What do you think?
Rate this book
The 20th Century Children's Poetry Treasury
"Until this century, most children's poetry was either syrupy sweet or overblown and didactic, and tended to talk down to its readers. Contemporary children's poets have thrown all that condescension and moralizing out the window, and write with today's real child in mind."
- from the Introduction by Jack Prelutsky
Here in one gloriously illustrated volume are 211 wonderful poems that represent the best this century has to offer. From sibling rivalry, school, monsters, food, and just plain silliness, to such ageless themes as the seasons, Who am I?, and the many moods of childhood, this is a collection that begs to be read aloud and shared with the whole family. The poems, from every decade of this century, showcase 137 famous poets.
Selected by Jack Prelutsky, America's leading children's poet, and illustrated by award-winning watercolorist Meilo So, this useful and beautiful gift is a splendid way to end the century -- or start a new one. Truly a book that families will cherish long after the millennium excitement is over, The 20th-Century Children's Poetry Treasury is a joyous companion volume to the best-selling The 20th-Century Children's Book Treasury .
This book has been selected as a Common Core State Standards Text Exemplar (Grades K-1, 2-3, Poetry) in Appendix B.
- from the Introduction by Jack Prelutsky
Here in one gloriously illustrated volume are 211 wonderful poems that represent the best this century has to offer. From sibling rivalry, school, monsters, food, and just plain silliness, to such ageless themes as the seasons, Who am I?, and the many moods of childhood, this is a collection that begs to be read aloud and shared with the whole family. The poems, from every decade of this century, showcase 137 famous poets.
Selected by Jack Prelutsky, America's leading children's poet, and illustrated by award-winning watercolorist Meilo So, this useful and beautiful gift is a splendid way to end the century -- or start a new one. Truly a book that families will cherish long after the millennium excitement is over, The 20th-Century Children's Poetry Treasury is a joyous companion volume to the best-selling The 20th-Century Children's Book Treasury .
This book has been selected as a Common Core State Standards Text Exemplar (Grades K-1, 2-3, Poetry) in Appendix B.
96 pages, Hardcover
First published September 21, 1999
About the author
Jack Prelutsky
131 books225 followersJack Prelutsky is an American poet. He attended New York public schools, and later the High School of Music and Art and Hunter College. Prelutsky, who has also worked as a busboy, furniture mover, folk singer, and cab driver, claims that he hated poetry in grade school because of the way it was taught. He is the author of more than 30 poetry collections including Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep< and A Pizza the Size of the Sun. He has also compiled countless children's anthologies comprised of poems of others'. Jack Prelutsky was married to Von Tre Venefue, a woman he had met in France. They divorced in 1995, but Jack remarried. He currently lives in Washington state with his wife, Carolyn. He befriended a gay poet named Espiritu Salamanca in 1997 and both now work together in writing poems and stories for children and adults alike.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
May 1, 2013
This is a lovely collection of poems for children, with poems on animals, seasons, body parts, actions (i.e. running), children's games (there's a lovely poem on jacks) and so much more. It's a great book to introduce your kids to the joy of poetry. And the illustrations are wonderful and fun.
August 16, 2019
My favorite poems were...
Rules pg20
Breakfast pg22
The click clacker machine pg33
Eletelephony pg52
Forethought pg59
Limo pg63
Rules pg20
Breakfast pg22
The click clacker machine pg33
Eletelephony pg52
Forethought pg59
Limo pg63
April 22, 2012
This is a wonderful book. It has such a nice variety of poems, and the watercolor illustrations do a fabulous job of setting the tone. I appreciate the way the pages seem to flow from theme to theme; the composition and placement make sense. It contains a nice variety, and the overall effect is very enjoyable.
