Staff Favorites: Poetry/Nursery Rhymes/Literary Collections

Mary Engelbreits' Mother Goose

This isn't my personal favorite Mother Goose collection, but I am fond of it.



Where the Sidewalk Ends

It's been 35 years since Where the Sidewalk Ends was published, but it still remains hugely popular (and perpetually checked out during National Poetry Month in April). This was a major favorite in my childhood.



Once I Ate a Pie

Once I Ate a Pie, Good Dog and Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich are three poetry books that instantly come to my mind when I'm confronted with a poetry project. The design of the books are immediately appealing and the poems are hysterical. Patricia MacLachlan is one of my favorites (as you can tell, I have many favorites). The staffer who named Once I Ate a Pie says that it "reminded me of the time my dog did eat a whole pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving." When Kirkus Reviews reviewed the book, they noted that "the poems are written in first person with an innocent viewpoint appropriate to a dog's egocentric perspective on the world...Schneider's expressive paintings add to each dog's character, skillfully capturing distinctive breed characteristics..."




Here's a Little Poem

Poetry collections for very young children that are not of the Mother Goose variety are rather rare. That's why it's such a delight to have Here's a Little Poem. In its starred review, School Library Journal praised the "witty, intelligent, and well-crafted" verses.




Tales From Shakespeare

This is probably the oldest book named among the staff favorites. Charles and Mary Lamb's retelling of Shakespeare's plays has been a definite classic for years.