Children's poetry
Encyclopedia
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
written for, a stupid reson as she says or appropriate for children. This may include folk poetry (for example, Mother Goose
Mother Goose
The familiar figure of Mother Goose is an imaginary author of a collection of fairy tales and nursery rhymes which are often published as Mother Goose Rhymes. As a character, she appears in one "nursery rhyme". A Christmas pantomime called Mother Goose is often performed in the United Kingdom...
rhymes); poetry written intentionally for young people (e.g. Shel Silverstein
Shel Silverstein
Sheldon Allan "Shel" Silverstein , was an American poet, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter and author of children's books. He styled himself as Uncle Shelby in his children's books...
); poetry written originally for adults, but appropriate for young people (Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash
Frederic Ogden Nash was an American poet well known for his light verse. At the time of his death in 1971, the New York Times said his "droll verse with its unconventional rhymes made him the country's best-known producer of humorous poetry".-Early life:Nash was born in Rye, New York...
); and poems taken from prose works (Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
, Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
).
Notable Children's Poets
- Dr Seuss - Wrote many Children's poetry books including The Cat in the HatThe Cat in the HatThe Cat in the Hat is a children's book by Dr. Seuss and perhaps the most famous, featuring a tall, anthropomorphic, mischievous cat, wearing a tall, red and white-striped hat and a red bow tie. He also carries a pale blue umbrella...
, Green Eggs and HamGreen Eggs and HamGreen Eggs and Ham is a best-selling and critically acclaimed book by Dr. Seuss, first published on August 12, 1960. As of 2001, according to Publishers Weekly, it was the fourth-best-selling English-language children's book of all time....
and How the Grinch Stole Christmas!How the Grinch Stole Christmas!How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is a children's story by Dr. Seuss written in rhymed verse with illustrations by the author. It was published as a book by Random House in 1957, and at approximately the same time in an issue of Redbook...
. - Robert Louis StevensonRobert Louis StevensonRobert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
- Author of such works as A Child's Garden of VersesA Child's Garden of VersesA Child's Garden of Verses is a collection of poetry for children by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. The collection first appeared in 1885 under the title Penny Whistles, but has been reprinted many times, often in illustrated versions...
. - Shel SilversteinShel SilversteinSheldon Allan "Shel" Silverstein , was an American poet, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter and author of children's books. He styled himself as Uncle Shelby in his children's books...
- Author of such works as Where the Sidewalk EndsWhere the Sidewalk EndsWhere the Sidewalk Ends is a 1950 American film noir directed and produced by Otto Preminger. The screenplay for the film was written by Ben Hecht, and adapted by Robert E. Kent, Frank P. Rosenberg, and Victor Trivas. The screenplay and adaptations were based on the novel Night Cry by William L....
and A Light in the AtticA Light in the AtticA Light in the Attic is a collection of poems by the American poet, writer, and children's author Shel Silverstein. It was first published by HarperCollins in 1981...
, Silverstein also wrote The Giving TreeThe Giving TreeThe Giving Tree, first published in 1964 by Harper and Row, is a children's book written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein. This book has become one of Silverstein's best known titles and has been translated into more than 30 languages.-Plot:...
.
Michael Rosen
Michael Rosen
Michael Wayne Rosen is a broadcaster, children's novelist and poet and the author of 140 books. He was appointed as the fifth Children's Laureate in June 2007, succeeding Jacqueline Wilson, and held this honour until 2009....
is a broadcaster, children's novelist and poet and the author of 140 books. He was appointed as the fifth Children's Laureate in June 2007, succeeding Jacqueline Wilson, and held this honour till 2009.
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
(1916-1990) is one of the most successful children's writers in the world: around thirty million of his books have been sold in the U.K. alone. Dahl's collection of poems Revolting Rhymes
Revolting Rhymes
Revolting Rhymes is a collection of Roald Dahl poems published in 1982. A parody of traditional folk tales in verse, Dahl gives a re-interpretation of six well-known fairy tales, featuring surprise endings in place of the traditional happily-ever-after...
is a re-interpretation of six well-known fairy tales, featuring surprise endings in place of the traditional happily-ever-after. Dahl's poems and stories are popular among Children because he writes from their point of view - in his books adults are often the villains or are just plain stupid!.
