  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 04/01/2012 For those who lament that young people are no longer taught to memorize poetry, here’s a handsome compendium of verse well suited to that purpose and chosen with children in mind. The Children’s Poet Laureate from 2008 to 2010, Hoberman chose 123 poems that are memorable in both senses of the word. They’re “easy to remember” (though she concedes that the longer ones will take more time) and “worth remembering.” In an appended section, she discusses an approach to learning poems by heart, making the process a game with a specific prize: owning the chosen poem and keeping it for a lifetime. The selection of verse is broad, representing 57 poets, including Alarcón, Belloc, de la Mare, Esbensen, Frost, Greenfield, Grimes, Hoberman, Lear, McCord, Milne, Sandburg, Silverstein, Stevenson, Tolkien, and Worth. Created using pencil, watercolors, and pastels, Emberley’s appealing illustrations brighten every page of this large-format book. A handsome anthology of poems that children can learn by heart. - Copyright 2012 Booklist. School Library Journal - 06/01/2012 Gr 3–6—The creators of the popular "You Read to Me, I'll Read to You" series (Little, Brown) offer a collection of carefully chosen pieces that are ideal for memorization, which gives children a sense of ownership and ultimately fosters a love of poetry. The subjects and themes are as diverse as the people who wrote them; there are works by beloved poets from all across the spectrum, such as Nikki Giovanni, Shel Silverstein, Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, and dozens more. Categories include "Sad and Sorrowful," "Happiness Is," and "Strange and Mysterious." Hoberman introduces each section with a short paragraph outlining the types of poems found within, putting readers in the appropriate frame of mind and prompting critical thinking about what they are about to read. At the end of the book, she offers detailed tips about how to memorize a poem, which will assist children in not just reading and listening to the poem, but actually feeling it. She also discusses terms like couplets, assonance, and alliteration, thereby providing a quick but useful introduction to the structure of poetry. Emberley's signature watercolor, pencil, and pastel illustrations add a splash of understated cheer to the selections. A wonderful addition to any collection.—Rita Meade, Brooklyn Public Library, NY - Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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