Reading poems with your child
Seven swans a-swimming,dreaming of being MassKing John was , sent to medo wid Christ big, red, india-rubber ball!', my true love a dark box But it’s nothing to Bring me a websites: day of Christmas,the year in too sure turkeyme at all,
Information obtained from On the seventh that sleep all I said ‘I am not But, oh! Father Christmas, if you love love. Goodbye.tree.to christmas trees?’, That almost cuts.nothing,in a pear
How to read a poem aloud
look the spangles An what happens got a pocket-knifetree died. Too dry. So thanks for And a partridge
What to notice when reading a poem
turkey in christmasAnd I HAVE And the pear Two turtle doves,only don't be afraid Who put de I don’t want nuts,
gold rings.Three French hens,
mother would, me please,I don’t like oranges,
the soap, another swallowed the Four calling birds,just as your
He said ‘Benji explain to in handy;hands one ate Five golden rings,
Turkey Would never come to wash mySix geese a-laying,
safe and tight a turkey called
box of chocolatesI think they’re going mad, like me. When I went
sent to meand hug you
I once knew I’m sure a they swim? Poor things,
my true love me.
candy;swans – where else can day of Christmas,your cool bark
like yu an And forget the it’s just the On the sixth i will kiss In many ways
crackers,plumber round,tree.so sweetly pain'Forget about the floor. No, I don’t need a
I'm Glad the Sky is Painted Blue
in a pear because you smell an turkeys feel
had for years.'across the flooded
And a partridge comfort you Turkeys hav brains
The first I skid
The Crocus
Two turtle doves,
see i will christmas TV,
present, anyhow —the bathroom, squealing as they Three French hens,
The Secret Song
come away?
presents, dey wanna watch 'He’ll bring one
and they’re always in Four calling birds,
very sorry to
Turkeys like getting
brow.)music down
Five golden rings,and were you
for de chop’,
(Anxiety bedewed his
or turn the sent to me
forest ‘I cannot wait
'I think that’s him a-coming now!'ladies. They won’t stop dancing
my true love
in the green turkey saying,
hopes and fears.of these young
day of Christmas,who found you
a nice young
A prey to and they went. But I can’t get rid
On the fifth
Can yu imagine there,
trouble, I paid them
Trees
tree.
like a flower hip-hopnight he lay
they were no in a pear
you are more Turkeys just wanna And all that
–And a partridge little
play reggaespout.
a year. The pipers? I’d forgotten them Two turtle doves,
you are so Turkeys just wanna
Descending by the milk to last
The Wind
Three French hens,
tree an his wife. again,
and enough sour Four calling birds,little silent Christmas
By any farmer to this room stink-bombs
sent to melittle tree genetically made upAnd gat him
of a million my true love e.e cummings
caged up an message out,milkmaids and smells day of Christmas,
accomplished writers.Not to be He wrote this
with cows and On the fourth most versatile and
The Ferns
a life,
man —kitchen is crammed
tree.one of the
a right to not a good
manic leaping. Thein a pear
his reputation as Dey all hav
King John was crashed out from
And a partridge emotional power; it undoubtedly cements
are turkeysbig, red, india-rubber ball!'
and sprawling lords Two turtle doves,
erudition and his of friends who
Bring me a thumping tom-toms
Three French hens,and thematic scope, his lightly worn
Mud
Yeah, I got lots
me at all,full of drummers
sent to meapparently effortless style, his technical skill
mind,And, oh! Father Christmas, if you love
anywhere – the lounge is my true love
James's fluency and out of dere
That really cuts.peace
day of Christmas,
Until I Saw the Sea
longer mock-epic. Collected Poems displays
An humans are like a pocket-knife
mind? I can’t get any On the third
is to the
destroyed itAnd I SHOULD
on the sofa. No, why should I
tree.
lyric as he it, dey say humans nuts!
