Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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!

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!

I left this book on the family room table planning to give it to my 4 year old. However, he found it before I could give it to him and was completely captivated. He LOVED it! In fact, we had to leave a few hours later for an errand and he wanted to bring it in the car with him. That was even before we played the CD for him. This book is an incredible gift for children and hopefully will reignite an interest in poetry for all ages. You can't go wrong with buying this book; the illustrations are enchanting and the CD is wonderful.

My kids, ages 5 and 19months LOVE this CD. They laugh together at the sillier poems and the inflection of the readers' voices and my daughter is always asking me to put this on. For myself, the gift is listening to the poets read their work, or have others read for them. Case in point: Basil Rathbone reading Poe. To hear the likes of Robert Frost read their work is magic in itself. This is perfect for children *and* adults, and is brilliant for those quiet evenings at home when you'd rather not have the television on.

I always loved poetry as a young child and I am trying to introduce my children to poetry as well (ages 11, 6 and 3). When I received this book and first looked through it I was very excited. It contains many of the poems that I loved as a child including "The Tyger" by William Blake, "The Land of Counterpane" by Robert Louis Stevenson, and "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost. This book does not just contain poems by "dead" poets but more contemporary ones as well. There are over 100 poems with great illustrations.

An extra plus is the included CD with 52 poems read by 36 poets and artists. On the book page with the poem it will tell you what track the reading is on and who is reading the poem. Most are read by the poets themselves! I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to introduce young children to poetry!

If you expose young children to rhythm and verse from a young age they carry it with them forever. This book makes an introduction to poetry easy. Poetry should be read out loud and every reader carries a different cadence. This cd/book gives anyone reading a chance to interpret the verse. Playing the cd gives kids an example of how to create the aura of the image with the words.

There are far too few books like this that give kids some insight into the creativity of constructive drama and aesthetic conduits of expression.

This is the best collection of poetry for children that I have come across, and I've been very picky. The selections are superb, ranging from contemporary western poetry by Billy Collins and the like to classics like the "Jabberwocky" and "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod". The CD is worth the price of the entire book, containing 60+ tracks, many of which are the poets reading their own work. What a joy it is to have J.R.R Tolkien, Langston Hughes, and Robert Frost read to my daughter! The illustrations are lovely, and each poem is fitted to the page (making for easy bedtime reading). Another pro for parents is that this book is light, so no heavy propping or daunting heft. It contains the absolute essentials and then some!

I recommend this book for the entire family. I am so happy to have this available for my daughter, and I often drive around listening to the CD in my car. It's a terrific collection.

I bought this book for my two kids, age 10 and 7. Both constantly ask for this cd when we are riding in the car. We also have a Shel Silverstein cd but I wanted to expand their exposure to poetry beyond humorous rhymes. Since then I have purchased this book for many kids, from a bright 4 year old up through a 12 year old. All the feedback I have gotten has been very positive. It makes an excellent gift and is enjoyable for both adults and children.

I purchased this book for my grandchildren, ages 3, 6, and 9, after having previously purchased "Poetry Speaks," a book for adults which also includes poets reading short selections of their own work. What makes "Poetry Speaks to Children" so exceptional and really gets the attention of all three of my grandchildren is the combination of the written word, the spoken word, and the illustrations. My granddaughter, Isabel, is, of course, much taken with Ogden Nash's poem, "The Adventures of Isabel."
The illustrations by Judy Love, Wendy Rasmussen, and Paula Zinngrabe Wendland are amazing and bring anticipation and excitement to the poems even before they are read or heard. They set the stage for the character of the poem to come. The cover illustration by Judy Love further sets the tone for the entire book with two children and several of the animals that will appear later in the book eagerly anticipating the obvious fun that is to come.
I hardily recommend this book for any family with young children for them to fully experience the magic of poetry and art.