Marjorie Barrows (1) (1892–1983)

Oh dear. The first 3/4 of the fat book is almost entirely trite sing-song. There are a few more interesting pieces by Coatsworth, Sandburg, Rachel Field, but honestly, to call this lame twee verse 'poetry' is to develop people like my husband, who simply cannot perceive anything that is not a chantable rhyme to be poetry. (He almost appreciates Haiku, but even that is difficult for him.)

And then in the last part of the book, the pieces that are supposedly more 'advanced,' I guess, we have show more several I skipped. Did you know that most adaptations of The Pied Piper of Hamelin beat the original ballad all hollow?

Of course, some poems were worth reading. Consider:

_*Dream Song*_

Sunlight, moonlight,
Twilight, starlight-
Gloaming at the close of day,
And an owl calling,
Cool dews falling
In a wood of oak and may.

Lantern-light, taper-light,
Torchlight, no-light:
Darkness at the shut of day,
And lions roaring,
Their wrath pouring
In wild waste places far away.

Elf-light, bat-light,
Touchwood-light and toad-light,
And the sea a shimmering gloom of grey,
And a small face smiling
In a dream's beguiling
In a world of wonders far away.

... by Walter de la Mare

Or the last bit of:

_*God's World*_

... Lord, I do fear
Thou'st made the world too beautiful this year.
My soul is all but out of me - let fall
No burning leaf; prithee, let no bird call.

... by Edna St. Vincent Millay

I'm an atheist, but that's a universal sentiment of wonder.

Now, to clarify, it's a Good Thing to expose even the youngest children to poetry. And the short verses that speak to their own experiences, that are structured with a regular meter and rhyme, are easier for the children to enjoy. Those are also easier to memorize, and having children own in their hearts a few favorite poems is a Very Good Thing. But most of the sing-song stuff here isn't worth memorizing. Share with them some quality works and let them choose their favorite verses. Save the chants and jump-rope rhymes for the playground; don't call them poems.

Remember what I like to say - verses that you can skip to can be skipped. show less

Great garage sale find. When I was a kid these kinds of sets were too intimidating and looked too preachy. And apparently, to at least the young person for whom this particular copy was bought, they seem the same to others. However, adult me was delighted. Finally I know the entire Rip Van Winkle story, and know who the Trumpeter of Krakow is, and the story behind Romulus and Remus. I even know that Paul Bunyan had a dog, Dublin, of whom I've never heard before, despite growing up loving the show more Paul Bunyan legend.

I now have met Bellerophon and Phaeton and am now confident I have no more interest in Greek legends. Ditto Gareth and the King Arthur legends. Oh, but that [a:Nathaniel Hawthorne|7799|Nathaniel Hawthorne|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1291476587p2/7799.jpg], gee but he can write a timeless story in a timeless style - definitely going to chase down more of his work (I'm sure it's free and easy on gutenberg.org, too).

If you can possibly find a way to read [a:Margaret Prescott Montague|865261|Margaret Prescott Montague|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-d9f6a4a5badfda0f69e70cc94d962125.png]'s Big Music," featuring that logger shadowed by Paul Bunyan, Tony Beaver, I'm confident you'll find it a real treat. Beautiful not-quite-pagan spirituality in a tall tale that made me laugh out loud and want to join the dance with the rocks & trees & critters & crew." show less

This is a charming children's poetry book with lovely illustrations. My copy is a well-loved relic of my own childhood, my name inscribed by my father in the front cover. Some of the poems are silly, some are serious, but all capture the interests of children and the wonder of childhood.

lovely little illustrations, and some pretty good stories- rated low because of the dated material which makes it a terrible idea to just hand this book to a child.