I Like This Poem - Puffin Poetry Collection | Classic English Poetry Book for Kids & Teens | Perfect for Reading Aloud, Gifts & Classroom Activities

The International Year of the Child - What's that? It seems nowadays that the idealism of the 1979 UN proclamation, along with UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, have been consigned to history, something quaint for collectors of stamps and other memorabilia. As the editor of "I Like This Poem," Kaye Webb, points out, there is always a poem to console us, to give us hope."I Like This Poem" was truly a labor labor of love, if you would excuse the cliche. Although Ms. Webb's name appears on the cover, it was her idea and will to have children in age groups, from Age 6 through 15, to select their own favorite poems. She did all the hard, less glamourous work of compiling the children's favorites and doing all the tedious paperwork in securing the rights to publish them. She went a step further, giving each child his or her say in why a particular poem is a favorite, a major part of the charm of the book.Divided into sections by age group, children from a wide geographic area have selected poems, some funny and some serious but all that speak from the heart. What is interesting is that a good number of poems have been chosed from "adult" poets, such as William Shakespeare, James Joyce, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Walt Whitman, and Langston Hughes, just to name a few. Of course, there entries by Lewis Carrol, Roald Dahl, Eve Merriam, Robert Louis Stevenson, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Ogden Nash - again, the sheer variety makes this book an intersting read for young and old(er) alike. All this goes to prove that children can never be too young for classic "adult" poetry and adults and never be too young for "children's" poetry. The best poems, as I have said, speak from the hear, to all of us and appeal to all our humanity.As this book was first published in 1979, you will not find the current classic humorous "children's" poetry from the likes of Shel Silverstein, Jeff Moss, Bruce Lansky, Jack Prelutsky, and Douglas Florian. That's OK - there are many fine collections by these poems on the market today. That said, a few notable writers are absent, especially those from non-English-speaking countries. For example, I would have loved to have seen at least one poem by Federico Garcia Lorca. Also missing are Emily Dickinson and Christina Rosetti, both of whom produced numerous fine pieces that would appeal to children. But the collection presented here offers a great deal to be savored.Now, why did I mention the 1979 UN International Year of the Child? According to various sources, this anthology was compiled in honor of the world's recognition of the dignity of the child. This book does an admirable job toward that goal; it is, therefore, a mystery as to why the publisher does not mention this important fact anywhere in the front matter. The UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child, upon which the IYC is based, was inspired by Janusz Korczak, a Polish educator and pediatrician who cared for orphaned children and ultimately died with them at the Nazi death camp of Treblinka in 1942. Dr. Korczak wrote many books on the dignity of children, including "How to Love a Child" and "The Child's Right to Respect." By allowing the children to select their favorite poems, Kaye Webb book honors both these ideals. This is indeed an anthology to treasure.