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A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children (Hardcover) (精装)
by Caroline Kennedy
| Category:
Poetry, Ages 4-8, Children's book |
| Market price: ¥ 218.00
MSL price:
¥ 208.00
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| Stock:
In Stock |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
A treasury of beloved poems written in a variety of styles by poets from many lands and generations. |
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AllReviews |
1 Total 1 pages 5 items |
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Bart King (MSL quote), Portland, Oregon
<2006-12-28 00:00>
Because I have a jaundiced view of celebrity books, I'll admit that I was skeptical about an anthology compiled by Caroline Kennedy. But the fact is that Ms. Kennedy has done an admirable job with this young person's poetry collection. The poets are sometimes unexpected (Sylvia Plath has a charming bedtime poem here that I had never read) and the poems are not necessarily the obvious ones that one would expect to find in a book like this.
There are nonsense rhymes, but they seem to be the best ones; no doggerel here. And as you can see from this review's title, I was especially happy to see one particular poem represented.
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Betty Dravis (MSL quote), San Jose, CA
<2006-12-28 00:00>
Heartfelt thanks to Caroline Kennedy for taking time from her busy schedule to put together this magnificent book. The poetry is mesmerizing, the illustrations delightful.
As a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, I assure you this book will be well-read, yet receive the tender, loving care it deserves.
I plan to buy a few more so that each family can have one to pass down through the generations.
God bless the Kennedys.
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Sarah Stumpf (MSL quote), Madison, WI USA
<2006-12-28 00:00>
Caroline Kennedy kicks off this anthology by saying that there is "a world of word and feelings that poetry can help us understand" and her comprehensive and creative poem choice sets out to prove this. She collects some really interesting choices, from the "classics" like Robert Frost, Emily Dickenson, the Bible, and ee cummings to many excellent contemporary poems and poets. The book is clearly divided into seven sections: About Me, That's So Silly! Animals, The Seasons, The Seashore, Adventure, and Bedtime that keep the anthology neatly organized. Each section is punctuated by events, stories, and recollections from Kennedy's own life, but they are kept to a minimum so it never feels like a "celebrity book". At the end is a useful index of the first lines of every poem and the non-English poems in their original form.
However this really is not Kennedy's book. It truly belongs to illustrator Jon J Muth, who raises the bar on this anthology beyond a simple collection and into a spectacular emotional experience. His watercolor illustrations are gorgeous in their simplicity, often showing the original pencil sketches through the paint, but with an impressive level of detail, such as the individual buckles on a suitcase the size of a thumb. His illustrations are not always sensual or realistic, often going with the emotional flow of the selected poems and incorporating whimsical abstractions, like a man with a crown made of ice cream cones on his head. Often the text and the paintings work together in brilliant symbiosis, such as in his dark sunset for "These Are the Days When Birds Come Back" or the simple and smudgy peacock feather. His work is also admirable for including so many people of color as a matter of course, and not just for poems by minority authors.
The New York Times calls his work "quietly life changing" and experiencing his complex butterfly wings or glowing Christmas tree or sparklingly translucent jellyfish moves the audience as much as the poems themselves.
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Misty Swendryck (MSL quote), Ohio
<2006-12-28 00:00>
After reading the first installment (Best loved poems of JKO), I shared many of my favorites with my niece who's barely 10 yrs old. She fell in love with "Annabel Lee" by the great EAP. I was so intrigued by her interest. I then ordered a copy of "A Family of Poems", 2 copies for her and I. The illustrations are magical as well as the words the depict them.
I have found such pleasure in sharing them with my family; I never knew that they would respond with such enthusiasm. I truly believe that these are the things which can bring a family closer. I am so jealous of the fact that my family didn't grow up in this fashion. I will make it a priority to teach my children these works, and let them explore all of the great wonders that are brought to life by them. I want my family to appreciate what words truly mean.
As spoken by Mrs. Kennedy giving a poem is like giving a gift, always read only the greats, and know that poetry can take you so many wonderful places. This is not verbatim, but it is the sentiment that I have taken and shared with all.
I now cannot go to sleep without going through the adventures of these great works.
Thank you Caroline for all the attention you put into collecting such great master pieces.
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Kelly J. Baker (MSL quote), Portland, ME
<2006-12-28 00:00>
Caroline Kennedy has breathed new life into the classic poetry we have been reading our whole lives. Some of the poems will be familiar to you because you read them and loved them in grammar and high school. Other poems you may have seen excerpts of in movies, greeting cards, and children's songs. I also appreciate how the paintings compliment the pieces, while adding a new perspective and offering a greater capacity for imagination. I do love poetry and I found this book by simply looking through all the new poetry on the market. Another book I read that has poetry and short stories, that is similar to this one because old and young alike will find something for them, is Calling in the Night by Michele Geraldi. It has a good variety of children's poems, short stories, spiritual poems, and patriotic poems and stories, so I think readers who enjoy A Family of Poems might find interest in that book as well. Keep in mind that Calling in the Night is original work, though, where as A Family of Poems is mostly classics, so there is that difference there. Caroline Kennedy really has fabulous taste, and the Kennedy family in general can always be counted on to be classy and eloquent. This is a book that can fit right in with any child's or adult's poetry collection. |
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1 Total 1 pages 5 items |
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