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One Hundred Years of Poetry for Children
Grouped by such themes as childhood, war, animals, and mystery, a treasure trove of children's poetry from the last century alternates well-known rhymes with lesser-known ones by such poets as Ogden Nash, Rudyard Kipling, Michael Rosen, and others.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published September 2, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 23, 2018
Gosh, I love poems for children just as much as the next guy.
Too bad there aren’t any in this book.
One Hundred Years of Poetry for Children is a serious and appealing collection of poems, including many by writers you’ll recognize like William Carlos Williams, Dylan Thomas and Shel Silverstein.
More or less I couldn’t find anything in the book that I would think of reading to a 7-year-old. Too much sadness, adult emotions, death, war…you get the picture.
A poem that a grandfather wouldn’t read to a first grader is not a children’s poem.
If you’re a grownup, you might love the poems Harrison and Stuart-Clark have gathered.
Read more of my book reviews and poems here:
www.richardsubber.com
Too bad there aren’t any in this book.
One Hundred Years of Poetry for Children is a serious and appealing collection of poems, including many by writers you’ll recognize like William Carlos Williams, Dylan Thomas and Shel Silverstein.
More or less I couldn’t find anything in the book that I would think of reading to a 7-year-old. Too much sadness, adult emotions, death, war…you get the picture.
A poem that a grandfather wouldn’t read to a first grader is not a children’s poem.
If you’re a grownup, you might love the poems Harrison and Stuart-Clark have gathered.
Read more of my book reviews and poems here:
www.richardsubber.com
July 25, 2019
This is an anthology for the sort of child I was but not, perhaps, for children who aren't avid readers of poetry. On the other hand, it doesn't matter what adults think; a child will choose what appeals and leave the rest. When I was reading the 'Childhood' section I kept thinking "I'd have skipped these when I was a child". The last thing I had any interest in was children. It was my least favourite section but on the other hand - Fern Hill. Oh, the glory!
NB: I still have no interest in children so you may take my five stars with a pinch of salt.
NB: I still have no interest in children so you may take my five stars with a pinch of salt.
May 1, 2012
This is an interesting collection of poems, which are sorted into genre which makes selecting a poem convenient. Due to the wide variety of poems in this collection, finding a poem for the purpose needed will be quiet easy.
The More It Snows by A.A Milne is one of the poems in the “Scenes” section of the book and is a particularly nice poem. It would be a great poem to use to explore rhythm in poetry and to emphasise the importance of repetition. It would be particularly useful to combine with music and percussion instruments to look at pace and rhythm.
Tarantella by Hilaire Belloc is in the “Love” section of this collection. Belloc’s poetry is especially good for reading aloud to a class to develop children’s interest in poetry. He often tells a story and uses funny, yet cautionary tales in his poems. Again Belloc’s work would be great to look at pace and rhythm in poetry, but also to highlight story-telling in poems.
This would be a very useful book to have in your library for reference when approaching poetry with a class, I would suggest that it would be most useful in a year 5/6 class.
The More It Snows by A.A Milne is one of the poems in the “Scenes” section of the book and is a particularly nice poem. It would be a great poem to use to explore rhythm in poetry and to emphasise the importance of repetition. It would be particularly useful to combine with music and percussion instruments to look at pace and rhythm.
Tarantella by Hilaire Belloc is in the “Love” section of this collection. Belloc’s poetry is especially good for reading aloud to a class to develop children’s interest in poetry. He often tells a story and uses funny, yet cautionary tales in his poems. Again Belloc’s work would be great to look at pace and rhythm in poetry, but also to highlight story-telling in poems.
This would be a very useful book to have in your library for reference when approaching poetry with a class, I would suggest that it would be most useful in a year 5/6 class.
January 12, 2022
"For Children."
