The 20th Century Children's Poetry Treasury

Prelutsky, J., & So, M. (1999). The 20th century children's poetry treasury. New York:

Alfred A. Knopf.

As a kindergarten teacher, I am ashamed that I didn’t know about this book. The poems included are absolutely delightful! I must admit, though, I do not use much poetry in my classroom. I do introduce a variety of nursery rhymes—from “Hey Diddle, Diddle” to “Itsy, Bitsy Spider” to “Three Blind Mice”. Beyond this, though, I do not read many other poems to my students. After years of having to memorize poems and analyze them in my high school courses, I grew to dislike poetry. The assignments I had took all the fun right out of it! I was glad to read about this in our textbook; now I know this is not best practice. I just hope my former teachers have learned this, so they aren’t creating a dislike of poetry in their current students. At the same time, I have a role to play in developing children’s interest and love of poetry. It is never too early to start!

After reading this book, I used it in my classroom almost immediately! My kids were captivated by the poems. I have been reading about two or three each day. With the exception of their laughter, poetry time is typically the quietest part of our day. They are completely tuned into every word I’m saying. After all, they can relate to many of these poems, because they draw on their experiences and prior knowledge (seasons, colors, school, homework, siblings, and more).

This book is considered an anthology of poetry, because it is filled with poems by a variety of authors. Additionally, the poems touch on a variety of topics and appeal to children of all ages. As with much of poetry, the poems in this book often have a rhythm or beat. The poem “June,” for instance, has short lines and an upbeat rhythm. This supports the happiness the author is feeling during this time of year. “The Secret Place,” on the other hand, has longer lines and a slower rhythm. This supports the tranquility the author feels in his special spot. In addition, many of the poems use sense imagery—with the author appealing to one or more of the senses. In the poem “Rain Sizes,” the author highlights the sense of touch when he writes, “It tickles your face with surprises, and tingles as if you’d been kissed.” I also saw examples of concrete poetry in this anthology—with some of the poems printed in a certain shape to support the meaning. The poem “Rolling Down a Hill,” for instance, is printed with the words rolling downward. The page has to be turned at different angles in order to read it.

I used the handout titled: “Tips for Reading a Poem” to guide me as I read one of the poems from the book. I chose the poem “Moving,” because I am actually in the process of moving myself. I am moving out of my parents’ house into a home my husband and I just purchased. Although I am very excited about starting a life with my husband, I am also very nervous and a bit sad to be leaving my loving, amazing parents. I have several other experiences with moving in my life. This makes up my background knowledge or schema. As I read the poem, I actually visualized myself—saying goodbye to my bedroom and my neighbors and my parents. It literally brought tears to my eyes, but I am just in an emotional state right now!

I love that these poems are so incredibly relatable—even to an adult like me. I recommend this book to any and everyone who is unsure of how to introduce poetry into his/her classroom! It has changed the way I view poetry, and I think that it will have a positive impact on students.