Here's A Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0763631418 ISBN 13: 9780763631413

Publisher: Candlewick, 2007

Synopsis

This exuberant celebration of poetry is an essential book for every young one’s library and a gorgeous gift to be both shared and treasured.

Sit back and savor a superb collection of more than sixty poems by a wide range of talented writers, from Margaret Wise Brown to Gertrude Stein, Langston Hughes to A. A. Milne. Greeting the morning, enjoying the adventures of the day, cuddling up to a cozy bedtime — these are poems that highlight the moments of a toddler’s world from dawn to dusk. Carefully gathered by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters and delightfully illustrated by Polly Dunbar, Here's a Little Poem offers a comprehensive introduction to some remarkable poets, even as it captures a very young child’s intense delight in the experiences and rituals of every new day.

About this title

About the Author

Jane Yolen is the recipient of the Sydney Taylor Body-of-Work Award in recognition of the more than 400 books she has written for children and young adults, including the Caldecott Medal winner Owl Moon and the New York Times bestseller How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? With Candlewick Press, she is the editor of three collections of poems for children: Switching on the Moon: A Very First Book of Bedtime Poems; Here’s a Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry; and This Little Piggy: Lap Songs, Finger Plays, Clapping Games, and Pantomime Rhymes. She divides her time between Massachusetts and Scotland.

Andrew Fusek Peters is a poet and anthologist whose work has appeared in collections for children and teens. He has also written many books. Andrew Fusek Peters lives in Shropshire, England.

Polly Dunbar is the author and illustrator of Dog Blue and Flyaway Katie, as well as the illustrator of Shoe Baby, written by her mother, Joyce Dunbar. Polly Dunbar lives in Brighton, England.

Reviews

Starred Review. PreSchool-K—Many collections of poems that purport to be for very young children are actually for primary graders. This oversize book really is for preschoolers. The poems, one per page, are arranged in four categories that encompass child's a world: "Me, Myself, and I," "Who Lives in My House?," "I Go Outside," and "Time for Bed." The poetry is witty, intelligent, and well crafted, and perfect for the target audience. The list of contributors reads like a who's who of children's poetry—Margaret Wise Brown, Nikki Grimes, Aileen Fisher, Jack Prelutsky, and others. Almost all of the selections have appeared in print before. Most of them are only a few lines long, and are printed in large informal type in a variety of colors that match the illustrations. The art was created using a wide range of mediums and techniques, and Dunbar blends them seamlessly to create charming images that are amazingly expressive. The children in them are carefree and happy and the book as a whole suggests a world that is safe and secure. Here's a Little Poem is a great way to introduce the youngest listeners to the genre.—Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

*Starred Review* With lots of hugs and kisses, as well as messy nonsense and uproarious action, this big, spacious anthology of more than 60 poems is a wonderful first book to read with babies and toddlers over and over again. As with nursery rhymes, the sounds of the words are a big part of the fun ("Oh soggy greens, I hate you / I hate your sloppy slush"), and so are the movements from dawn to bedtime, as in "Getting Dressed" ("You've one trouser leg / And two legs in it"). The clear, active, mixed-media illustrations show very young children outdoors and in; morning to bedtime; loving, teary, absurd, furious. The intense scenarios range from tantrums ("No! No! No! To everything!") and jealousy about the new baby ("What's she want another one for?") to slurpy kisses and lullabies. Many of the best children's poets are included, from Rosemary Wells and Mary Ann Hoberman to Jack Prelutsky; and there are adult poets too--Langston Hughes, Gertrude Stein, and more. Unlike in Mother Goose, the slapstick here is always child-centered, from "Mud, mud, glorious mud" to the unforgettable parody "Happy Birthday to you / Squashed tomatoes and stew." Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Something About Me

There's something about me
That I'm knowing.
There's something about me
That isn't showing.
I'm growing!

I Am Rose

I am Rose my eyes are blue
I am Rose and who are you?
I am Rose and when I sing
I am Rose like anything.

Mud

Mud, mud, glorious mud,
Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood!
So follow me, follow
Down to the hollow
And there let us wallow
In glorious mud!

Edition details

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0763631418
• ISBN 13: 9780763631413
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Dunbar Polly
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 112