A Recommendation

I bought Caroline Kennedy’s A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children (paintings by Jon J Muth) intending to give it to my youngest sister for Christmas so she could enjoy it with her three children. I loved reading poetry to LP when he was younger. But I’m keeping this book for myself. I’ll buy her a second copy.

At the beginning of each section Caroline writes a snippet about growing up and how important poetry was to her mother. In fact she says that she and her brother were encouraged for every one of her mother and grandparents’ birthdays and holidays, instead of giving a gift-gift they had to copy a poem and illustrate it to present to the person. Her mother would keep all their creations in a family binder. She writes that both she and her brother complained about it, but that she continues the tradition with her own children, and they have continued the tradition of complaining! Haha.

Her brother John’s favorite childhood poem can be found in a section entitled “That’s So Silly.” She said that she always knew he was thinking about her!

Careless Willie
(anonymous)
Willie with a thirst for gore
Nailed his sister to the door
Mother said with humor quaint
“Careful, Willie, don’t scratch the paint!”


My favorite poem Yeat’s Lake Isle of Innisfree is in here, as is Clement Moore’s The Night Before Christmas, also some Robert Frost, Gwendolyn Brooks, ee cummings, Nikki Giovanni, A.A. Milne, Lewis Carroll and Christina Rossetti and others.


Caroline also includes of few of her mother’s poems—which are actually quite good. Muth's paintings are just beautiful. So if you need a gift for a young family (or yourself) I’ll recommend this one.