Poetry Books For Children Part 1

Patterns and rhymes come naturally to children and are an important part of learning to read and write.  Children commit new words to memory more easily when the word rhymes with something they already know, and the rhythm of poetry helps create phonemic awareness.  Luckily, there is a wealth of wonderful poetry available for kids, whether you want silly rhymes to tickle their funnybones or soothing verse to lull them to sleep. 



The Dragons Are Singing Tonight by Jack Prelutsky is a wonderful book I bought for my oldest son when he developed his fascination with dragons.  Seventeen fun poems about different types of dragons are illustrated by Peter Sis; my son especially likes Boom the "Thunder Dragon"!



No one could write about poetry for kids without mentioning Shel Silverstein.  Any of his hilarious collections would be a great choice for any child who doesn't particularly like poetry.  I've chosen Where the Sidewalk Ends because it was my favorite when I was little, and the beautiful 30th Anniversary Special Edition is available.  The off-the-wall poetry never fails to get kids giggling!



Knock at a Star: A Child's Introduction to Poetry is an amazing resource for any classroom. A collection of poems from many authors, the genius of the book is in how the poems are grouped together in sections that make it easy to use as educational tool, and help children appreciate the wide variety of poetry and why it's important.  I highly recommend this book for slightly older children, particularly grades 3 and up. 



A stunningly clever combination of poetry and fairy tales, Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse by Marilyn Singer all the more enjoyable because each poem can be read both forwards and backwards!  Read the poem forward to enjoy a familiar story, then read it backward to hear the same story told with a new twist.  The illustrations are colorful and fun.  This 2010 Cybils Award winner is a must-read!



First published in 1983, The Random House Book of Poetry for Children is a classic from my childhood that stands the test of time.  The book contains more than 500 poems from various authors, including Jane Yolen, Clement C. Moore, Jack Prelutsky, William Butler Yeats, Robert Frost, and Maurice Sendak.  Illustrated by Arnold Lobel and divided up into subject sections, this book is a great addition to any classroom or home library and is certain to provide a great poem for any occasion.




"Wynken, Blynken,and Nod one night
 Sailed off in a wooden shoe -
Sailed on a river of crystal light,
Into a sea of dew."

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod by Eugene Field is a beautiful, dreamy poem, perfect for bedtime read-alouds, and will enchant even the youngest children.  There have been many versions published with different illustrators, but the above version (illustrated by Johanna Westerman) is my favorite.



Anyone old enough to remember the song "Puff the Magic Dragon" as performed by Peter, Paul & Mary can see how delightful a poem the lyrics would be if simply read aloud.  With soft, sweet illustrations that my sons loved as toddlers, this book is as magical as the song that inspired it.



The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear was my favorite poem as a child, and to this day I can recite it from memory.  The love/adventure story of a lovely cat and a musically gifted owl has lost none of it's charm.  The above versions features the artwork of Jan Brett, who traveled to the Caribbean for inspiration.  Other great versions include: The Owl and the Pussycat (illustrated by Anne Mortimer), and The Owl and the Pussycat: And Other Nonsense (which includes many other poems by Lear, and illustrated by Robert Ingpen.  Newly released this month!)



Pond poems, you say?  Song of the Water Boatman by Joyce Sidman is a collection of 11 science-meets-verse poems, each dedicated to one of the many life forms that inhabit ponds.  Subjects include the painted turtle, the caddis fly, spring peepers, the wood duck, and the microscopic water bear.  Highly recommended for slightly older children.  For another book by the same author which focuses on nocturnal life, check out Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night.




A genius when it comes to entertaining children, Roald Dahl never disappoints.  While certain of his poetry collections are best for teenagers (Revolting Rhymes, for example), Dirty Beasts is a hilarious book of grody poetry perfect for young kids.  Boys in particular will enjoy the "yuck" factor!



Combining animal poems from many authors (including Lewis Carroll, Emily Dickinson, and Rudyard Kipling) and cultures with the beautiful collage-style art of Eric Carle, Animals Animals is a great poetry book for younger children.  Little fans of the illustrations will also enjoy Eric Carle Animal Flash Cards!



"The primrose opens wide in spring;
Her scent is sweet and good:
It smells of every happy thing
In sunny lane and wood.
I have not half the skill to sing
And praise her as I should."

Containing the poetry and illustrations from all eight of Cicely Mary Barker's original Flower Fairies books, The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies is the perfect treasury for anyone who loves nature, fairies, or poetry.



Parents and grandparents may remember Mary O'Neill's Hailstones and Halibut Bones from their childhoods, as the poetry was originally published in 1961.  The 12 poems celebrating the colors of the spectrum have now been illustrated in full color by John Wallner.  Not only is the result a beautiful, colorful work of poetry that describes each color and weaves it together with other senses such as taste and smell, but a book that would complement any art class and inspire children to write color poems of their own.

Cinderella Stories From Around the World

Cinderella, adapted and illustrated by K.Y. Kraft, is a beautiful version of the familiar European Cinderella story.