September 1, 2017
It's hilarious that I have owned the 20th Century Children's Book Treasury for YEARS and never once did it occur to me that this book might have some hidden gems of its own - and it's not because I don't love poetry! In fact, I love poetry, always have. Well, this book finally came into my possession when I ordered it off Amazon as a gift for a child. IT wasn't my intention to get this book either, no no, I wanted the Book Treasury. Time was against me so I went with this book - and I'm so glad I did. It's got such a wonderful collection of poems from authors that are known and loved by children and adults alike. Each page has several poems with a certain theme and all come with fun and colorful illustrations. If you wanted to give a child a gift, I don't think there's anything better than a book - I know that I still have my books from childhood on my personal shelves (and the 20th Century Book Treasury is one of them). This is a book that is fun, inspiring, beautiful, and well worth the time. They'd make great 5-minute bedtime reads that, I believe, would truly spark a love for reading, and poetry, in parent and child alike. Loved it and I highly recommend it!
Read
December 18, 2016Summary:
You want monsters, talk about food, fighting with your brother or sister, talk about school or just being silly. Here is the book for you.
Genre: This poem book has a great selection of poems of all kinds and from the current century lots of sensory and imagination.
Writing Traits Sentence fluencey- There poems that have a rhythm and a beat, graceful varied almost musical to the ear. Word Choice the language used creates meaning, the words are chosen for the meaning and the phrase. Voice- The writee wanted to make a connection wanting to leave the reader wanting more giving the writing life. Ideas the poems have a purpose and point.
Classroom applications: Language arts teaching different writing, teaching similes, and metaphors. Social studies- social skills, holidays. Science-animals, flying, seasons, work. Health -Food.
The Reading level: Age Range: 6 and up . Grade Level: Kindergarten - 12 Lexile level NP
You want monsters, talk about food, fighting with your brother or sister, talk about school or just being silly. Here is the book for you.
Genre: This poem book has a great selection of poems of all kinds and from the current century lots of sensory and imagination.
Writing Traits Sentence fluencey- There poems that have a rhythm and a beat, graceful varied almost musical to the ear. Word Choice the language used creates meaning, the words are chosen for the meaning and the phrase. Voice- The writee wanted to make a connection wanting to leave the reader wanting more giving the writing life. Ideas the poems have a purpose and point.
Classroom applications: Language arts teaching different writing, teaching similes, and metaphors. Social studies- social skills, holidays. Science-animals, flying, seasons, work. Health -Food.
The Reading level: Age Range: 6 and up . Grade Level: Kindergarten - 12 Lexile level NP
October 23, 2017
Awards the book has received (if any): none
Appropriate grade level(s): second
Original 3-line summary: This book has many poems about growing up and changing but are for children. Topics in the book range from fights with your siblings to monsters and ice cream.
Original 3-line review: I think this poem book is really good because it covers such a weird range of topics. I think the poems in it are fun and playful and the book cover is very bright.
2-3 possible in-class uses:Good for getting modern poems that not everyone knows.
- good for children who don't talk or express their feelings so when you ask them whats up they can find a poem that relates to them.
Appropriate grade level(s): second
Original 3-line summary: This book has many poems about growing up and changing but are for children. Topics in the book range from fights with your siblings to monsters and ice cream.
Original 3-line review: I think this poem book is really good because it covers such a weird range of topics. I think the poems in it are fun and playful and the book cover is very bright.
2-3 possible in-class uses:Good for getting modern poems that not everyone knows.
- good for children who don't talk or express their feelings so when you ask them whats up they can find a poem that relates to them.
October 1, 2018
I think this book is really well done. Jack Prelutsky hand selected hundreds of poems from the 20th Century that he thought were fantastic for children. There are poems by dozens of authors in this book, and they all demonstrate fantastic poetry selections that help students' imaginations soar. The illustrations are also all done in mostly watercolors, which I think is a genius move because many younger students will relate much more to using watercolors than other mediums. This book would be great for a lesson on how you can create numerous poems and types of poetry based around a central theme.
