Thanks to Florinda for inviting me to guest blog.
Although 2010 was a productive year for me in terms of reading and work, 2011 is shaping up to be an even more complicated and busy year. My husband and I are having our first child this March, and I was not interested in having children, either because I was too selfish or too focused on other things after breaking away from my family and out on my own. Now that my daughter is nearly here, I’ve given a great deal of thought to the books I read as a child, and the books I want to read to her and want her to read.
My fondest memories of reading come from my nana and my mom, and many of those books were Dr. Seuss. But there was more to be had than just his whimsical poetry; there was Shel Silverstein and the traditional nursery rhymes. While I do not expect my daughter to be as obsessed with poetry as I am, I do expect her to appreciate it in all its forms and understand that it can be both enjoyable and fun even to those outside academia. The process already has begun in the womb as I’ve read her poetry from contemporary writers, like Billy Collins and Sweta Vikram, and from classic poets, like Robert Frost and the Brontes.
As an online reviewer for my own blog, Savvy Verse & Wit, I’ve read and reviewed dozens of poetry books, but my reviews of children’s literature have been few and far between. However, I have kept up with some more contemporary books on the market and received some recommendations from friends who have children.
- Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton
- Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
- Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
- Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
- Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd
None of these recommendations include poetry. Is poetry for children, young and old, just not out there or is it only the old classics that remain on the market?
I’d love to get some recommendations from everyone for poetry books because we plan to have bedtime reading every night.
I hope everyone has a prosperous new year filled with joy and adventure.
