My third grade son has started a new unit in school about poetry. Finally! I haven't saved many books from when I was a kid, but I did save my Shel Silverstein ones, Where the Sidewalk Ends being my favorite. I can remember exactly the first time I heard his poetry...Cushing Elementary, 5th grade, Mrs. Baumann. We even had a discussion on his picture on the back cover and how his foot was in the foreground. I loved that book and it inspired me to write my own poetry. It was really bad, but I was a machine and wrote rhymes about every animal. My parents gave me my own hard-covered copy for Christmas in 1979.Now I enjoy it all over again with my kids. I pick a poem I like and they read it. Unlike many things from my childhood, these stand the test of time. In honor of Valentine's Day, here's one of my favs.
LOVERicky was "L" but he's home with the flu,
Lizzie, our "O" had some homework to do,
Mitchell, "E" prob'ly got lost on the way,
So I'm all of love that could make it today.
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ReplyDeleteOur kids love Silverstein, too--his poetry is a little dangerous, a little crazy, often hilarious and deep at the same time. And his illustrations are so much fun. Great post.
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