Customer Reviews

The Random House Book of Poetry for Children

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Jack Prelutsky has compiled another great anthology of children's poetry. This anthology basically covers the best children's poetry of all time (except for late 80s-90s poems). You'll find some Mother Goose and Lewis Carroll, thus expanding this anthology beyond the 20th century.

The only drawback (and reason why I didn't give the book 5 stars) is the illustrations. Most of the illustrations are traditional monochrome drawings. While they are well done, they are not as colorful or as imaginative as the illustrations in Prelutsky's "The 20th Century Children's Poetry Treasury."

Have fun reading.

Wonderful, just wonderful, this collection of children's poetry sparkles and adds life and verve to any classroom. From the opening stanza of "The Boy What Done A Poo" and the haunting reworking of Goldstein's "Ahhh, I'm telling Miss of you" this anthology will thrill children of all ages, and grown ups too!
(I must point out, however, that the inclusion of controversial poet Sean Hickey's "Bang Bang You're Dead 50 Bullets In Your Head" might cause younger readers some concern).

As a middle school reading teacher, I host an annual Poetry Reading Competition open to all 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. For the past several years, this book has been a prize, in addition to plaques for the first and second prize winners. The best review for this book is that the children use it, read it, and often select poems from it for their entry pieces. Even better, perhaps, is that I have had thanks from many parents for awakening an interest in poetry in their children, boys and girls alike. This volume of poetry offers a full range of poems, for short to long, humorous to sublime, and in a wide range of topics. While it is just one of a wide selection of books and poets I offer my students, it is one of the most versatile. Whether teaching rhyme scheme, simile and metaphor, slanted rhyme, figurative language, or stress, this is also an invaluable part of my teaching arsenal.

This outstanding collection of poems for children should be a part of every child's book collection. No other poetry collection is better. My children own several books of poetry, and I have reviewed several similar collections at the library and in book stores, and "The Random House Book of Poetry for Children" is the best of them all.

The poems are mostly silly and very entertaining. We sometimes like to take turns picking out poems to read at bedtime. Humorous children's poems help build creativity. I can think of nothing negative about this book.

Put this book in your cart and buy it. You will be happy that you did.

Jack Prelutsky's anthology is wonderful! Because it is divided by themes, it makes an ideal resource for teachers searching for the perfect poem on the unit in focus. Most of the poems are whimsical and light-hearted, but also provide access to many forms of poetry across centuries. Arnold Lobel (of Frog and Toad fame) accompanies the poems with adorable, although sometimes plain, illustrations. It is an excellent purchase for the elementary teacher and parents alike -- tons of literacy fun!

Children learn to love poetry by poets whose work they will study in high school and college. Among these greats are Emily Dickinson, Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert Frost. I highly recommend this book.

I love this book- I first discovered this book in the 4th grade (a long time ago)- it was the first book of its kind that I read from cover to cover. I still own this book- dog eared, chewed up and still containing many of my original hand made bookmarks!

This is such a fun read- there is a wonderful variety of poems, long, short, silly, sad- all great. And what still amazes me today, as I sift through its pages, the number of very "adult" poets that are compiled in here. The poets you study in college Lit classes because they're so very important. Poets that you might think their work would appeal to ten year olds- but they do- a testament to the power of their work, I think.

Definitely a book that should be treasured.

This is a superb collection of poems, with a huge breadth of material covered. When I was growing up my mother (a teacher), had a wonderful poetry anthology that I used to dip into with her. This reminded me of that collection. The illustrations were also reminiscent of traditional nursery rhyme anthologies done in black and white and complemented the poems beautifully. The way the book is divided into sections covering things like Seasons, Nature, Animals, Children, City etc. makes it easy to read poems to a theme. Poems are easy to find as can be searched under title, subject, author and first line. A very well put together collection - Jack Prelutsky has a real eye (ear?) for what kids will like.

This book provides a new mix of poetry for children and goes beyond the usual mix of the familiar. All of the comforting poems you remember from your own childhoold are there but much, much more. You will love finding gems you've forgotten as well as new delights. I buy this book now for all new parents.

This is the best collection of children's poetry that I have seen. I read this to my three-year-old daughter, and I enjoy it just as much as she does.