Valerie Bloom: Valerie was born in 1956, first came to England in 1979, and is now based in Kent, but continues to travel around the UK and abroad adding to her thousands of performances, workshops and school visits.
Brian Moses (b. 1950) is one of Britain's favourite children's poets, for both his own poetry and the anthologies he has edited, and he has performed in over two thousand schools across the UK and Europe. He is a Reading Champion for the Literacy Trust, and is able to animate reading and writing poetry for pupils and teachers alike, in his workshops and in his resource books for teachers.
Roger Stevens
Roger Stevens (poet)
Roger Stevens is an English poet and artist. Founder of the Poetry Zone website, his written work has appeared in over 100 anthologies and been broadcast on BBC Radio 4....
is a performance poet, author, musician and artist. His poems have appeared in more than one hundred anthologies. Roger founded the award-winning Poetry Zone web-site, which offers young people the chance to publish their poetry on the web and features interviews with well-known writers.
Gez Walsh
Gez Walsh
Gez Walsh is a joiner, social worker and children's poet. He has written various books of children's comedy poetry including; "The Spot on my Bum", "The Return of the Spot", "Someone's Nicked My Knickers", "The Man in the Skirt", "Parents Zits and Hairy Bits.....
is a performance poet and stand-up comedian best known as the author of the cult classic children's poetry book "The Spot on my Bum". He is actively involved in delivering workshops which promote poetry and reading in school, using his unqiue blend of comedy and interactive learning to help students (and teachers!) have fun while "learning without learning".
Allan Ahlberg (b. 1938) is one of Britain's best-loved children's writers. The author of over a hundred books, Allan has been delighting children of all ages for more than thirty years
Jean Sprackland (born 1962) is an English poet, the author of three collections of poetry published since 1997.
Benny Bellamacina Songwriter, musician, children's author and poet. Born in Manchester and now living in London. Songwriting credits include BoA
BoA
Boa Kwon , commonly stylized and known by her stage name BoA, which is a backronym for Beat of Angel, is a Korean singer, active in South Korea, Japan, and the United States and sometimes referred to as the "Queen of Korean Pop Music"....
on the best-selling album No.1
NO.1
No. 1 is BoA's second Korean language album. This album is currently her best-selling album in South Korea.- Album editions :The Japanese issue of No.1 includes an exclusive bonus track "No.1 "....
, Lee Ryan
Lee Ryan
Lee Ryan is an English singer-songwriter, actor and member of the British boy band Blue.-Early life:...
and Claire Johnston (musician)
Claire Johnston (musician)
Claire Johnston is a singer best known as the face and voice of Mango Groove. Born in the United Kingdom, she has been a South African resident for most of her life. At age ten, Claire debuted as an actor, dancer and singer in the Johannesburg production of the musical Annie...
.
Josie Whitehead, retired teacher and well published children's poet, from Ilkley, Yorkshire, has a wide range of poetry which goes into school classrooms worldwide daily both from her books and especially from her internet website (Google: JOSIE'S POEMS). Younger children appreciate the poems written with rhyme, rhythm and stories which help them develop phonemic awareness, a key literacy skill, as well as the fun of these poems. All age groups love the fact that the rhythm within these poems helps make them excellent performance poems which even the youngest child will enjoy performing. The poems have linked well to music, dance, drama, animation and art to make them fantastic modern poems for children. Flower of Eternal Sleep, her very popular poem for Remembrance Day has been put to music for organ and choir by Robert May of Dymock Church, Gloucestershire.
Further reading
- Brewton, John Edmund. Index to Poetry for Children and Young People, 1964-1969. New York: Wilson, 1972.
- Index to Poetry for Children and Young People, 1976-1981. New York: Wilson, 1981.
- Sell, Violet, Dorothy B. Frizzell Smith, Ardis Sarff O’Hoyt, and Mildred Bakke. Subject Index to Poetry for Children and Young People. Chicago: American Library Association, 1957, ISBN 0838902421.