Poetry Speaks to Children (Book & CD) (Read & Hear) (Hardcover)

by Elise Paschen (Editor), Dominique Raccah (Editor), Wendy Rasmussen (Illustrator), Judy Love (Illustrator), Paula Zinngrabe Wendland (Illustrator), Nikki Giovanni (Guest), X.J. Kennedy (Guest), Billy Collins (Guest)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 3-8–A fine, basic collection. Approximately half of the 97 selections are read or performed on the accompanying CD. The book provides a mix of adult writers (Rita Dove, Seamus Heaney, and Billy Collins, among others) and those whose work is specifically for children, such as X. J. Kennedy and Mary Ann Hoberman. Topics include childhood, animals, nonsense poems, and humor (including C. K. Williams's Gas, which dwells on the fact that FARTING IS FORBIDDEN!). The three illustrators have captured the different tones of the selections, from a comic portrait of the Jabberwock slayer wearing a colander and wielding a plunger and the wailing children in William Stafford's First Grade, to the moving paintings of a girl with flowers echoing the natural images of James Berry's Okay, Brown Girl, Okay. The CD gives children the opportunity to hear several of the poets, such as Robert Frost reading Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening and Langston Hughes reading The Negro Speaks of Rivers. They hear a variety of accents and dialects–an Irish lilt, New England inflections, or James Berry's lilting Jamaican-British voice. Readers of Roald Dahl's books will enjoy hearing him read The Dentist and the Crocodile, and fans of The Lord of the Rings books and movies will appreciate hearing Tolkien read Frodo's Song in Bree. Joy Harjo frames her Eagle Poem with a haunting vocalization that echoes its serious tone.–Barbara Chatton, College of Education, University of Wyoming, Laramie
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From Booklist
Gr. 3-5. Teachers will celebrate this wide-ranging collection of both classic and contemporary poetry, including selections from Robert Bly and Rainer Maria Rilke, who aren't often included in anthologies for youth. There's little organization, although similarly themed selections sometimes appear together (the witches' lines from Macbeth come just after Karla Kuskin's "Knitted Things," also about a witch, for example). Almost every poem appears on a heavily illustrated page, and the literal, cheerful, color illustrations of animals and young children often overwhelm the imagery in the words. The pictures are handsome, but they seem aimed mostly at a picture-book audience. Many selections, such as Mary Ann Hoberman's "Rabbit," are appropriate for picture-book readers, but a large proportion of the poems will be most enjoyed by older elementary students, who will be able to focus on the words and appreciate the magnificent selection. A CD containing audio tracks of the poems being read aloud, in many cases by the poets themselves, rounds out the package. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks MediaFusion (October 18, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402203292
• ISBN-13: 978-1402203299
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,880 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Kids LOVE the CD!, November 13, 2005

By	Julia Harris "Julia Harris Garg" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My 4 and 6 year old really enjoy when I read to them from the book, but what they listen to all day is the CD! Since the book arrived, the CD has been playing non-stop. Who would have thought that poetry would replace disney songs? I am thrilled.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poetry really does speak to children, November 14, 2005

By	M. Levine - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am an English teacher and had used Poetry Speaks when teaching poetry to my high school students. Poetry is meant to be heard, not just read, and who better to read it than the actual poets? When I found Poetry Speaks to Children at Bank Street Bookstore in Manhattan, I bought it for my sons (5 and 8) in the hope that I could spark their interest in poetry. Playing the CD seemed like a good way to introduce it to them without taking away from their beloved bedtime stories. I never thought they'd like it as much as they do. Every night after I turn out the lights, I let the CD play. They fall asleep to the sound of the poems, and in the morning, I am amazed by what they remember. My younger son cited two lines from the first poem, "Dig In" after only hearing it twice and talks constantly about the Jabberwock. They each have their favorites, and I'm sure they will develop new ones in time. I can't recommend this enough!

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great book for children, November 11, 2005

By	S. Brainerd (US of A) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A great mix of poems that our children loved to listen to, following the spoken word on the CD along with the illustrations. I came home from work one day to see my 3 year old quietly listening and following along -- not a common site to see him this concentrated. The color illustrations are great and the voices varied. Recommended for long car rides!