Yeh-Shen by Ai-Ling Louie is a Chinese version of the story, more than a thousand years older than earliest known European version.  The major difference between the two is that rather than getting gifts from a fairy godmother, Yeh-Shen earns them by being kind to a magical fish.



The Golden Sandal by Rebecca Hickox is a retelling of the Iraqi Cinderella story, known in Arabic as "The Red Fish and the Clog of Gold".  As in the Chinese version, a helpful fish replaces the fairy godmother.



Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella by Robert D. San Souci is based on a version of "Cinderella" from the West Indies.  Told from the point of view of the fairy godmother, the author includes some of the original French and Creole words (with a helpful pronunciation guide in the back).



The Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo is based on the oldest known version of the tale, recorded in the 1st century BCE by the Greek historian Strabo.  Rhodopis is a Greek girl enslaved in Egypt who eventually marries the Pharaoh with the help of a great falcon, a symbol of the Egyptian god Horus.



The Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Martin is based on an old Algonquin folktale.  Another good Native American version of the "Cinderella" story is Sootface, by Robert D. San Souci.



The Irish Cinderlad by Shirley Climo is based on a traditional Irish tale, "Billy Beg and His Bull".  Not only is the "fairy godmother" of this story a bull, the "Cinderella" character is a boy!



Smoky Mountain Rose: An Appalachian Cinderella by Alan Schroeder takes place in the Smoky Mountains.  The story is told in a musical Southern dialect that makes it a fun read-aloud, and the fairy godmother is a talking pig!



The Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo is actually a combination of three different Korean versions of the story.  With the help of a frog, a sparrow, and a black ox, Pear Blossom completes her chores and makes it to the festival in time to lose her shoe.



Based on folklore from Hidalgo, Mexico, Domitila: A Cinderella Tale from the Mexican Tradition by Jewell Reinhart Coburn is less a magical fairy tale than a story passed down through the Rivero family about a young commoner who captures the heart of the governor's son.



Based on one of Scheherazade's tales from the Thousand and One Nights, The Persian Cinderella by Shirley Climo has all the familiar elements of the "Cinderella" story, but this particular version doesn't end when the lovely Sattareh wins the heart of the prince - in fact, her troubles are just beginning!



Abadeha: The Philippine Cinderella by Myrna J. de la Paz, based on a native Filipino legend, features the Spirit of the Forest as the story's "fairy godmother".



Jouanah: A Hmong Cinderella by Jewell R. Coburn is one of the more interesting versions of the "Cinderella" story, in my opinion.  Set in a Hmong village in Laos, young Jouanah finds herself with a nasty new stepmother not because her biological mother has died, but because she has voluntarily been turned into a cow for the good of her family. 



The Orphan: A Cinderella Story from Greece by Anthony Manna is a fun version for read-alouds, with a repetitive, rhyming refrain.  Rather than a fairy godmother, the young girl receives gifts from Nature, such as a beautiful pair of blue shoes from the Sea.  The child's mother also continues to give her guidance from beyond the grave.



Anklet for a Princess: A Cinderella Story from India by Meredith Babeaux Brucker is based on Nagami ("Jewel of the Snake"), a story from East India about a a young girl subject to the cruel whims of her stepmother, but who finds her happy ending with the help of Godfather Snake.



The Gift of the Crocodile: An original Cinderella tale set in the Spice Islands of Indonesia, Judy Sierra's story reminds readers to be kind to all creatures, casting a sympathetic crocodile in the role of the Fairy Godmother.  For families studying Christopher Columbus, it will be interesting for children to know that the Spice Islands (or Moluccas) were the intended destination when Columbus accidentally discovered the New World.



The first English translation of an ancient Cambodian tale unearthed from an 18th century French essay on Khmer culture, Angkat: The Cambodian Cinderella is a beautiful if somewhat disturbing version of the fairy tale.  While the authenticity must be appreciated, parents of young children should be aware that Angkat, the young heroine, is actually murdered by her father, stepmother, and stepsister and must be raised from the dead by the story's fairy godmother, the "Spirit of Virtue".

Best for younger children due to the story's simplicity, Chinye is a beautifully illustrated story from West Africa.  When the mistreated Chinye brings a gourd brimming with riches back from the forest, she shares the wealth with her entire village.  The story emphasizes the importance of being a good citizen and responsible member of one's community.



The Way Meat Loves Salt: A Cinderella Tale from the Jewish Tradition is a combination of the Cinderella story and Shakespeare's King Lear, set in Poland.  The fairy godmother character turns out to be the prophet Elijah, who presents young Mireleh with a magic stick after she is banished from her father's home for saying she loves him "the way meat loves salt".  In place of a ball, there is a wedding, and of course a happy ending!



John Steptoe's Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters is a wonderful African version of the Cinderella story, but it is his stunning illustrations that really take the book to the next level.  The Zimbabwe region is brought to life in beautiful detail, and I highly recommend the book for children with an interest in Africa, or to anyone who simply enjoys a great fairy tale!