National Poetry Month, 2010 - what are your favorite children's books of poetry, CDs, etc.?

[ConnieAnnKirk]

Here we are at April, 2010, and it's again National Poetry Month!  What a wonderful month to celebrate rhymes, poets, non-rhyming poems, songs, and all things lyrical!

Let us know your favorite children's books of poetry here.  Have you seen anything new in poetry displays when you've been out and about that intrigues you?  Chosen a special gift of a book of poetry for a child you know?  Shared a good poem or poet biography with children in your classroom or library?

Let us know!

[ConnieAnnKirk]

Here's a link for a listing of children's poetry books here at BN.com.

And here are a couple that look interesting!

Hip Hop Speaks to Children 

Poetry for Young People 

[basson_mommy12]

Once we were forced to write poetry in elementary school, I lost all interest in poetry.  Now, what I read, I really enjoy, but I know very little about it.  I hope more interesting books might be suggested here.  Thanks for getting us started, Connie!

[ConnieAnnKirk]

Thanks for your comments, Ruth.  Unfortunately, sometimes chool teachers can make mistakes with their approaches to certain subjects, and poetry is one of those subjects that seems to get hit hard in too many classrooms, leaving students thinking it's:

a.)  too hard to understand

b.)  irrelevant

c.)  anything but fun!

I think if children (and adults, for that matter) are introduced to poetry as word play and a thing of beauty and fascination like a flower, they enjoy it.

I also think the oral/aural aspect of poetry could be played up more in schools to help kids enjoy it.

I haven't seen this book in person, but it seems to play off of this idea, coming with a CD of notable poets performing their work:

Poetry Speaks to Children (Poetry Speaks Series) 

[Peppermill]

Although I don't think my son and I ever fully used this, it was a gift from a friend who loved it with her children:

The Giving Tree  Shel Silverstein has other books of poetry that are quite popular.

To my surprise, as a teenager, my son enjoyed Dylan Thomas, and I struggled, often unsuccessfully, to help him with the symbolism.

The Collected Poems of Dylan Thomas