The Father Goose Treasury of Poetry: 101 Favorite Poems for Children

K-Gr 3–Like the nursery rhymes of Mother Goose herself, Ghigna’s poems tend on the side of the sweet and simple, elegantly sketching a primarily rural world that is beautiful and easy to appreciate. Organized around seven broad themes of home, the four seasons, animals, and poetry itself, this volume offers a selection of pleasant poetry on perpetually inspiring topics like flowers, the moon, rain, creatures, and more. The perspective in these poems is largely contemplative (“I like to watch the falling snow;/ It puts on such a lovely show”); they may especially appeal to the introspective child interested in the natural world. Most of these fanciful poems are written in simple language and constructed around easy rhyme schemes, making them extremely suitable for younger children. Because of the pure pleasantness of the poems, reading many at a time can almost feel like being gently lulled into tranquility. Brezzi’s charming illustrations lushly fill each page with color, texture, and vivid tone. Given the serenity of the poems, the impressionistic illustrations add energy and thematic intensity.