April 16, 2018
This is probably my favorite general collection of children's poetry I've seen. I think it helps that I like Jack Prelutsky's style, so I also like most of the things by other poets that he chooses. There are lots of delightful poems throughout the whole book, loosely grouped with similar themes sharing pages. I don't particularly favor the illustration style, but it's energetic and colorful, so it works. If you had to get just one book of poetry for your kid, I'd say this should be it.
June 9, 2021
A fantastic collection of poetry for a wide range of ages. Beautiful watercolor images accompanying the poems add depth and appeal to this book. The subject matter varies greatly from one page to the next making this book a good fit for different personalities. Reading this aloud was an experience that opened lots of discussions and laughter. It’s a good addition to any child’s bookshelf.
April 7, 2020
The 20th century children’s poetry treasury is a classic book to keep in the classroom. With over 200 poems collected over time, this will expose students to different types of poetry from different topics and different authors.
October 12, 2020
This is a wonderful collection of poems for children. It’s a great way to introduce them to the wonderful world of poetry and has such beautiful illustrations as well. I also like how diverse the topics are and that many of the poets are current.
Read
October 6, 2023October: Literacy
Hello, Families!
In literacy this month, we are exploring the beautifully creative world of poetry. Poetry can be so fun to dive into because of the many different shapes it can take form of.
Happy reading!
Hello, Families!
In literacy this month, we are exploring the beautifully creative world of poetry. Poetry can be so fun to dive into because of the many different shapes it can take form of.
Happy reading!
February 6, 2019
I really enjoyed it but as with any compilation it has its highs and lows. I loved seeing all of the best in one book though.
October 20, 2020
Great collection of poetry.Offers several poems suited for multiple ages.
Read
April 27, 2021This a collection of poems written by multiple authors.
Grades: Pre-3
Grades: Pre-3
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2021
Such a collection of poems. We had this from the library book so we've just scratched the surface.
Read
October 17, 2023A collection of children's poetry. Serves as a good book in a unit on poetry for younger grades.
Want to read
October 13, 2015Title: italicize 20th Century Children’s Poetry Treasury
Author: Jack, Prelutsky
Illustrator: Meilo So
Genre: Poems
Theme(s): Poems, Young Children, Everyday Life, Creativity, Learning
Opening line/sentence: Magic Landscape: Shall I draw a magic landscape?
Brief Book Summary: This collection hold a series of children’s poems. Most of the poems relate to the lives and learning experiences of a child as they grow up and go through the realities and teachings of life.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
For this companion to The 20th Century Children's Book Treasury, Prelutsky combed more than 4000 poetry volumes to select 211 poems by 137 poets. His sampling includes established poets like Langston Hughes, Shel Silverstein and e.e. cummings, but, to Prelutsky's credit, not necessarily their best-known works. The overriding mood is rollickingly upbeat, uncharacteristic for a form renowned for its adeptness at expressing moments of grief or loneliness. Hats off to So (The Beauty of the Beast, with Prelutsky), who visually holds the anthology together. Her people are engagingly limber, her animals unmatched: for instance, she evokes the fitful movements of a squirrel with a few calligraphic strokes, and her wet-on-wet technique suggests the fluffy texture of a kitten's fur or the speed of leaping salmon. In one spread, she ingeniously accommodates eight bug poems--from poets as diverse as Ogden Nash and Valerie Worth; the poems themselves appear to flit about a central image of two children nearly hidden in a field of wildflowers. She connects four stand-alone poems in another spread ("A Hippopotamusn't" by J. Patrick Lewis and "The Click Clacker Machine" by Donna Lugg Pape are two of them) with a unified palette of pinks and lavenders. Its unvarying tone notwithstanding, this eye-catching collection is likely to lure both future fans of verse and poetry devotees. All ages. (Sept.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Children's Literature
With over 200 poems and over 130 poets, this extensive collection is a great addition to any library. All of the top children's poets are included, both contemporary and past, such as Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky. Even poets that we often may not associate with children's poetry, such as Langston Hughes and Robert Frost, have been included here. Separated into themes, this book covers a wide range of topics, including nature, city life, word play and food. For the lover of poetry or those wanting to instill an appreciation for verse in their child, this is a great collection. 1999, Alfred A. Knopf, $21.99 and $19.95. Ages 6 to 12. Reviewer: Sheree Van Vreede
Response to Two Professional Reviews: The overall mood of the poems are positive and upbeat. This poetry collection is eye-catching and a great addition to any library. This collection connects stand-alone poems into one theme also it groups’ poem topics together having for example eight bug poems all together. The illustrations are simple but bring out simple details of cats fur or leaping salmon, making them pop.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: Poetry, this book is a collection of poems however the poems are all unique and bring different elements to the collection. Rhyming is also displayed throughout many of the poems making they flow and some almost song like. The illustrations are simple, using watercolors but give a perfect clip of what the poem was about. Also some of the illustrations take up the whole page and others have multiple small illustrations on each page. The large pictures incorporate all the imagery in the set of poems displayed on the page in one picture.
