Classic Poems

I am thrilled with the arrival of my new hardcover book Classic Poems!
My all time favorite is The Owl and The Pussycat.
Introduced by Carol Ann Duffy, these 74 poems create an exquisite collection that traces our journey through life from birth to old age. Along the way, the works of some of the finest poets in the English language celebrate all kinds of human experience: the wide-eyed wonder and adventure of childhood, the magnificence of the natural world and the animal kingdom, the mystery of love and the tragedy of war.
Each page is superbly illustrated by Jackie Morris, making it a feast for the eyes as well as the ears.
According to the journalist Katharine Viner,
"Her poems are accessible and entertaining, yet her form is classical, her technique razor-sharp. She is read by people who don't really read poetry, yet she maintains the respect of her peers. Reviewers praise her touching, sensitive, witty evocations of love, loss, dislocation, nostalgia; fans talk of greeting her at readings 'with claps and cheers that would not sound out of place at a pop concert'".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Ann_Duffy
I read the book out loud to my husband. He loved it! Especially, The Owl and the Pussycat!
"And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon." Edward Lear

Read Alone: Ages 8-Adult
Read Together: Ages 6-10
Click Here, Classic Poems
Carol Ann Duffy
Carol Ann Duffy is an acclaimed poet and playwright who has also written many picture books. She has also written the introduction to The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems.

http://www.barefoot-books.com/us/site/pages/authors.php?aid=278

Within the fire consumes my heart
And in my heart there beats a bird
And in the bird there wakes an eye
— Classic Poems
Compiled and Illustrated by: Jackie Morris
Jackie has written and illustrated many books and has won international acclaim for the quality of her work. Among her best-loved picture books are The Greatest Gift, written by Susan Summers (Barefoot Books, 1997) and Can You See a Little Bear?, written by James Mayhew (2006).

http://www.barefoot-books.com/us/site/pages/artists.php?aid=123
For more about Jackie Morris, please visit her lovely site

http://www.jackiemorris.co.uk
Be sure and stop by her blog, lovely countryside and beautiful cats!

http://www.wethreecats.blogspot.com
Children's Literature Awards:
Recent praise:
National Parenting Press Gold Award Winner
2006 ForeWord Magazine Silver Medal Winner
"Children will meet some of the best-known poetry in English in Jackie Morris's 'The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems.' The bright watercolors and intriguing hints of story that Morris splashes across the pages make this an attractive venue for first encounters with the soon-to-be-familiar ... the more than 70 poems have enough range and allure to entice the young and the adults who read to them. Luminaries like Yeats and Poe keep amiable company with Ogden Nash ('The Tale of Custard the Dragon') and Alfred Noyes ('The Highwayman')"—The New York Times Sunday Book Review
"An appealing assortment of 74 classic poems that touch on childhood, animals and the natural world, love, war, and the stages of life. Overall, this is a sumptuously packaged collection, with many large, double-paged illustrations. Morris's watercolors on hot-pressed paper are romantic and spirited... its attractive design brings a fresh perspective to these poems and makes them accessible to a wide range of readers."—School Library Journal
" Stately figures and scenes in luminous colors provide rich backdrops for 74 English poems selected as much for their sonorous language as for their familiarity. Morris arranges her choices in, by and large, organic order... animals put in appearances too, from Blake's Tyger to Milne's 'Furry Bear.' Extending even to the endpapers, the flood of words and images in this sumptuous volume creates an uplifting experience for the eye and ear both. An ideal collection to give or share."—Kirkus Reviews
"This handsome volume would be a strong complement to other books of poetry available for children now, like Jack Prelutsky's humorous anthologies. These are the poems someone may have read to parents, from writers such as Eleanor Farjeon, W.B. Yeats, W.H. Auden, Lewis Carroll and Dylan Thomas, for example, elegantly arranged and illustrated. Imagine seeing 'Fern Hill' against a landscape of the "fields of praise" and the 'lamb white days.'"—The Chicago Tribune
"This wonderful book will be a treasured find for anyone who wants to bring beautiful, classic poetry into the schoolroom…I was glad to have found a compilation whose rich artwork so complements the richness of the poetry within. "-The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
Click Here, Classic Poems
View Carol Ann Duffy's Biography

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Ann_Duffy