BiblioFiles #62: What is the Importance of Children's Poetry?

From nursery rhymes to A.A. Milne to Shel Silverstein, many of us have warm memories of the lyric verses we were taught in our childhood. But if you go back and look at those words, you are unlikely to find much of weight or “thematic importance.” And yet these works remain beloved. What is the importance of children’s poetry? Why should we read it to our children – or for ourselves? In this episode the CenterForLit crew sits down to answer these questions and to revel in our own memories of children’s poetry.

Referenced Works:

– Sponsor: Libromania Podcast (Close Reads Podcast Network)

– “Disobedience” and “Happiness” by A.A. Milne

– “At the Sea-side”  by Robert Louis Stevenson

– Where the Sidewalk Ends, “Tree House,” “Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout,” and “Overdues” by Shel Silverstein, T

– “I’m Nobody! Who are you (260)” by Emily Dickinson

– The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

– Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt

– “The Swing” by Robert Louis Stevenson

– “Birches” by Robert Frost

– A Poke in the I and A Kick in the Head by Paul Janeczko

We love hearing your questions and comments! You can contact us by emailing adam@centerforlit.com, or you can visit our website www.centerforlit.com to find even more ways to participate in the conversation.