Consideration of Instructional Application: Children can pick their favorite poem from this collection and analyze it discovering the type of poem that it is and what it is about. Student may also be asked to memorize or recite their chosen poem to practice reading and public speaking. Students may also be asked to pick multiple poems and compare and contrast the two poems are their style and literacy elements.
Author: Jack, Prelutsky
Illustrator: Meilo So
Genre: Poems
Theme(s): Poems, Young Children, Everyday Life, Creativity, Learning
Opening line/sentence: Magic Landscape: Shall I draw a magic landscape?
Brief Book Summary: This collection hold a series of children’s poems. Most of the poems relate to the lives and learning experiences of a child as they grow up and go through the realities and teachings of life.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
For this companion to The 20th Century Children's Book Treasury, Prelutsky combed more than 4000 poetry volumes to select 211 poems by 137 poets. His sampling includes established poets like Langston Hughes, Shel Silverstein and e.e. cummings, but, to Prelutsky's credit, not necessarily their best-known works. The overriding mood is rollickingly upbeat, uncharacteristic for a form renowned for its adeptness at expressing moments of grief or loneliness. Hats off to So (The Beauty of the Beast, with Prelutsky), who visually holds the anthology together. Her people are engagingly limber, her animals unmatched: for instance, she evokes the fitful movements of a squirrel with a few calligraphic strokes, and her wet-on-wet technique suggests the fluffy texture of a kitten's fur or the speed of leaping salmon. In one spread, she ingeniously accommodates eight bug poems--from poets as diverse as Ogden Nash and Valerie Worth; the poems themselves appear to flit about a central image of two children nearly hidden in a field of wildflowers. She connects four stand-alone poems in another spread ("A Hippopotamusn't" by J. Patrick Lewis and "The Click Clacker Machine" by Donna Lugg Pape are two of them) with a unified palette of pinks and lavenders. Its unvarying tone notwithstanding, this eye-catching collection is likely to lure both future fans of verse and poetry devotees. All ages. (Sept.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Children's Literature
With over 200 poems and over 130 poets, this extensive collection is a great addition to any library. All of the top children's poets are included, both contemporary and past, such as Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky. Even poets that we often may not associate with children's poetry, such as Langston Hughes and Robert Frost, have been included here. Separated into themes, this book covers a wide range of topics, including nature, city life, word play and food. For the lover of poetry or those wanting to instill an appreciation for verse in their child, this is a great collection. 1999, Alfred A. Knopf, $21.99 and $19.95. Ages 6 to 12. Reviewer: Sheree Van Vreede
Response to Two Professional Reviews: The overall mood of the poems are positive and upbeat. This poetry collection is eye-catching and a great addition to any library. This collection connects stand-alone poems into one theme also it groups’ poem topics together having for example eight bug poems all together. The illustrations are simple but bring out simple details of cats fur or leaping salmon, making them pop.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: Poetry, this book is a collection of poems however the poems are all unique and bring different elements to the collection. Rhyming is also displayed throughout many of the poems making they flow and some almost song like. The illustrations are simple, using watercolors but give a perfect clip of what the poem was about. Also some of the illustrations take up the whole page and others have multiple small illustrations on each page. The large pictures incorporate all the imagery in the set of poems displayed on the page in one picture.
