses comes alive with Jessie Wilcox Smith's gorgeous illustrations. Children are fascinated by her water colors of subtlely camouflaged fairies and romps by the seaside. I have been looking for a new copy of this book for years and am glad to see that it is available once again.

A Child's Garden of Verses has always been one of my favorite books, and over the years I've given dozens of copies of it as First Birthday presents to the new children in my life. This is the most beautiful edition I have ever seen of these beloved poems. The illustrations are wonderful! They're taken from numerous editions over the years, and they cover a variety of styles and time periods. I couldn't be happier with this book, and I can't wait for the opportunity to give it to more children who I hope will grow to love it as much as I do.

The world is so full of a number of things
I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings.

It would be interesting to find out just how many editions of this particular work have been published over the years. Needless to say, this work by Robert Louis Stevenson is one of the granddaddys of all poetry books for young (and not so young) children. If you do not have a copy in your child's library, you really should have. This particular edition is illustrated by Eric Kincaid and of the several various versions published that I own or have read, this is one of my favorite. I simply like the art work. Mr. Kincaid has used soft colors and presented his illustrations in a true Victorian style, something I like. The clothing of the children, the background, etc. are all very well done and done in fine detail. Not only do you get a book of classic writing, but you also receive a feast for the eye with this one. Very much recommend this edition.

I ordered this edition because the review said it had beautiful color illustrations - This book is in black and white - there is no color and it's very small - only around 6 inches tall _ I am sending it back - how very misleading! This was supposed to be a gift - I am very disappointed!.