Day 12: The best of a century

Speaking of Jack Prelutsky, he selected all the poems in this collection and he made some very fine choices indeed. Take these three, for example:

Cats
Cats sleep
Anywhere,
Any table,
Any chair,
Top of a piano,
Window-ledge,
In the middle,
On the edge,
Open drawer,
Empty shoe,
Anybody's
Lap will do,
Fitted in a
Cardboard box,
In the cupboard
With your frocks--
Anywhere!
They don't care!
Cats sleep
Anywhere.

--Eleanor Farjeon


Eletelephony
Once there was an elephant,
Who tried to use the telephant--
No! no! I mean an elephone
Who tried to use the telephone--
(Dear me! I am not certain quite
That even now I've got it right.)

Howe'er it was, he got his trunk
Entangled in the telephunk;
The more he tried to get it free,
The louder buzzed the telephee--
(I fear I'd better drop this song
Of elephop and telephong!)

--Laura E. Richards


Sick
I god a liddle code doday;
id isend bery pleasand.
Da docda cape an gabe a shod,
but butha gabe a presend.

I think I'll be in bed a dime,
ad leased dill Bunday borning.
Don't wawg in buddles in da rain--
led dis be a warding!

--Marci Ridlon



from The 20th Century Children's Poetry Treasury, selected by Jack Prelutsky; illustrated by Meilo So. Alfred A. Knopf, 1999.

(Note: when quoting poems online, always include a full citation for the collection from which the poem originated. If the poem is not in the public domain (i.e. is still in copyright) abide by the principle of Fair Dealing in your use of the work.)

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You may recall a post I put up in February about the top 100 novels for children aged 6-12, a countdown being featured on the School Library Journal Fuse #8 Blog. Well, today they reached number one. Go see for yourself and then work your way back through the list by following the recent post links on the sidebar or by clicking on the links at the end of the post. The write-ups are fascinating and insightful. And the winner? Well let's just say I recently cried my eyes out while reading it with my 5 year old.