Consideration of Instructional Application: Children can pick their favorite poem from this collection and analyze it discovering the type of poem that it is and what it is about. Student may also be asked to memorize or recite their chosen poem to practice reading and public speaking. Students may also be asked to pick multiple poems and compare and contrast the two poems are their style and literacy elements.
November 6, 2016
Title: The 20th Century Children’s Poetry Treasury
Author: Jack Prelutsky Illustrator: Meilo So Genre: Collection Of Poems For Children Theme(s): Animals, Seasons, Life, Learning, Young Children Opening line/sentence: Magic Landscape: Shall I draw a magic landscape? In the genius of my fingers I hold the seeds. Brief Book Summary: This group of poems essentially consists of everyday experiences children will face when growing up. The poems range from happy and silly to sad and serious. They each show an accurate depiction of what reality is and what children need to know. Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Publisher's Weekly
For this companion to The 20th Century Children's Book Treasury, Prelutsky combed more than 4000 poetry volumes to select 211 poems by 137 poets. His sampling includes established poets like Langston Hughes, Shel Silverstein and e.e. cummings, but, to Prelutsky's credit, not necessarily their best-known works. The overriding mood is rollickingly upbeat, uncharacteristic for a form renowned for its adeptness at expressing moments of grief or loneliness. Hats off to So (The Beauty of the Beast, with Prelutsky), who visually holds the anthology together. Her people are engagingly limber, her animals unmatched: for instance, she evokes the fitful movements of a squirrel with a few calligraphic strokes, and her wet-on-wet technique suggests the fluffy texture of a kitten's fur or the speed of leaping salmon. In one spread, she ingeniously accommodates eight bug poems--from poets as diverse as Ogden Nash and Valerie Worth; the poems themselves appear to flit about a central image of two children nearly hidden in a field of wildflowers. She connects four stand-alone poems in another spread ("A Hippopotamusn't" by J. Patrick Lewis and "The Click Clacker Machine" by Donna Lugg Pape are two of them) with a unified palette of pinks and lavenders. Its unvarying tone notwithstanding, this eye-catching collection is likely to lure both future fans of verse and poetry devotees. All ages. (Sept.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:Children's Literature
With over 200 poems and over 130 poets, this extensive collection is a great addition to any library. All of the top children's poets are included, both contemporary and past, such as Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky. Even poets that we often may not associate with children's poetry, such as Langston Hughes and Robert Frost, have been included here. Separated into themes, this book covers a wide range of topics, including nature, city life, word play and food. For the lover of poetry or those wanting to instill an appreciation for verse in their child, this is a great collection. 1999, Alfred A. Knopf, $21.99 and $19.95. Ages 6 to 12. Reviewer: Sheree Van Vreede Response to Two Professional Reviews: Both of these reviews show how great of a poem book this is. It is filled with poems that range from traditional to modern. This will allow children to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for poetry.
Evaluation of Literary Elements (3-4 sentences in your own words): This book is clearly all about poetry. The interesting and different part of this specific poetry book is that it contains many different lessons and messages that add to the collection the poems consist of. The pictures and illustrations that are shown vary from page to page allowing the reader to focus both on the words as well as use the illustrations to better understand what the poem is explaining.
Consideration of Instructional Application: Considering this book is all about poems I thought it would be a really great idea to write a class poem about a topic that everyone agrees on. Growing up my teachers never really focused on poetry as a lesson they would just always mention it. Today I feel it is important for children to understand that poetry is a different and unique way of writing and expressing feelings. It should be addressed to young children early on so they can use poetry more often in their future.