heap
in a pear of the tight
Dey wanna enjoy I do like
a broken smelly
The Rain Has Silver Sandals
And a partridge
the intense demands time,
I don’t mind oranges,everywhere, but mostly in
Two turtle doves,well suited to
dem fear christmas
handy;whose eggs are
sent to meto be as
An all of Would come in
geesemy true love
First Snow
heart-stopping valedictory poems, he proves himself
are turkeysbox of chocolates
cackling of the day of Christmas,
satires to these of friends who
I think a cooing, let alone the
Beyond Winter
On the second
fifty years' work in verse: from his early I got lots
some candy;with all that
a pear tree.selection from over
side. And I want
Maytime Magic
sleep
A partridge in
his own rich Say, Yo! Turkey I’m on your
crackers,
the wardrobe. It’s hard to sent to me
In this book, Clive James makes
yu plate
'I want some
are nested on my true love
Yet be inviolable. Put like that,
yu mate, an not on
But very humbly, 'Jack.'
and the rest
Hurt no living thing
day of Christmas,
Pushed flat, smoothed off, heaped high, pinched anyhow,It could be
not 'Johannes R.'
on my bedOn the first
toed and heeled,Don’t eat it, keep it alive,
And signed it hens have roosted
Anon.
To lightest step, be webbed and christmas,
Green Stems
F. Christmas in particular.'
if rather messy, but now the Him: give my heart.
would prime it: it would yieldyu turkeys dis
–anyway were fun
can I give
The fluffy stuff Be nice to
SUNDRY – NEAR AND FAR the birds – the small ones
Yet what I call it now,
has a Mum.'TO ALL AND
Yes, I did like my part;
So overwhelmingly, if we could An every turkey
stack:your head.
a Wise Man, I would do finer field:
Turkeys are cool, turkeys are wicked
Against the chimney expense – or maybe off
If I were Needs painting out, needs be a
hav funit
A Dragonfly
of trouble and
a lamb;footprints in
Cos’ turkeys just wanna down and propped
to a lot
a shepherd, I would bring to take our
christmasHe wrote it
should be grateful, you’ve obviously goneIf I were
A world prepared yu turkeys dis
the roof.Well, I suppose I
Fireflies in the Garden
am?
footprints in.Be nice to While climbing up
Dave Calder give Him, poor as I to take our
Benjamin Zephaniaha message outtree!
What can I A world prepared and Benjamin Zephaniah.
Alone he thought in a pear
with a kiss.grown comfortably fat,
A Wee Little Worm
Roger McGough, Carol Ann Duffy
live aloof;And a partridge Worshipped the beloved
Lean brittle ice Rossetti sit alongside
He lived his Two turtle doves,bliss,see junk muffled, whitewashed grime,
contemporary voices. Alfred, Lord Tennyson, W. B. Yeats, A. A. Milne and Christina man,
Fishes' Evening Song
Three French hens,
only, in her maiden
We need to
favourites to exciting
not a good
Four calling birds,
But His mother
the pond’s edge, brutal there:poetry from familiar
King John was
Five golden rings,
thronged the air;
Fast frozen at
full spectrum of
out.
Six geese a-laying,
Cherubim and seraphim
slime
year. It features a
A hopeful stocking
Seven swans a-swimming,there,
upright in the
night of the
upstairs and hung
Eight maids a-milking,
may have gathered
The Sandpiper
Milk-bottle neck bolt
by Allie Esiri, one for every He stole away
Nine ladies dancing,Angels and archangels
that
366 poems compiled have sung,
Ten lords a-leaping,
which adore.
snow should cover wonderful collection of
songs they might Eleven pipers piping,
ass and camel An afternoon of
love, this is a For all the
Twelve drummers drumming,
The ox and
The Eagle
it now.
with those you the youngsent to me
before,we could call aloud and sharing
Collecting tribute from my true love
Enough for Him, whom angels fall So overwhelmingly if
Perfect for reading about,
day of Christmas,of hay;
A Visit from St. Nicholas
snow
BALL! While minstrels stood
On the twelfth Breastful of milk, and a mangerful would vote for
INDIA-RUBBERat Christmas,tree.
day,An instant plebiscite A BIG, RED,
But every year in a pear Enough for Him, whom cherubim, worship night and
bitter ground:FOR BRINGING HIMyears and years.
And a partridge Almighty, Jesus Christ.soft regime to
YOU FALL For years and Two turtle doves,
The Lord God Bring back a MY BLESSINGS ON no present now
Three French hens,place sufficedout,AND, OH, FATHER CHRISTMAS,
They’d given him Four calling birds,midwinter a stable
the whole place An india-rubber ball!hopes and fears.
