Poems for the Young - Hardcover

Grade 1 Up-- The author and illustrator of A New Treasury of Poetry (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1990) dish up a delicious buffet of poetry, from Thomas Dekker's ``Cradle Song'' to the work of Nikki Giovanni and several younger writers, interspersed with plenty of verses from both Anonymous and Traditional. Intending to take readers out of the nursery and into the wider poetic world, Philip blends the extremely familiar (``The world is so full of a number of things,'' and, yes, ``The fog comes/ on little cat feet,'', with less commonly found classics and some challenging pieces: Lear's ``Jumblies,'' Ezra Pound's ``A girl,'' and Ted Hughes's ``Amulet.'' Most, not all, of the selections are short, complete, and traditional in form; Philip links them thematically and makes fascinating juxtapositions. (On the same page, Robert Herrick and William Carlos Williams describe equally delicate steps, for instance, though one is speaking of a woman, the other of a cat.) Lawrence's illustrations are done in a flicking, crosshatched pen technique and have a lively look, with daubed colors and diminuitive, expressively drawn figures. Children will be back for multiple helpings of this inviting, varied banquet.
- John Peters, New York Public Library
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