Author: Jack Prelutsky Illustrator: Meilo So Genre: Collection Of Poems For Children Theme(s): Animals, Seasons, Life, Learning, Young Children Opening line/sentence: Magic Landscape: Shall I draw a magic landscape? In the genius of my fingers I hold the seeds. Brief Book Summary: This group of poems essentially consists of everyday experiences children will face when growing up. The poems range from happy and silly to sad and serious. They each show an accurate depiction of what reality is and what children need to know. Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Publisher's Weekly
For this companion to The 20th Century Children's Book Treasury, Prelutsky combed more than 4000 poetry volumes to select 211 poems by 137 poets. His sampling includes established poets like Langston Hughes, Shel Silverstein and e.e. cummings, but, to Prelutsky's credit, not necessarily their best-known works. The overriding mood is rollickingly upbeat, uncharacteristic for a form renowned for its adeptness at expressing moments of grief or loneliness. Hats off to So (The Beauty of the Beast, with Prelutsky), who visually holds the anthology together. Her people are engagingly limber, her animals unmatched: for instance, she evokes the fitful movements of a squirrel with a few calligraphic strokes, and her wet-on-wet technique suggests the fluffy texture of a kitten's fur or the speed of leaping salmon. In one spread, she ingeniously accommodates eight bug poems--from poets as diverse as Ogden Nash and Valerie Worth; the poems themselves appear to flit about a central image of two children nearly hidden in a field of wildflowers. She connects four stand-alone poems in another spread ("A Hippopotamusn't" by J. Patrick Lewis and "The Click Clacker Machine" by Donna Lugg Pape are two of them) with a unified palette of pinks and lavenders. Its unvarying tone notwithstanding, this eye-catching collection is likely to lure both future fans of verse and poetry devotees. All ages. (Sept.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:Children's Literature
With over 200 poems and over 130 poets, this extensive collection is a great addition to any library. All of the top children's poets are included, both contemporary and past, such as Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky. Even poets that we often may not associate with children's poetry, such as Langston Hughes and Robert Frost, have been included here. Separated into themes, this book covers a wide range of topics, including nature, city life, word play and food. For the lover of poetry or those wanting to instill an appreciation for verse in their child, this is a great collection. 1999, Alfred A. Knopf, $21.99 and $19.95. Ages 6 to 12. Reviewer: Sheree Van Vreede Response to Two Professional Reviews: Both of these reviews show how great of a poem book this is. It is filled with poems that range from traditional to modern. This will allow children to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for poetry.
Evaluation of Literary Elements (3-4 sentences in your own words): This book is clearly all about poetry. The interesting and different part of this specific poetry book is that it contains many different lessons and messages that add to the collection the poems consist of. The pictures and illustrations that are shown vary from page to page allowing the reader to focus both on the words as well as use the illustrations to better understand what the poem is explaining.
Consideration of Instructional Application: Considering this book is all about poems I thought it would be a really great idea to write a class poem about a topic that everyone agrees on. Growing up my teachers never really focused on poetry as a lesson they would just always mention it. Today I feel it is important for children to understand that poetry is a different and unique way of writing and expressing feelings. It should be addressed to young children early on so they can use poetry more often in their future.
March 23, 2015
The 20th Century Children's Poetry selected by Jack Prelutsky contains 211 wonderful poems that relate to children of the century. With topics such as sibling rivalry, monsters, school, nature, and self reflection; the book identifies with the many moods and interests of children. The poems range from simple to complex and challenging, thought provoking concepts, but with language that is appropriate for children. This book would be great to accommodate the many interests of students in our classes maybe having a child select one each day to share out loud with the group. My Heart Sours was my favorite poem in the collection. I also appreciated the index that allows readers to preview the variety of topics and the index of authors that would allow students to make connections about a particular author they enjoyed. The illustrations are cute and whimsical and the bright colors make the book appealing to young children. They are able to see a wide range of styles of poetry and the organization of topics by pages and illustrations would help with making comparisons. I would begin my poetry unit by reading "A poem is a little path" in hopes of sparking their interest and love for poetry. I think this text would be appropriate for grades 3-5 because of the wide range of complexities and lessons that would accompany this poetry!