Without these last two words, this would have been a decent collection (albeit one that relies heavily on names that are almost always canonized and arguably crowding out lesser known but equally merited poets). I checked out this collection to read to my two very young children, the little one especially for language acquisition. Upon realizing that most of the poems do not rhyme, I went ahead and filtered for poems that would foster an early love for poetry.
The poems, unfortunately, are either too esoteric for young children to grasp or way too somber. I literally rolled my eyes at the number of poems graphically recounting war, violence, and death (and this was before I hit upon the section entitled "War"). Any poems speaking to a child's interests were few. The collection more consistently had poems ABOUT childhood, most of which were melancholy--remembering isolation, a child who died, how fleeting youth is and depressing adulthood is, etc. (Time and place for those kinds of poems.)
I'm returning this to the library and recommending the Random House Book of Poetry, curated by Jack Prelutsky, for any fellow parent who was similarly disappointed in this work.
Without these last two words, this would have been a decent collection (albeit one that relies heavily on names that are almost always canonized and arguably crowding out lesser known but equally merited poets). I checked out this collection to read to my two very young children, the little one especially for language acquisition. Upon realizing that most of the poems do not rhyme, I went ahead and filtered for poems that would foster an early love for poetry.
The poems, unfortunately, are either too esoteric for young children to grasp or way too somber. I literally rolled my eyes at the number of poems graphically recounting war, violence, and death (and this was before I hit upon the section entitled "War"). Any poems speaking to a child's interests were few. The collection more consistently had poems ABOUT childhood, most of which were melancholy--remembering isolation, a child who died, how fleeting youth is and depressing adulthood is, etc. (Time and place for those kinds of poems.)
I'm returning this to the library and recommending the Random House Book of Poetry, curated by Jack Prelutsky, for any fellow parent who was similarly disappointed in this work.
March 25, 2020
Genre: Poetry (collection)
Awards: NA
Audience: 3-6th Grade
- The book is a collection of poems arranged in categories of mystery, animals, childhood, war, and love. Each poem is different, there are some free verse, some lyric poems, and even some haikus.
- In each "chapter" the poems in the categories go with that chapter, so the mysteries category is full of mysteries and the same for each other category. There are many uses of poetic elements throughout this book. For example Richard Edwards poem called The Word Party is the first poem in the book, it has a rhyme scheme of AA,BB,CC, DD with two lines of equal-ish length that rhyme. Edwards also uses a lot of imagery through personification of the "words attending the part. One of the biggest elements was repetition of "words" throughout the poem. It is used 18 times. This is just one example of the many poems.
Awards: NA
Audience: 3-6th Grade
- The book is a collection of poems arranged in categories of mystery, animals, childhood, war, and love. Each poem is different, there are some free verse, some lyric poems, and even some haikus.
- In each "chapter" the poems in the categories go with that chapter, so the mysteries category is full of mysteries and the same for each other category. There are many uses of poetic elements throughout this book. For example Richard Edwards poem called The Word Party is the first poem in the book, it has a rhyme scheme of AA,BB,CC, DD with two lines of equal-ish length that rhyme. Edwards also uses a lot of imagery through personification of the "words attending the part. One of the biggest elements was repetition of "words" throughout the poem. It is used 18 times. This is just one example of the many poems.
May 8, 2017
I love children's poetry anthologies that include more than just children's poetry, if you get my meaning. This collection is well curated and includes the likes of E E Cummings, Maja Angelou, and Walter de le Mare along with the requisite A A Milne and Shel Silverstein.
November 5, 2021
I bought a copy of this book because I love poetry and because the title and cover were enticing. Yet, I was very disappointed. I found very few poems that I really liked. Many of the poems did not seem to be very appropriate for children.
August 1, 2023
(2.7)
I loved the vast variety of all kinds of poems from all kinds of poets, but only a handful seemed for children. For some, the topics were not appropriate for a child at all, but for most they were too complex for most children to understand.
I loved the vast variety of all kinds of poems from all kinds of poets, but only a handful seemed for children. For some, the topics were not appropriate for a child at all, but for most they were too complex for most children to understand.