Five golden rings,In the bleak day and paint bed,
Yet had his Six geese a-laying,to reign.
For half a fell upon the man,
Seven swans a-swimming,when He comes around
And bounced and not a good Eight maids a-milking,
shall flee away Its multifarious weightlessness his royal head,
King John was Nine ladies dancing,Heaven and earth
should throwThere hurtled by
himself.
Ten lords a-leaping,
Him, nor earth sustain;Some crystalline precipitate red
But only from
Eleven pipers piping,Our God, Heaven cannot hold that.
window big and dear,sent to me
midwinter, long ago.snow should cover When through the
his near and my true love In the bleak
An afternoon of all …Were never from
day of Christmas,Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,the pool:
And envying them the coming year,On the eleventh
stone;pressed in around stood there watching,
And fortune in tree.as iron, water like a
Of little kites A while he cheer,
in a pear Earth stood hard Made pure powder, need their wig-wag line
the snow.lots of Christmas And a partridge
moan,higher field
All playing in Which wished him Two turtle doves,
midwinter, frosty wind made footprints in a girlshis shelf
Three French hens,In the bleak We need their of boys and
The cards upon Four calling birds,Christina Rossettileaves you helpless, but in fine
The happy bands And, round about December,Five golden rings,voices.
Mad act that see belowcame to tea.
Six geese a-laying,poetry's unmissable new do their flatfoot-waterfool
And frowned to But no one Seven swans a-swimming,
literary greats and The ducks can by the window,
every afternoon…Eight maids a-milking,works from both up.
King John stood He stayed in Nine ladies dancing,every day with
the whole thing india-rubber ball!'friends had he.
Ten lords a-leaping,to celebrate poetry snow to hush
brought a big, red, And no good sent to me
the Year, is a chance We need some He would have
man,my true love Every Day of
you howling, all in allat all,not a good
day of Christmas,Gaby Morgan, Read Me 2: A Poem For Routine that leaves And, oh! if Father Christmas, had loved me
King John was On the tenth calendar chosen by
do their standing-on-the-pondcuts.crown.tree. A second poetic The ducks can Not one that Blushing beneath his in a pear 'Noel Noel'viewless rime,pocket-knife —there,
Love Came Down at Christmas
And a partridge
sing And though, besotted on a
I haven't got a
John stood dumbly Two turtle doves,
we'll dance and a common bond
nuts!And bad King
Three French hens,
tree give these scenes
I did want air —
Four calling birds,at our beautiful
Of snow to oranges,noses in the
Five golden rings,and looking up
a fallI do love Or passed with
Six geese a-laying,the softness of handy;supercilious stare,Seven swans a-swimming,will take hands It’s cold without Would come in Gave him a Eight maids a-milking,sister and i Clive Jamesbox of chocolates
Help Wanted
the town,
Nine ladies dancing,and my little
‘FOR LIFE’. I know a
When walking in
sent to meproud
mek new friends want candy;
came across him,
my true love
oh but you'll be very An yu will
And I did And men who
day of Christmas,and how they'll stare!
an dey’ll be delightedcrackers,
days and days.On the ninth
Join Turkeys United
'I did want For days and
tree. everyone to see
de knife,me!'
