Poems to Learn by Heart

Children deserve to live in gentleness and grace as much as they deserve to learn the tools for a productive life. This treasury nurtures the capability and intelligence of children and their potential to grow up beautifully.

This is the first collection of poetry I have ever purchased. I am enjoying the variety of poems. Some lend themselves to sharing more with young children, while others are better for older children. In all, there is something for everyone.

This book offers children real literature with rich language and important ideas.
Muth's illustrations enrich the reading experience and set a reflective mood.
The poems can be enjoyed throughout life but are not too difficult for children to appreciate.

I love the choice of poems, the selection is wide and inclusive.
the artwork complements the written word. I bought is as a gift
and am very pleased with the book and the promptness with
which it was delivered.

The book is wonderful for the whole family and one that we will be pulling from our shelves for many years to come. However, it's not entirely geared towards kids so if you're looking for an introductory book of poetry for young children I wouldn't say that this is it.

This is a fantastic collection - for anyone young or old. I read one each day - and have memorized a few. It's my new favorite gift for teachers, families, and friends who haven't picked up a poem in too long. I've bought several copies already as gifts and everyone finds something they love in it.

Extremely well presented -- wish there had been more poetry that would have entertained my grand-daughter - who is a very smart 8 year old - a lot of the poems are somewhat hard and not ones that one would learn by heart easily. Needed more AA Milne that are fun to remember -- I'm 71 and can still recite many poems from my childhood (in England)! But a very nice book that I hope she will cherish more as she grows up!
Susan Zuniga

I purchased this book because I loved her previous poetry book for children based on poems her mother read to her and her brother. It is inspiring and challenging. If I can indeed learn some of these poems by heart I will be very happy.

After hearing Caroline Kennedy promote this book on the radio, I was just a little disappointed after reading it. Some poems were great and ones you would want to learn by heart; others were very uninspiring to me.

I remember the little girl in her father's office at the White House, but she has become a woman to admire. This, in spite of the tragedy she has had to endure in her family. She gives us what we need to remember--the wonderful writings of talented people to sustain us and bring happiness to our lives. It is comforting to know that these beautiful poems still teach us values and challenge us to use our brains to remember them.

The illustrations are beautiful… watercolors clean and help to tell the poem's story. I found the selection of poems though had too many "social Issues" … even political under tones, for my taste. I did not give this book, to my grand daughter as I was planning on… too bad, because I was looking for a well illustrated poem book that she (preschool age) could look at and be helped to memorize the poems. There were indeed a few poems that had a cheerful and light hearted subject… but the political and social issue poems for me, put a damper on this book… We are inundated with "social issues" … young children just need to be children with stories and poetry that spark joy and laughter in their hearts… everything else will surely be there for them to learn as they grow up.

I wanted the book to enjoy with my granddaughter. I found that many of the poems were difficult for me to understand--and I am a college educated person! Whoops! I was disappointed that the book was not more child friendly.

I was expecting too much, I guess.

Wonderful illustrations. Not enough of , what my generation
would call, the classics, which I was hoping to pass on to the youngest
family members.
Memorizing long unfamiliar and not quite memorable poems is a chore.
This is a sincere and praiseworthy attempt. Falls short for us;
however, this collection will have historical value in
about 25 years.

Poems to Learn by Heart is a wonderful collection of poetry for children and adults of every age. Buy this book or borrow it from the library - just don't miss reading it and sharing it with those you love. Enjoy!

I was enjoying reading to my daughter until the book transitioned into social justice warrior mode. A lot of echo in this book. "Voices Rising" by the DreamYard Prep Slam Team was when it jumped the shark for me. Here's an excerpt - and remember this is supposed to be a poem to learn by heart and it's directed at children:

"How many times can the red blood of black and brown men
be spilled on gray cement and be called an accident?"

If that is what you want your kids to recite around your house then this book is good for you. Or you can do what I did and just rip out all the SJW and echo, but there wasn't much left after that. In the end, I wish I wouldn't have given the author and publisher my money. Fool me one...

The book is wonderful - filled with old and new poems and plenty of memories to read alone or with a small someone curled up beside you. The illustrations by Jon Muth are absolutely fantastic - I'm so happy to have both in my home.

Caroline`s mother would be so happy that her love of literature and poetry had such an influence on her daughter.
It will be a classic. The poems are well selected and the art work meaningful and so well done.
I will contribute by gifting it around to special people.

I am disappointed in this book. The title indicates poems families would enjoy and would want to learn by heart. The cover art indicates that as well. Instead, there are pieces, not poetry, one would certainly not want to memorize or share with small children, like those on the cover.

Most American schools stopped teaching poetry decades ago and don't spend enough time with English literature either. Our world is immensely poorer because of it. This work is a treasure in our chaotic, fractured, noisy world, so overburdened with iPhones and electronics, all screaming for our attention.

There's something here for all ages. And some little poems, only a few lines long, will be fun to recite from memory at the dinner table or in line in a store. The only change I would make is to add more poems of melancholy that examine pain and loss.

I hope parents will SLOW down, sit by their children's beds, and read aloud all of these poems together. Twenty some years ago, when my son was in the second grade, he was in love with Kipling's "The Jungle Book." When talent day rolled around, he memorized and couldn't wait to recite his favorite passage. And so he did. And though he grew up to far greater accomplishments throughout the years, I look back with pride at that small red-headed boy on that immense stage.. brave and fierce... reciting those two wordy pages from Kipling... and I glow with happiness. It's noteworthy that today he can barely remember it at all... but what he DOES remember are the happy times of reading poetry and prose... together and out loud... and how it left him with a profound love of language.

The author did the work of selection for us already in the admirable little volume. One just has to savor the words and embrace the slow, rich pleasure of simple poetry. Perhaps you will even gift your children with a longer attention span, but if not, you will give them priceless, living memories that will linger forever. This is a book you will want to keep and pass on to the next generation.