April is Poetry Month

I'm not much for poetry.  I prefer to read without having to look for the deeper meaning.  Not that there isn't a deeper meaning in other genres, I just don't tend to seek out poetry books.  Kid's poetry, on the hand, is all sorts of fun.  My favorite will probably always be Where the Sidewalk Ends.  When I was kid (if I'm being honest, as an adult too) I listened to the audio version a gazillion times.  There is nothing like having Shel Silverstein read a handful of his poems to you.  Hearing them exactly as he intended them to be is unbelievable.  It is just amazing.  Outside of his great work, there are a handful of compilations that I just love.  Compilations are my favorite because you get a good mix of lots of popular poets, and you get their best poems all in one book.  The Random House Book of Poetry for Children has been my go to collection since I was a child.  Caroline Kennedy put together two collections of poetry that I also love (A Family of Poems and Poems to Learn by Heart).  For me the best part of her collections is the illustrations.  Jon Muth is one of my favorite illustrators.  His watercolors are breathtaking.  Having those images accompany familiar poems is pretty unbeatable.  Julie Andrews has two collections I really like as well (Collection of Poems, Songs, and Lullabies and Treasury for All Seasons).  Like I said earlier, collections are my favorite because you get a good compilation of the best poems out there.  The variety is the best part.  If you are looking for some good poems to read this month in celebration of Poetry Month, I recommend giving one of these books a try.  Happy reading!