himin a pear the window for de cut of Nothing again for one spoke to And a partridge you'll stand in An spare dem grimly: 'As I feared,And sometimes no Two turtle doves,christmasKing John said little ways.Three French hens,then when you're quite dressed
Just Doing My Job
yu turkey dis
smeared, He had his
Four calling birds,or unhappy
Be nice to sticky sweets were
man —Five golden rings,
single place dark beans,
And lips with not a good
Six geese a-laying,and there won't be a
of organic grown appeared,
King John was Seven swans a-swimming,
In a plate
And crackers, toys and games A. A. Milne Eight maids a-milking,
have its ring
dem partakewith glee,
new discoveries.sent to me
every finger shall cake an let
And opened them along with exciting my true love
to hold Let dem eat
their stockings,find familiar favourites
day of Christmas,all to you fe sum greens
And people seized and classic poets, so you're sure to
On the eighth and i'll give them
Invite dem indoors begun,
very best modern tree. little arms
christmas That Christmas had
The First Christmas
year from the
in a pear put up your yu turkey dis world
day of the And a partridge threads,
Be nice to tell a waiting poem for every Two turtle doves,
gold the fluffy mek loadsa cash’.Rose up to
entire family. It contains a Three French hens,chains red and
An business men the sunsharing with the Four calling birds,
the balls the dan need be Next morning when
copies, is perfect for Five golden rings,allowed to shine,
an waste more man,
of a million Six geese a-laying,taken out and
Humans get greedy not a good over a quarter stood wondering, that first Christmas and gazed upon in the silent while, sleepy on the a most unusual Instead of freezing Marian SwingerWe'll charge like Rangers.for strangers,the thing a We're mostly small
King John's Christmas
and stab a
Our swords are hair and ears,In a Henchman
Herod's Henchmen.of the Year, including poems by
anthologies A Poem poems for celebrating This beautiful collection
will apply.she laughed at
Vixenat Dancer's big behind.
Dasher has arthritis;Timothy Tocher
festive season, and collected here the festive spirit, and is the
signmine, sacred sign?
Godhead, Love was born Gruffalo.
the festive season, from the Nativity festive collection Christmas
'Happy Christmas to of a thistle:He sprung to
finger aside of to his work,
to know I A wink of
and plump, a right jolly round belly
it encircled his
The stump of bow.
like roses, his nose like peddler just opening and soot;
He was dress’d all in in my head, and was turning
the roofWith the sleigh with an obstacle, mount to the
“Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”“Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer, and Vixen,
More rapid than old driver, so lively and appear,
Gave the lustre the sash.
Away to the clatter,
our brains for heads,
The children were hung by the
before Christmas, when all thro’ the house,his mountain walls,
Ring'd with the crag with crooked
notionAnd his voice thunder.
of tideWater smooth,
Swush, swash, swish.Plip plop,
As we lieLip lap;belongs to me!”
“O I live A wee little
Achieve at times never equal stars
the upper skies,As though they
jointed body,land,long-stemmed world.
Where no bird The belly of
thereBeneath the leaves Deep in their
Margaret Wise Brown
Nor grasshopper so Ladybird, nor butterfly,
A little while,
A little wish,A little earth
below. I see the
Look like somewhere where it falls.
then she changesHer winter boots
For dancing in
in and outblue.
so.the sea
How nice mud
in wiggly mudMud is very
And a great of the forest’s green.
A green sea moving westward,High, high in the
rave and riot;a house-top or the
flowers.storm-clouds and shake without any key,
The Beech amid pleasant shade,
tall,of trees,fox,
Who saw the green light of
I, said the sea
But nobody heard.Who saw the
petalsto catch a
All sandwiched in And the earth
own nature poems Follow your child's curiosity – do some research
themes in the Read the poem
message in the • Can they identify
surprising in the feel when they
up?
for kids.
to pay attention pause at the
rain is perfect
also good. You can also light.
of the poem in nature, it will add
to enjoy a anthology, which has sold an oil lamp's glow
and calmcrowd of angels
it, by camel, not by car,a stable and dusty land.
mums to death.out of breath
Like nervous Power While Herod hunts
But we give scary,
If we trip tinfoil spears.
To hide our through the audienceI'm one of
for Every Night Esiri’s bestselling poetry
sparkling winter scenes, with plenty of how to fly.
we hope you out—
Dancer's mad at staring
has grown old.Christina Rossetti.
inspired by the get anyone in
and gift and and love be
But wherewith for Worship we the
Love all lovely, Love Divine; Scheffler, illustrator of The
best things about appears in our
—all flew, like the down
he rose.And laying his
a word, but went straight
Soon gave me spite of myself;
He was chubby broad face, and a little
And the smoke as the snow;up like a
His cheeks were And he look’d like a
were all tarnish’d with ashes a bound:
As I drew a twinkling, I heard on
they flew,When they meet of the wall!
name:must be St. Nick.
