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xterminal's review
4.0
Paul A. Janeczko (ed.), A Foot in the Mouth: Poems to Speak, Sing, and Shout (Candlewick, 2009)
Clever collection of poetry for kids that demands to be read aloud, from Lewis Caroll to Walt Whitman and covering a great deal of ground in between. Publishers' Weekly noted that “all the pieces have an edge”, and I've read a review or two that cautions that some of these pieces are not suitable for younger audiences. I disagree with that assessment in the same way I disagree with any sheltering of kids, but in the end, it's all opinion and it's up to the individual parent to decide whether any piece of writing is appropriate for his or her child (and when that piece would become appropriate were one to judge in the negative). If these are things you think about, I'd suggest grabbing a copy from your local library and reading it through yourself. Probably not a bad idea anyway; too many adults read too little poetry, and whatever the age range this book targets, these poems are just as fun for adults as they are for kids (and I don't think anyone would ever refer to Whitman or Shakespeare as a guy who wrote exclusively for the kiddies anyway). Worth a look one way or the other. *** ½
Clever collection of poetry for kids that demands to be read aloud, from Lewis Caroll to Walt Whitman and covering a great deal of ground in between. Publishers' Weekly noted that “all the pieces have an edge”, and I've read a review or two that cautions that some of these pieces are not suitable for younger audiences. I disagree with that assessment in the same way I disagree with any sheltering of kids, but in the end, it's all opinion and it's up to the individual parent to decide whether any piece of writing is appropriate for his or her child (and when that piece would become appropriate were one to judge in the negative). If these are things you think about, I'd suggest grabbing a copy from your local library and reading it through yourself. Probably not a bad idea anyway; too many adults read too little poetry, and whatever the age range this book targets, these poems are just as fun for adults as they are for kids (and I don't think anyone would ever refer to Whitman or Shakespeare as a guy who wrote exclusively for the kiddies anyway). Worth a look one way or the other. *** ½
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