Climb Into My Lap First Poems To Read Together [Hardcover]

Lee Bennett Hopkins (Author), Kathryn Brown (Illustrator)

Book Description

"Climb Into My Lap" is the perfect poetry book to share with young children. Here are funny poems and story poems, rhymes to go with finger games, and verses to evoke the imaginative worlds of make-believe. Here, too, are poems that speak directly to youngsters about their budding independence, as poets explore everything from the instant a child declares "See, I can do it all myself" to a range of favorite "Secret Places." Most of all, here are poems about children's special relationships with family and friends.
In the tradition of his popular "Side by Side: Poems to Read Together, " acclaimed anthologist Lee Bennett Hopkins has gathered another breathtaking selection of poems meant to be read aloud. He combines old favorites like "On Top of Spaghetti, " "Jabberwocky, " "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod, " and "Eentsy, Weentsy Spider" with never-before-published poems. Beloved poets Robert Louis Stevenson, Edward Lear, Christina Rossetti, and Nancy Willard share these pages with new voices. And Kathryn Brown's airy, luminous artwork illustrates them all with quirky, unforgettable characters and imaginative details.
Wondrous words and beautiful art make "Climb Into My Lap" an ideal gift book for young children any time of the year. Invite a youngster to climb into your lap and read this collection together. As Lee Bennett Hopkins says, you'll be giving a gift -- of sharing and of poetry -- that will enrich that child for a lifetime.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A companion to Hopkins's Side by Side: Poems to Read Together, this confection-filled collection for younger readers seems slight in comparison. There are plenty of strong poems but few discoveries. The best work is the tried-and-true: the tongue-twisting fun of "Jabberwocky" and the carefully attuned language of Karla Kuskin and David McCord. But many other works lack freshness, as in a poem that patronizingly begins, "See, I can do it all myself/ With my own little brush!" Nancy Willard's original and inventive "Magic Story for Falling Asleep" is the only poem in a section called "Worlds of Make-Believe" that doesn't feature cliched images of "small and merry" elves, fairies, gnomes or mermaids sailing on leaves or tiptoeing in and out through the flowers. Brown (From Lullaby to Lullaby) executes a fair number of Norman Rockwell-type subjects (e.g., four kids in a claw-footed tub, being bathed by a dad in suspenders and jeans), especially in the "Secret Places" and "It's So Funny" sections, but she spikes her work with quirky cartoonlike creatures and whimsical flourishes (e.g., in the corner of a grandmother's living room, a toy donkey dressed in doll clothes sits propped in a chair). Despite the inviting art, this long-awaited collection ultimately disappoints. Ages 2-7.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-As in Side by Side (S & S, 1988), Hopkins offers a group of poems from previously published and newly commissioned sources that displays his sure sense of poetics and child appeal. Each selection, accompanied by Brown's gentle watercolor illustrations, expresses a sense of the wonder in the everyday world whether conversing with a new snowman ("Use words that are pleasing,/Like: freezing/And snow" from "How to Talk to Your Snowman" by Beverly McLoughland) or going to bed ("The house is sleeping/She has closed her eyes/Dark are her windows/Dark are the skies" from "The House Is Sleeping" by Lillian Fisher). Climb into My Lap extends a collective invitation for children to do just that. Once accepted, the poetry, as good writing always does, will make the ordinary world seem extraordinary to both readers and listeners.
Kathleen Whalin, Greenwich Country Day School, CT
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689807155
• ISBN-13: 978-0689807152
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,251,481 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS IS THE ONE, February 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Climb Into My Lap First Poems To Read Together (Hardcover)

This is THE poetry book to have in your home. From the fanciful to the quiet, this book has it all. There are poems about make-believe and secret places. Funny poems and goodnight poems. It also includes a captivating introduction about reading and poetry that is not to be missed. If you ever knew and loved the book SIDE by SIDE -- this is the companion volume. Treat your children to the love of poetry with this treasure.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Poem Book, April 4, 2007

By 

IN, USA "Book Lover7" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Climb Into My Lap First Poems To Read Together (Hardcover)

Sweet,easy to read, enjoyable for Mom and daughter.. Got from library and then had to have our own.