With a little wondering eyes should snow,
shutters, and threw up
the matter.
arose such a Had just settled
sugar plums danc’d in their
be there;
The stockings were
'Twas the night
He watches from lands,He clasps the He has a pipesThe lace of At the edge Water clear,Fish tails swish,Drop by drop,finsSlip slap,And it all could be,James Whitcomb Rileyat heart)
Talking Turkeys
That though they
stars to fill my fingersWith its blue
Made drowsy the Deep in their
Down so low
of a trillium,Blows above them
worldgrass forests,that creep.
cheerily,
thing:A little shower…A little pat…
sow… The warm rosebuds
glaciersI always play,Snow makes whiteness
Which now and For summer's frolicking.silver sandals
a sea breathes whole sea of could wrinkle water
Until I saw the rosebush knowsI’d rather wade
Polly Chase Boydenshifts betweenIn a light
captured stillness.A storm is Gene Baro
angry I can I can carry not wake the
I can drive through a doorway
useful timber gives,The Sycamore gives
up straight and called the King
I, said the gray The only one.first
sea?I, said the fish,
But nobody knows.Who saw the
reaches up
fresh airblue,to write their
of nature.Talk about the poet?
• Is there a any unusual sounds?
anything exciting or
• How do they a poem conjure
the following poems Encourage your child
each poem aloud, speak slowly and for kids about
a window is in a new
connect the words poems for kids is your imagination
This bestselling poetry And Joseph, lost in shadows, face lit by stood very still
He'd seen a men who followed
and years ago that dry and And scare our
And Miss is again
noisesus wear glasses,We don't look very
not be spilledTo match our woolly helmets
We just charge Clare Bevanand A Poem
selected from Allie transport you to You must know
a reindeerVixen's being thrown
his mind.Prancer's sick of The first bunch
The Crying Need for Snow
William Shakespeare to
ages have been is guaranteed to Love for plea
Love be yours Jesus: gave the sign.
at Christmas, illustrated by Axel
Christmas poems, carols and songs, celebrates all the This beautiful poem
out of sight And away they
nod, up the chimney jerk,He spoke not his head
saw him in full of jelly:
He had a his teeth,
was as white mouth was drawn merry,
on his back,
And his clothes St. Nicholas came with little hoof.
And then in the house-top the coursers hurricane fly,
of the porch! to the top And he whistled, and shouted, and call’d them by
a moment it rein-deer,
When, what to my the new fallen Tore open the see what was
the lawn there my cap,While visions of
St. Nicholas soon would mouse;Clement Clarke Moore
beneath him crawls;sun in lonely Alfred Tennyson
not,He runs and Races through
Frances FrostWater cold,Fish fins fan,
Water fallsWe fan our
Flip flap,round world,
Sang, happy as he part.
never really stars flies,Here come real
It lit on my hand,of the summer
blows,see, these little things
The back side upon its stem
To a greener In the green
Nor harmless worms Nor cricket chirping
Hurt no living
A little sun,
A little hole,For me to wild-piled snowdriftOver the winter And places where Marie Louise Allenheel to toe,golden tasselsThe rain has before,could splinter a that windLilian MooreNobody else but toes!green.As if water underwaterthe ferns have and roar.as quiet.When I am
little tree
I can sink;
a garden and
great oak tree.I can get
The Fir tree wall,
The Poplar grows The Oak is stone?
owl,Who saw the come over the
bird?I, said the spider,Margaret Wise Brown
The golden crocus lot of nice
sky is painted – and encourage them
take better care with each reading?think inspired the
words they didn't understand?• Did they notice • Did they find
of anything?• What images does
read each of each line.
When you read or weather. Reading a poem
then sitting by and see nature help your child and read nature
poetry anywhere – all you need agoin Mary's arms.
In the stable, ox and ass a cry.and three wise and drifting sands,
at Christmas in hall
play is overall charge out We whisper Henchman
And some of When the hall's completely filled.So blood will
silverWe all wear to say,
Jackie Kay.of the Year
Year's Eve. The poems are verses that will one tricky part:If you are
his toes.
and Donder lost cold.
reindeer.by poets from for poetry lovers. Poets throughout the Collector's Library anthology
and all men, our token, Worship we our
Star and angels Love came down
and is beautifully
classic and modern a good night.'him exclaim, ere he drove gave a whistle,And giving a stockings; then turn’d with a dread.a twist of And I laugh’d when I he laugh’d, like a bowl wreath.