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July 9, 2021This is a collection of poems for children. These poems are arranged in categories. There is one about animals. One about love. One about childhood, and many more.
March 21, 2023
Failed to captivate my child’s attention or stir any curiosity toward poetry.
May 1, 2024
It was kinda fun to read a book of poems during National Poetry Month
September 5, 2013
This collection is divided into seven categories: Mystery, animals, childhood, people, scenes, war and love. Children’s favourites such as “The Word Party” by Richard Edwards are incorporated alongside poets more associated with poetry for adults such as Ted Hughes and Seamus Heaney.
There is a wide range of styles of poetry here, which could definitely be used to advance children’s creative writing and critical thinking. Poems such as “The shoes” by John Mole, which deals with the theme of an absent father, and “Truth” by Barry Wade, which deals with bullying, could be used to develop children’s emotional literacy and awareness.
War poems such as “Anthem for Doomed Youth” by Wilfred Owen could be incorporated into history lessons to add a subjective human dimension.
Poems relating to animals and the seasons can be used to enhance lessons about the natural world.
While reading this book I found myself wishing there were more poems that related to the daily lives and concerns of children. Many of the poems are complex and contain fairly adult themes. Most of the poetry is only really suitable for children in year five or six so younger readers are not catered for overall. This book is an interesting compendium but I feel few more poems by noted children’s poets such as Allan Ahlberg, Judith Nicholls and Michael Rosen would enhance its suitability for younger readers.
There is a wide range of styles of poetry here, which could definitely be used to advance children’s creative writing and critical thinking. Poems such as “The shoes” by John Mole, which deals with the theme of an absent father, and “Truth” by Barry Wade, which deals with bullying, could be used to develop children’s emotional literacy and awareness.
War poems such as “Anthem for Doomed Youth” by Wilfred Owen could be incorporated into history lessons to add a subjective human dimension.
Poems relating to animals and the seasons can be used to enhance lessons about the natural world.
While reading this book I found myself wishing there were more poems that related to the daily lives and concerns of children. Many of the poems are complex and contain fairly adult themes. Most of the poetry is only really suitable for children in year five or six so younger readers are not catered for overall. This book is an interesting compendium but I feel few more poems by noted children’s poets such as Allan Ahlberg, Judith Nicholls and Michael Rosen would enhance its suitability for younger readers.
April 1, 2016
One Hundred Years of Poetry: For Children is a sampling of nearly 150 American and English poets, writing for children, in the 20th century. The poems are themed by mystery, animals, childhood, people, scenes, war, and love. This anthology of poems stimulates emotions. It covers a range from friendship to love poems. It has classics by authors such as Walter de la Mare, G.K. Chesterton, Dylan Thomas, Ogden Nash, Michael Rosen, Eleanor Farjeon, T.S. Eliot, W.H. Auden, E.E. Cummings, Roger McGough, and Philip Larkin. There are a wide range of styles of poetry. Some of the poetry was quite advanced and complex, not really what I was expected in a book of poetry for children. Most of the poems are one page with a black and white illustration at the top. Some poems are intense and deep so I think the target audience would range from 6th-12th grade.
July 19, 2013
This was a book of intense poems for children. Though it might be for middle school and high school of the now a day generation since some of the poems would be a bit hard for younger children to understand based on topic.
The book starts with a excellent poem that describes a library. It is the best description of a library that I have encountered lately. Most of the poems made you think for sure.
The book starts with a excellent poem that describes a library. It is the best description of a library that I have encountered lately. Most of the poems made you think for sure.
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September 27, 2015I was surprised reading this book at finding many different poems that I hadn't seen in other children's anthologies. However, much of the book seemed quite advanced and complex, not really what I was expecting in a book of poetry for children. While I am glad to have it as a resource, it would not be my first choice for young readers, though there are many wonderful poems in it.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews