Forget-Me-Nots: Poems to Learn by Heart [Hardcover]

Mary Ann Hoberman (Author), Michael Emberley (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 3, 2012

When you learn a poem by heart, it becomes a part of you. You know it in your mind, in your mouth, in your ears, in your whole body. And best of all, you know it forever.

From the creators of the bestselling You Read to Me, I'll Read to You series comes this new collection of poems especially suitable for learning by heart and saying aloud. With personal introductions by former Children's Poet Laureate Mary Ann Hoberman -- as well as her own time-tested tips and tools for memorization and recitation -- and vivid illustrations by Michael Emberley featuring his trademark wit and lively characters, Forget-Me-Nots includes more than 120 works from both classic and contemporary poets, from childhood favorites to lesser-known treasures.

This anthology will inspire a love of learning poetry!

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

For those who lament that young people are no longer taught to memorize poetry, here’s a handsome compendium of verse well suited to that purpose and chosen with children in mind. The Children’s Poet Laureate from 2008 to 2010, Hoberman chose 123 poems that are memorable in both senses of the word. They’re “easy to remember” (though she concedes that the longer ones will take more time) and “worth remembering.” In an appended section, she discusses an approach to learning poems by heart, making the process a game with a specific prize: owning the chosen poem and keeping it for a lifetime. The selection of verse is broad, representing 57 poets, including Alarcón, Belloc, de la Mare, Esbensen, Frost, Greenfield, Grimes, Hoberman, Lear, McCord, Milne, Sandburg, Silverstein, Stevenson, Tolkien, and Worth. Created using pencil, watercolors, and pastels, Emberley’s appealing illustrations brighten every page of this large-format book. A handsome anthology of poems that children can learn by heart. Grades 3-5. --Carolyn Phelan

Review

* "A multidimensional and thoughtful cross section of verse with keepers on nearly every page." (Publishers Weekly, starred review )

* "A treasure trove of the familiar and the fresh...A wonderful gift book for poetry lovers, but even children who have never considered learning a poem by heart will find much to love here." (The Horn Book, starred review )

* "A readaloud treasury or readalone delight...[and] an ideal spur for memorization and recitation in any setting....Emberley's art is an unassuming wonder, a playful masterclass in using the page to support and extend the verse visuals." (The Bulletin, starred review )

"[A] joyous collection." (The New York Times Book Review )

"Emberley's appealing illustrations brighten every page of this large-format book. A handsome anthology of poems that children can learn by heart." (Booklist )

"A wonderful addition to any collection." (School Library Journal )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (April 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031612947X
• ISBN-13: 978-0316129473
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 0.6 x 11.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,280 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars IF YOU ONLY PURCHASE ONE BOOK FOR YOUR CHILD OR YOURSELF THIS YEAR.......! April 6, 2012

By D. Blankenship HALL OF FAMETOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

When you first cast your eyes on this work you will automatically think - Ah, another anthology of children's nursery rhymes/poems. I did that and it was a big mistake! This is NOT a collection of poetry meant exclusively for the wee ones; no, no, no! Mary Ann Hoberman (Former Children's Poet Laureate) has put together a collection of poems which are specifically chosen to be learned by heart - as the title of the book would indicate. Between the covers of this wonderful volume we find around 130 extremely diverse works of poetry that will please almost everyone no matter their age.

Just a quick glance through this one will reveal works by Ogden Nash, Ezra Pond, Carl Sandburg, J.R.R. Tolkien, Mary Ann Hoberman, Robert Frost, A.A. Milne, Gertrude Stein, James Thurber, William Carlos Williams, Emily Dickinson and many, many, many others. Folks, we are talking some very heavy hitters from the world of the written word and poetry here! Some of the poets you will have never heard of but that dose not make the poems any less desirable or are inferior in anyway to those of the authors mentioned above. To be honest, I did not find one poem in this entire work that did not delight me. Many of the works here were old favorites dating back to my childhood while other where clean and fresh and simply wonderful.

The one binding factor found here is that all of these poems are simply meant to be memorized. They are the sort that once read a few times will go around and around in your head...much as a favored song or tune. The author has arranged these selected works from the short and simple to the longer and more complex. The selection of style and methodology is extremely diverse. There is literally something in this work for everyone!

"How doth the little crocodile
Improve his shining tail,
And pour the waters of the Nile
On every golden scale!

How cheerfully he seems to grin,
How neatly spreads his claws,
And welcomes little fishes in,
With gently smiling jaws!"

Lewis Carroll

And then we go to a full page of one of my favorites - Kipling with his "The Camel's Hump."

Auk Talk

"The raucous auk must squawk to talk.
The squawk auks squawk to talk goes
AUK!"

Mary Ann Hoberman

(I think Mary Ann was reading too my Gertrude Stein when she turned that one out!) Just teasing.

When I went to school, as with most of my generation and those that preceded us, we did a tremendous amount of "memory" work; work we were required to periodically recite in front of the class. While I admit that as a child I was not overly fond of that process, I must admit to you today that this was some of the best training I had in school and most certainly had a very large impact on my life. They do not do much of that in schools these days which I personally feel is a pity as I feel our children are loosing a lot. With the wretched "No Child Left Behind" act, there are now gapping holes in our educational process which teachers and parents MUST fill in if they want their children to receive a truly well rounded education. It is books such as this that will give those concerned parents and teachers invaluable teaching tools to fill those gaps in.

The author has added a section to the book filled with good tips in teaching the memorization process. This is extremely valuable information and I found every word she wrote to be true.

This volume has been skillfully illustrated by Michael Emberly, a very, very skilled and imaginative illustrator and artist. The illustrations he has created here go perfectly with each and every poem.

Jenny Kissed Me

"Jenny Kissed me when we met,
Jumping from the chair she sat in;
Time, you thief, who love to get
Sweets into your list, put that in!
Say I'm weary, say I'm sad,
Say that health and wealth have missed me,
Say I'm growing old, but add,
Jenny Kissed me."

James Henry Leigh Hunt

Wow - I love that poem and can I relate!

Put this one at the top of your book shopping list. I can promise you that you will be absolutely delighted!

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Better for Older Children December 11, 2012

By Chrisa V. Katsampes

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

My five year old granddaughter is a smart child, but found this a bit above her level, so my daughter-in-law will wait a couple of more years and try it again.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting book for students (or anyone else) who desires to memorize simple poems. November 18, 2012

By Joseph J. Truncale VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have had a love of poetry most of my adult life. I am most familiar with Asian poetry, even though I love all kinds of poetry, with the exception of free-verse. Even though this 8 1/2 by 11 hardcover book is aimed at grade school level students; nevertheless, anyone interested in learning poems by heart will find this volume an excellent value. In fact, this is the type of book teachers of young children will also love to use in their classes. It presents the topic in a fun and interesting way, which is important when teaching children.

This text has short and long poems from a wide range of famous poets, as well as from poets not familiar to most people. Some of the selections include: Robert Louis Stevenson's "Rain" Emily Dickinson's "A word is Dead" Carl Sandburg's "Primer Lesson" and Gwendolyn Brooks "Marie Lucille."

My only criticism of this book is how it is organized. It should have placed the "Some suggestions for learning poetry by heart" section in the first chapter rather than all the way at the end of the book. However, this does not take away from the benefits of reading this book of poetry.

In conclusion, this book will be of interest to students and teachers of poetry.

Rating: 4 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Haiku Moments: How to read, write and enjoy haiku)