Read
October 7, 2015What a fun book of poetry! "The 20th Century Children's Poetry Treasury", drew my attention simply because of the illustrations. Each page has a new illustration that carries a new theme with it. For example, one page has a picture of people at the park. The titles of the poems on that page are some how associated with some detail from that illustration. The titles are simple like "The Snowflake", "Spring", or "Dinosaur", but they nearly cover ever object, place, and time a child would encounter. Also, each poem is written by a different poet.
The most interesting poem I read, was the poem titled "I Was Walking in a Circle", which was written in the shape of a circle. I actually had to spin the book to read the poem, and the entire poem was in phrases. The poem "Rolling Down a Hill", was written in a similar fashion, where each stanza looks like it was rolling down a hill.
If I were to put this poetry book in a classroom one day, I could see children being drawn to it, because it has many different themes, and is creative. The kids could flip to what ever interests them, and read those poems. They are also just fun and simply poems to read.
The most interesting poem I read, was the poem titled "I Was Walking in a Circle", which was written in the shape of a circle. I actually had to spin the book to read the poem, and the entire poem was in phrases. The poem "Rolling Down a Hill", was written in a similar fashion, where each stanza looks like it was rolling down a hill.
If I were to put this poetry book in a classroom one day, I could see children being drawn to it, because it has many different themes, and is creative. The kids could flip to what ever interests them, and read those poems. They are also just fun and simply poems to read.
February 11, 2017
Poems that span the twentieth century. Poems that celebrate life and beauty. Cuddly, happy, serious, silly poems, poems, poems; two hundred eleven in all. Color and water give lovely impressions, but don't cramp the feel of the words. What a delightful book this is.
With every reading the book gets better. I have struggled with enjoying poetry, but I keep feeling drawn to it. Perhaps if there had been someone in my life that loved poetry the journey may have been easier, but now I can say I love poetry, and this little volume had a lot to do with it. I have so enjoyed reading a few poems every night. Each one is like a little emotional treasure, a whole story in a few lines, a launching pad for my own feelings and thoughts.
Meilo So is a poet with a brush. Her illustrations are at turns beautiful and whimsical, touching and capricious. My favorite picture is on pages 36-37, I love the colors and the birds; other pages with favorite pictures are 86-87, a magic carpet ride; 66-67, I love fall colors; 18, the marsh; 44-45, a mountain vista.
With every reading the book gets better. I have struggled with enjoying poetry, but I keep feeling drawn to it. Perhaps if there had been someone in my life that loved poetry the journey may have been easier, but now I can say I love poetry, and this little volume had a lot to do with it. I have so enjoyed reading a few poems every night. Each one is like a little emotional treasure, a whole story in a few lines, a launching pad for my own feelings and thoughts.
Meilo So is a poet with a brush. Her illustrations are at turns beautiful and whimsical, touching and capricious. My favorite picture is on pages 36-37, I love the colors and the birds; other pages with favorite pictures are 86-87, a magic carpet ride; 66-67, I love fall colors; 18, the marsh; 44-45, a mountain vista.
October 12, 2015
The 20th Century Children’s Poetry Treasury is a book that not only captivates the reader, but also gives the reader an experience. The poems that are contained within this book are also not the sometimes-cliché, children’s poems that limit the child’s imagination. The poems within this book are extremely diverse and cover the entire spectrum of topics of poetry. Another added plus of this book lays within the illustrations. The pictures and drawings in this book cross the gutter on each page, and the images are extremely different on each page- leaving something for everyone to love. Along with the vast number of images on each page, the pictures are colored with vibrant combinations that go far beyond just the colors of the rainbow. The poems are also presented in such a way that they lay scattered and arranged in different spots on each page. I appreciated this book because of the complexity and time that was evidently put into each spread, because it allows for the readers to have a lasting experience with the book.
