Favorite Poetry Books for Kids

Hannah Scott:  Well-known for his zany characters and poem stories, Shel Silverstein's poetry books for kids are classics. These are perfect to read aloud, as they tend to feature a surprise or twist at the end and are great for a laugh. Silverstein doesn't stick to just one form of poetry either, so there's a wide variety of styles included.

Hannah Scott:  We all know about President Taft's unfortunate bathtub incident, but how much do you know about Warren G. Harding? Millard Fillmore? Chester Arthur? These poems for kids share bits of trivia about each of the presidents through Barack Obama, along with a short paragraph about each. I found this fascinating as an adult, too!

Hannah Scott:  This collection by Douglas Florian is everything I love about the creative expression of poetry! For starters, the book is meant to be turned and read vertically rather than horizontally. Each poem is about a different type of tree, and makes use of the way the poem looks as well as sounds: some poems are written in a spiral, some in a figure eight, some feature larger fonts or spacing to emphasize certain words, etc. This book is delightfully different!

Hannah Scott:  Each of the poems in this collection by J. Patrick Lewis describes the duties of different jobs, which range from common (librarian, poet, mechanic, pet groomer) to incredibly silly (banana picker, underwear salesman, baby chick inspector, cuckoo-clock repairman). Kids will love hearing about all the absurd antics each character is up to, and this book can also serve as a conversation-starter about real job options.

Hannah Scott:  Each book in the Poetry for Kids series features a collection of poems by a notable poet: Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Carl Sandburg, William Shakespeare, and Walt Whitman. I've only had the chance to read the Robert Frost edition, but I was blown away by the exquisite paintings that so perfectly accompanied the poetry I already knew and loved. I also appreciated that certain words that may be unfamiliar to kids were defined at the bottom of the page. Such a thoughtful collection -- I'll definitely be checking out the other volumes soon!

Hannah Scott:  Fans of the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder will love her collection of fairy poems, originally published in the San Francisco Bulletin newspaper before she began her career as a children's book author. I never knew that she was a poet, so I was delighted to stumble across this charming collection at our local library. Each poem describes a different type of fairy and the jobs they do -- painting flowers and fruit as it ripens, washing the grass with dew, etc. Even without the notoriety of the author, these poems are lovely on their own!

Hannah Scott:  Koo the panda takes centerstage in this book of haikus by Jon Muth. Each page is a vignette that travels through the year and celebrates everything that is wonderful about each season. The author's twin children are shown playing with Koo in many of the illustrations, too, which is a lovely touch.

Hannah Scott:  Each book in the Poetry for Young People Series features collected works by notable poets including Lewis Carroll, Robert Browning, Rudyard Kipling, Edgar Allan Poe, William Wordsworth, and more. This volume of poems by Langston Hughes is a fantastic representation of his style and celebration of African-American culture. Each poem includes a few lines by an editor explaining the history of the work for the kids reading, which is a fantastic resource.

Hannah Scott:  Shout! by Brod Bagert is a great place to start if you want to get your kiddos interested in poetry. Each poem in this collection is about a topic very familiar to a child: school, playtime, snacks, bedtime, weather, friendship, and more. The illustrations are also bright, colorful, and full of life.

Hannah Scott:  Any vehicle lovers in your family? They'll get a big kick out of this poetry book for kids by J. Patrick Lewis and Douglas Florian. Each "crazy car poem" describes an imaginary vehicle of the future -- everything from the High Heel Car to the Grass Taxi to the Slopp-Floppy-Nonstop-Jalopy and more! Tim Burton-esque illustrations complete the effect.

Hannah Scott:  I've long been a big Julie Andrews fan, so when I discovered her book of poems, songs, and lullabies, I knew it belonged on my shelf! Some of the poems were written by Julie herself, but she selected the rest with her daughter. The book comes with a CD of them reading 21 of the poems aloud, which is a real treasure!

Hannah Scott:  Called a book of "poems for when a person needs a poem, " Judith Viorst's collection covers everything from feelings, school, family, and traveling to friendship, seasons, mysteries, and more. This well-rounded book reads like a poetry sampler with something for every interest and mood.

Hannah Scott:  Jane Yolen was afraid of the nighttime as a child living in the city until they moved to the country and she could see the moon from her bedroom. This poetry book for kids is all about the things she wondered and imagined while staring up at that moon. Ethereal painted illustrations make this a great bedtime book!

Hannah Scott:  I absolutely LOVE this collection of poems selected by Belinda Hollyer because it's all about the many different types of families (and the complex dynamics of each one). These poems discuss moms, dads, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles, and even more complicated relationships than that! Blended families and adoption are also addressed, and the poems are a great balance of funny, nostalgic, thoughtful, sad, and serious.

Hannah Scott:  Haikus are often one of the first types of poetry introduced to kids, since they are just three lines each and a total of 17 syllables. These haikus, selected by George Shannon, are arranged in an order that tells the story of a spring day. With brightly painted illustrations, this is a fun read to celebrate the spring season!