A Child's Introduction to Poetry: Listen While You Learn about the Magic Words That Have Moved Mountains, Won Battles and Made Us Laugh and Cry [With

by Michael Driscoll

Book Overview

Poetry can be fun-especially when we can read it, hear it, and discover its many delights with the help of cartoon character Professor Driscoll, delightful illustrations, and the poetry read aloud on CD. This wide-ranging journey through the history and highlights of the world's poetry covers everything from epics and odes to nonsense verse and haikus, and is filled with examples of every style. The multimedia package encourages children to listen,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1579122825
• ISBN13: 9781579122829
• Release Date: May 2003
• Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 1.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 10.3" x 10.0"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

Not as promised

The book didn’t include the CD as the description stated

Very disappointed, no CD

Very disappointed the book does not have the CD. I purchased it because it said it came with the CD. I specifically wanted to edition with CD.

Does not have a the CD. The item should have indicated that it did not have a CD because I would not

We didn't even get to use it the way it was intended because the CD was not included.

Great book!

This is a great book to introduce poetry to kids. My kids enjoy listening to the CD in the car. I like that the book has explanations to help explain what the poems are about. This book is interesting for adults as well as children. The illustrations are beautiful as well.

Wonderful! My 6 & 8 year old boys love this!

Wow! I have been trying to introduce poetry to my boys since they were toddlers and the only feedback I ever received was blank stares - maybe it was my reading style. But, for some reason, they just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this CD. We listen to it in the car and fight over which poem we listen to first. Some of our favorites are The Pied Piper, Thomas' Do Not Go Gently into that Good Night, the limericks (I was a bit worried when it started with There was an old man from Nantucket. . . . - but it is actually the children's version, obviously) and Kit Marlowe's The Passionate Shepard to His Love. My 8 year old has several of the classics almost memorized. Our only complaint is the reading of Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky. It is somewhat flat and not at all as exciting as it could be. Nonetheless, it is a great, rich, collection of beautiful poetry that your kids will enjoy. It truly is one of our favorites.

Whimsically Thorough

I found this book through a bookstore display, and am very pleased with it. This is a well thought out, thorough introduction to basic poetry forms, with familiar poems--a comfort to the parent who may want to read this material to the younger child. The drawings are really fun, with enough on the page for the jaded 21st century eye to look at. If that weren't enough, there's a CD of the poems, so the reader can also hear them spoken, an important element of poetry. I think the breadth of the poetry styles chosen, including the nursery rhymes and limericks, is just right, and can be expanded on by the parent or teacher by reaching beyond the book. I plan to use this book as a basis for some directed summertime reading for my grandkids, but this book is easily enjoyed by the adult.

Engaging for both child and parent

My son is only in preschool and has a lot of fun with this book, and I think it has enough variety and range that we'll return to it for years. There is great background material for parents to read and think about, and perhaps share with their kids as they get older. The performance of the poems on the CD is lackluster, but the overall quality of the book's text and selections is superb.

THE CREME DE LA CREME!

This must be the ULTIMATE introduction to poetry for kids! More than a mere anthology of some of the most popular works (from spooky to silly), it includes a rundown of the features and format of several different types of poetry, along with brief bios on the poets themselves (from classic to contemporary) that will interest just about everyone. Not only that, it also includes a glossary of poetic terms and techniques, AND a box on each page with quick definitions of more difficult words or phrases (which are highlighted) at a glance, so kids (and adults!) can read and enjoy without having to flip to the back of the book constantly. Often, the poems include a short historical explanation, so when reading one can envision the verse in context. All done in a kid-friendly, fun and lighthearted way, with colorful and humorous illustrations! To top all that off, it comes with a CD so you can listen as you read; or as I do, pop it in whenever just so the kids can listen and imagine while coloring, etc. The CD is soothing and delightful at bedtime for the kids, too. I believe my daughters, ages 10 and (almost) 6, will be entertained and inspired by this book for many years to come. Hopefully, it will spark an interest in kids to seek out further works of the poets included in this amazing introduction, discover others, and perhaps even create some poetry of their own!