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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gentle Poems from Childrens' Perspectives, November 24, 2000
This collection of 59 brief poems by C.J. Heck and accompanying line drawings by Michelle Lenkner are destined to become standard reading for the 10 year old set. They magically capture the "lost youth" of these young people while also moving the gaze into the potential joy of the current moment. Each poem seems designed to come from a different specific childhood perspective that will fit your child perfectly in a number of cases. Beyond that, the pages will reopen your own mind and heart to your childhood memories and perspectives. In fact, the book is designed to give the feel of being an anthology of children's verse. The poems can connect with your child both through their subject matter and by their simplicity. You have poems about barking spiders, belly buttons, lost teeth, Bandaids, hugs, the Boogie man, shadows, smelly feet, toe jam, new babies in the family, and prayer. These are almost universal subjects. Often the poems come from an obviously female or male perspective, and I liked that. Your child can pick the rhymes that fit his or her personality and experiences best. Most children will probably relate well to somewhere between 20 and 40 of these poems, so there's plenty here to keep the 4th through 6th grader happily occupied. Personally, I found some of the poems to be remarkably appealing and interesting. Among these are Ode to Being Five, To the Boogie Man:, Hugs, Jelly Beans, Bandaids, Baby's First Christmas, Colors, The Quarter, My Tooth, Our New Baby, "Special" Brother, Dear Santa, Mommie's Hands, Angel, and Bed Pages. I would like to single out one poem, Night Night, for special praise. It is similar to the ending of Goodnight Moon, but has an even simpler way to descend into a cozy slumber. Although this book is designed to be read at the 9-12 age level, the poems themselves will be enjoyed by much younger children when read aloud by you. As such, you can begin reading some of these to children as young as 1 or 2. Some are also simple enough that they could be easily learned by a beginning reader. So you will get plenty of benefit over the years from your investment in the book. After you child shows signs of "outgrowing" this book, I suggest that you explain the reasons why you enjoy it. ... adopting an ageless perspective that combines the best of youth and maturity is a valuable goal. Keeping the best of childhood present is the way to begin that process. Encourage them to keep with them that which is always valuable about childhood's outlook, especially the optimism and simple sense of wonder. Make sure your child's life is always more than "a hole that just goes nowhere."
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by Judith Viorst
