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estherfilbrun's review against another edition
4.0
Mom read this book to me when I was in my early years of school, and honestly, I wasn’t super impressed back then. I have always enjoyed poetry; the rhythm and rhyme and beautiful perspectives on the world around me have always been favorites of mine. This book, while having excellent poetry, didn’t favor rhythm OR rhyme, so it didn’t appeal to me as a youngster.
Recently, though, I’ve gotten into the habit of reading poetry to my sisters as our bedtime wind-down routine, and after going through quite a few of the poetry books on our shelves, I decided to try this one again—and I was surprised! Freeverse poetry is a work of art in its own right, and over the years since I was a youngster, I’ve learned to appreciate it for what it is—and I ended up loving this collection after all.
These poems are small—just 2-3 verses generally—and all are about very ordinary things, but viewed from a perspective of love and gratitude. Comparison and contrast reign in some poems; others are gentle reflections of sunbeams upon a floor or the hush of wind through the tops of daisies. Some brought laughter (the poem about a dog with fleas, from the fleas’ perspective, was especially memorable!), some brought a contented sigh. All were picturesque—beautiful, a moment of peace at the end of a busy day.
I ended up thoroughly enjoying being able to read this book, and I think my sisters enjoyed it, too. While it may not have the same kind of appeal as A Child’s Garden of Verses or When We Were Very Young, this collection of poetry deserves its place on the shelf as well. I’m sure this won’t be the last time I pick up this book, now that I’ve discovered what a treasure it is!
Recently, though, I’ve gotten into the habit of reading poetry to my sisters as our bedtime wind-down routine, and after going through quite a few of the poetry books on our shelves, I decided to try this one again—and I was surprised! Freeverse poetry is a work of art in its own right, and over the years since I was a youngster, I’ve learned to appreciate it for what it is—and I ended up loving this collection after all.
These poems are small—just 2-3 verses generally—and all are about very ordinary things, but viewed from a perspective of love and gratitude. Comparison and contrast reign in some poems; others are gentle reflections of sunbeams upon a floor or the hush of wind through the tops of daisies. Some brought laughter (the poem about a dog with fleas, from the fleas’ perspective, was especially memorable!), some brought a contented sigh. All were picturesque—beautiful, a moment of peace at the end of a busy day.
I ended up thoroughly enjoying being able to read this book, and I think my sisters enjoyed it, too. While it may not have the same kind of appeal as A Child’s Garden of Verses or When We Were Very Young, this collection of poetry deserves its place on the shelf as well. I’m sure this won’t be the last time I pick up this book, now that I’ve discovered what a treasure it is!
sdelcharco's review against another edition
4.0
Sweet little poems about everyday ordinary things. Sonlight Level F. Reread.
blogginboutbooks's review against another edition
4.0
In general, I find poetry too abstract and confusing to be enjoyable. I avoid it, but since I needed to read a collection of poems for two reading challenges I'm doing, I decided that a book of verse written for children would be about my speed. I was right! This collection is perfect for those who find poetry unapproachable. Although Valerie Worth's work isn't as entertaining as Dr. Seuss' or Shel Silverstein's, I still think children will enjoy them.
The beauty of this collection is that it features short, simple poems that are easy to understand and enjoy. They feature natural wonders—not only flora and fauna, but also animals, insects, weather, and even an amoeba—and everyday objects, like a front door, a pail, and a safety pin. They're sweet poems that often made me smile. Worth includes some fun wordplay as well as deeper meanings here and there. Mostly, though, the verses are brief and to-the-point, yet also whimsical and fun. It took me about 20 minutes to read this book and, shockingly, I quite enjoyed the read!
In case you're wondering, my favorite poems in this collection are the literary-themed "book," and "library" but I also particularly liked "skeletons" and "mantis."
The beauty of this collection is that it features short, simple poems that are easy to understand and enjoy. They feature natural wonders—not only flora and fauna, but also animals, insects, weather, and even an amoeba—and everyday objects, like a front door, a pail, and a safety pin. They're sweet poems that often made me smile. Worth includes some fun wordplay as well as deeper meanings here and there. Mostly, though, the verses are brief and to-the-point, yet also whimsical and fun. It took me about 20 minutes to read this book and, shockingly, I quite enjoyed the read!
In case you're wondering, my favorite poems in this collection are the literary-themed "book," and "library" but I also particularly liked "skeletons" and "mantis."
crystal_reading's review against another edition
4.0
Very simple, but pleasing poetry about everyday things.
autumnrose_noseinabook's review against another edition
4.0
This was not the exact book I read but I chose it to represent the book I didn't read which wasn't on Goodreads, and that was 'all the small poems' by Valerie Worth, which contains her 4 short poetry books (small poems, more small poems, still more small poems, small poems again).
I read this in no time at all before bed because it is very short. The poems themselves are pretty short, but even so I found some amazing treasures in this small collection. I thoroughly enjoyed it. These are poems about the simple things, and it's poetry everyone can relate to and understand.
Soap Bubble
The soap bubble's
Great soft sphere
Bends out of shape
On the air,
Leans, round again,
Rises, shivering, heavy,
A planet revolving
Hollow and clear,
Mapped with
Rainbows, streaming,
Curled: seeming
A world too splendid
To snap, dribble
And disappear.
Dandelion
Out of
Green space,
A sun:
Bright for
A day, burning
Away to
A husk, a
Cratered moon:
Burst
In a week
To dust:
Seeding
The infinite
Lawn with
It's starry
Smithereens.
I read this in no time at all before bed because it is very short. The poems themselves are pretty short, but even so I found some amazing treasures in this small collection. I thoroughly enjoyed it. These are poems about the simple things, and it's poetry everyone can relate to and understand.
Soap Bubble
The soap bubble's
Great soft sphere
Bends out of shape
On the air,
Leans, round again,
Rises, shivering, heavy,
A planet revolving
Hollow and clear,
Mapped with
Rainbows, streaming,
Curled: seeming
A world too splendid
To snap, dribble
And disappear.
Dandelion
Out of
Green space,
A sun:
Bright for
A day, burning
Away to
A husk, a
Cratered moon:
Burst
In a week
To dust:
Seeding
The infinite
Lawn with
It's starry
Smithereens.
iceangel9's review against another edition
4.0
A charming book of short poems for children and young adults. The illustrations are beautiful. A great introduction to poetry.
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