October 17, 2019
I originally picked this book up to read because of the illustrator, Meilo So, whom I adore. I thought I'd like a few poems but wasn't expecting anything different from the heaps of children's poetry anthologies out there. I am delighted to say I was wrong! First of all, while reading this I realized that because there are so many children's poetry anthologies, an amazing illustrator like Meilo So can make all the difference in the world. Secondly, there were a handful of poems included in this anthology I hadn't read before. My favorite poems were 'At the Library' by Nikki Grimes, 'The Secret Place' by Dennis Lee, 'Some People' by Rachel Field, and 'Dragonfly' by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, which I'll include.
"This sky-ballerina, this glimmering jewel, glides in a gown of lucid blue - with wings that you could whisper through."
"This sky-ballerina, this glimmering jewel, glides in a gown of lucid blue - with wings that you could whisper through."
December 9, 2009
K-6th grades
Another great poetry book from Jack Prelutsky. This collection has such an anthologic variety of poem topics, from the subject of wolfs to summertime stars to the month of June. The pages are filled with many poems from many different authors. The text on each page is relatively small, needing a teacher to be the reader for younger children, or it could be used as a read alone for the upper grades. Some illustrations run across the pages while others sit nicely at the bottom. I would recommend this book to any teacher wanting to introduce poetry in their classroom.
Language Arts/Art
For lower grades, new illustrations could be assigned to the poem Afternoon on a Hill by Edna St. Vincent Milay.
Another great poetry book from Jack Prelutsky. This collection has such an anthologic variety of poem topics, from the subject of wolfs to summertime stars to the month of June. The pages are filled with many poems from many different authors. The text on each page is relatively small, needing a teacher to be the reader for younger children, or it could be used as a read alone for the upper grades. Some illustrations run across the pages while others sit nicely at the bottom. I would recommend this book to any teacher wanting to introduce poetry in their classroom.
Language Arts/Art
For lower grades, new illustrations could be assigned to the poem Afternoon on a Hill by Edna St. Vincent Milay.
July 14, 2016
This collection of poems is great for students during any time of the year. The pages are grouped based on theme of the poem. There are winter themed poems, musical poems, nature poems, and more. All of the poems are written by well known authors. Students can flip through and read poems of their choice, without starting on page one. I think the students would like the colorful pictures on each page. They can help the students relate to the poem. I would show this book to students after teaching concrete poems. Pages 42-43 show many exciting examples of these poems. Many genders and diverse cultures are shown throughout the book, showing social justice. I would recommend this book for third grade or fourth grade students.
February 9, 2017
This is a really good book. I like how the seasons are incorporated in the poems. Very vivid
September 27, 2012
This book of poetry was a good book to sift through and read poems. All the poems in this book were written by children, and chosen by Jack Prelutsky. The illustrations in this book were by Meilo So, and were very incredible. Each page was well thought out and done beautifully. There were elements of children in the pictures and were well matched to the multiple poems on the page. The poems on each page were also somewhat related to one another, for example on page 2/3 the titles are "Magic Landscape," "Spells", "Magic", and "Genious". This was a good poetry book overall, with beautiful images and interesting poems which all related to one another.
July 16, 2016
There are a variety of poems in this book. Some are humorous, others are more serious. The poems are written by a variety of authors, some well known. The colorful illustrations add to the understanding and enjoyment of the poems. I also appreciated reading the many types of poems included in the book.
I think this would be a great book to help children learn about poetry. A few poems could be read each day and the students might discuss them as well a possibly write their own poems in a similar style.
I think this would be a great book to help children learn about poetry. A few poems could be read each day and the students might discuss them as well a possibly write their own poems in a similar style.
February 28, 2015
This book is filled with lots of different kinds of poems for children. I like that the variety allows you to use this book with lots of different ages. Some of the poems are short and rhyming which the younger kids will enjoy, while others are longer and don't rhyme, which is good so that students don't mistakenly think all poetry needs to rhyme. My favorite poem in the book is "Be Glad Your Nose Is on Your Face." Overall great poetry resource for the classroom.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews