My First Oxford Book of Poems

A companion volume to the newly-published My First Oxford Book of Stories, this new anthology is designed to introduce children ages 4 to 7 to the captivating beauty of fine poetry. John Foster--a popular editor of poetry anthologies for children--has collected both traditional and modern poems here, allowing children to share old favorites and discover new ones. The 88 verses are grouped thematically under six headings: Creatures (animal poems), Weather and Seasons, Fantastical and Nonsensical, Beside the Sea (beach/sea poems) From Dusk till Dawn (bedtime poems), and Out and About (nature poems). Let your children get their first taste of the classics, like Byron's "The Wild, the Free," Eleanor Farjeon's "Bedtime," Robert Louis Stevenson's "Where Go the Boats?" and D.H. Lawrence's "Little Fish." Reread the poems of your own childhood, from John Updike's "January" to Edward Lear's "The Owl and the Pussy Cat." And find plenty of new favorites, such as Adrian Mitchell's "Mesopotamia," Charles Causley's "High in the Heaven," Ted Hughes's "Roger the Dog," and Spike Milligan's "Silly Old Baboon." Expect to see the dogeared covers of this wonderful collection on your bookshelf through children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.