The ideal poetry for children is often thought to be silly rhymes or doggerel. The editors of this book have adopted a more ambitious approach that encourages parents not to underestimate the ability of their children to understand and absorb the music of poetry -- especially when read aloud. In collaboration with a special advisory board, they have selected a surprisingly rich collection of poetry -- from traditional childhood standards to "real" poems -- that emphasizes the fun, diversity, and richness of poetry.

From Booklist
Gr. 4^-7, younger for reading aloud. Adults will remember these poems, and their joy at finding them in a collection will be in their voices as they share the lines with children. The choices range widely, from nonsense verse to narrative and lyrical poetry. An occasional poem (such as Keats' "Ode to a Grecian Urn" ) is beyond the grade-school audience, but everyone will find lots of old accessible favorite voices here (from Blake, Dickinson, and Wordsworth to Frost, Lear, and Langston Hughes). A few new pieces have been slipped into the canon, including a poem each by Maya Angelou and Octavio Paz, but the focus is not on the contemporary. This is an anthology to read aloud across generations. Hazel Rochman

Book Description
The simple pleasures of reading and listening to poetry are unforgettable memories of childhood, and, for young minds, poetry is the gateway to an interest in language and storytelling. By bringing together essential classic children's poems with the best of modern and contemporary international poetry, A Child's Anthology of Poetry is a delightful and indispensable introduction to literature and life for the young reader.From Robert Frost to Maya Angelou, Shel Silverstein to Emily Dickinson, this collection emphasizes the fun and diversity of poetry, providing readers with a wellrounded, inclusive selection of poets. With the guidance of a special advisory board of esteemed poets-Deborah Digges, Gerald Early, Louise GlÜick, Jorle Graham, Edward Hirsch, Garrett Hongo, Maxine Kumin, Cynthia MacDonald, William Matthews, Thylias Moss, Ishmael Reed, Sarah Rosenstock, and Mark Strand-the editors have fashioned a volume that encourages parents not to underestimate the ability of their children to understand and absorb the music of the written word, a volume that will come to be treasured for a lifetime by generations of readers.Featuring artwork by Tom Pohrt, the wellknown illustrator of Crow and Weasel, and including favorite poems such as William Blake's "The Tyger" and Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky" as well as more recent classics such as Elizabeth Bishop's "Sestina and Theodore Roethke's "My Papa's Waltz," A Child's Anthology of Poetry is full of surprises and lyric charm.

About the Author
Elizabeth Hauge Sword was raised in New York City. A graduate of Dartmouth College, she previously worked for ABC Sports and was a field producer for ABC Radio. In addition to teaching elementary school children, she runs a computer consulting business. She lives in Princeton with her husband and three children.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The simple pleasures of reading and listening to poetry are unforgettable memories of childhood, and, for young minds, poetry is the gateway to an interest in language and storytelling. By bringing together essential classic children's poems with the best of modern and contemporary international poetry, A Child's Anthology of Poetry is a delightful and indispensable introduction to literature and life for the young reader.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

The Ecco Press releases its first children's title with A Child's Anthology of Poetry, edited by Elizabeth Hauge Sword with Victoria McCarthy, illus. by Tom Pohrt. From Keats to Li Po, Shel Silverstein to Czeslaw Milosz, this far-ranging collection of verse crosses geographical and cultural boundaries ($20, 336p, all ages ISBN 0-88001-378-8 Oct.).

BookList - Hazel Rochman