Friday, January 15, 2010

Updike and Lewis, poetry books for children


photo by Benh Lieu Song

A couple of books of children's poetry to share today. They aren't new, but they were new to me. J. Patrick Lewis' book has poems to go with famous monuments, such as the Great Wall of China and the Statue of Liberty. I liked how his poems "echoed" the buildings in some way.

From Monumental Verses
by J. Patrick Lewis

Arc de Triomphe
Built 1806-1836

Triumphal Roman arcs
Were magic doors
For ancient soldiers who,
Surviving wars,
Resumed their lives
As ordinary men
By merely passing through
Them once again...

~~~~~~~~

John Updike's A Child's Calendar (with illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman)
has poems for every month. I love his descriptions of nature in particular.

from January
by John Updike

The days are short,
  The sun a spark
Hung thin between
  The dark and dark.

...

The river is
  A frozen place
Held still beneath
  The trees' black lace.

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