Best Poetry Books for Children Reviews
It is very important that children are read to and read from a very young age. Poetry books are the favorite of many children both to be read to them and to read once they are able to.
For your convenience we have split our recommended poetry books up into 3 age groups.
In this article we have reviewed some of the best poetry books for children.
Poetry for children age 2 to 8
Read-Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young
This collection of poems was put together by Jack Prelutsky, a well respected children's poet. The poems are about children's everyday experiences. The subjects of the poems are things like picnics, imagination and puppies. It's less likely to concern parents, than more traditional poems.
I found the colored-pencil drawings of Marc Brown very pleasing. He added greatly to the book with his excellent use of space.
The book contains more than 200 poems.
Trail: Paper Poetry
Trail is a pop-up book and the drawings are all done in black and white. Each page follows a silvery trail through a garden full of plants and flowers.
Tail's story is told in couplets and riddles which have an Eastern feel, to me.
The book really is a magical creation.
My Very First Mother Goose
Mother Goose is a collection of nursery rhymes. It distinguishes it self from similar books with it's brightly colored illustrations, and happy rhymes.
In my opinion this book of nursery rhymes is a great gift for first time parents.
Poetry for children age 9 to 12
Where the Sidewalk Ends
This is a collection of rhymes and poems, songs and riddles from Shel Silverstein the writer of "the giving tree".
Here is one of my favorite poems from the book, it's called the invitation:
If you are a dreamer, come in,
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer...
If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire
For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.
Come in!
The Random House Book of Poetry for Children
The book include poems from Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Nikki Giovanni, Robert Louis Stevenson,
Langston Hughes, and Gwendolyn. I would say this book is best described as fun and whimsical.
The contents of the book includes chants, anonymous rhymes, silly verse, scary poems, and even some sad strains. All of which is carefully indexed by title, author, subject, and first line.
The book has illustrations of animals and cheerful, round-faced children on every page.
Grasshopper Pie and Other Poems
What makes David Steinbergs poetry different is that he writes about topics that interest children, also his poetry is never condescending to the children who read it. I would say the book is best described as rhythmical written poems in a story format. I enjoyed 'meet upside-down Billy Ray Brown',' the Tickle Monster', and 'a boy who makes grasshopper pie' the most.
Grasshopper pie is a great buy for first time readers.
Poetry for young people
This book was written by the 19th century American poet Emily Dickinson. Each poem illustrates important aspects of her life and character.
Visually, this book is on perfect. The illustrator was very detailed with the her drawings. In one part of the book, the poems are riddles. The drawings give you clues to the answers.
Poetry for children older than 13
The Top 500 Poems
Like the name suggests this is a good and very large collection of all time best poems for older children.
If you enjoyed best poetry books for children you should also read best nonfiction books for children and best books for 10 year old boys.