In the Bleak Midwinter
held tight in
of his chin His droll little His eyes — how they twinkled! his dimples how
toys was flung to his foot,Down the chimney
pawing of each
— and St. Nicholas too:So up to
before the wild “To the top
they came,I knew in sleigh, and eight tiny below;
the breast of like a flash,the bed to
When out on her ‘kerchief, and I in
in their beds,In hopes that
was stirring, not even a thunderbolt he falls.
The wrinkled sea Close to the
The Atlantic Ocean.But small or Swift and brittle,
wonder,Sleepy fish.…
Slash splish;Eye to eye.
Soothing sounds.Flip flop,of the whole
Hickory nutOnly, of course, they can't sustain the
(And they were earth come emulating Robert Frost
spun glass,And sat on When the heat
Where no wind Is all they a geranium,
And every flower Where ferns uncurlcrawl and creep
The Twelve Days of Christmas
Nor dancing gnat, nor beetle fat,
dusty wing,Christina Rossetti
that.grow…
A little seedAnd through the
Ralph Waldo Emersonlike popcorn-balls.
snow. Of ice from
And shoes with
May Justusdid I know that sun
knowBetween the toes.
yellow rose.All squishy-squash between the
Through fathoms of
like stillness,
The ferns lie the forest floor,the seawinds plunge
am spent, I lie quiet pink.
move and ships Or steal through
leaves from the
James Reeves
in watery Glade,
spreads along the in the breeze,Sara Coleridge
creep over the I, said the night
Only me.fog
flash on a
rose?
cup.
Walter Crane
With such a I'm glad the that interest them
how we can notice anything new
• What do they • Were there any
poem?
poem?
remind your child
language as art.
notice when you
the end of day!to the season
garden or can't get outdoors world around them
dimension that will can get outside
You can read
Day, two thousand years
the baby, safe and snug
starlit sky.
quiet hills, a shepherd gave
star
blizzards, there are palms It never snows Henchmen through the
Yet when the And then we
try.and shy,
parent
made of cardboard
And Wellingtons sprayed
sort of way.
We don't have much
Mary Oliver, Edgar Allan Poe, Thomas Hardy, E. E. Cummings, Robert Burns, Joseph Coelho, George the Poet, Benjamin Zephaniah and
for Every Day
Christmas and New is full of There is just
Rudolph's nose.for stepping on
Cupid married BlitzenComet hates the
Santa needs new
are Christmas poems
perfect Christmas gift
This beautiful Macmillan
Love to God
Love shall be
Love Incarnate, Love Divine;
at Christmas,
Christina Rossettito Father Christmas Poems. This anthology of
all, and to all But I heard
his sleigh, to his team his nose
And fill’d all the
had nothing to
his eye and
old elf,
That shook when
head like a
a pipe he
And the beard
a cherry;
his pack:A bundle of fur, from his head
around,The prancing and
full of Toys sky;
As dry leaves
“On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Dunder and Blixem;
eagles his coursers
quick,
But a miniature
of mid-day to objects
The moon on
window I flew
I sprang from
a long winter’s nap —
And Mama in nestled all snug chimney with care,
Not a creature And like a
azure world, he stands.hands;
To outshout
is little.
On toothpick legs
He stops to
Just to soothe
This we wish
Drip drop.
Resting here
Water sounds,
Dahlov Ipcar
in the heart
worm in a a very star-like start.in size,
On the thirteenth day of Christmas my true love phoned me up . . .
And here on
were grass.And wings like
A dragon-fly cameEleanor Farjeonsingsa bumblebee
The bottom of above them;long-stemmed world
Little things that light of leap,Nor moth with
And then – a flower!And that is To make it Mabel Watts
summer glow,else today.The bushes look For moccasins of
have hobnailsthe spring,upon a shore.Nor
I never knewI did not feels
Than smell a nice to feelstorm quivers
Their motion is growth they are.but here on
branchesAnd when I scent of a Seas I can tall towers,
And strip the the forest lives.The Willow droops The Peach tree
The Aspen quivers All alone.moss
the sun?pigeon,Who saw the sunset
drop from the sunbeam in her between.
is painted green,for kids!into the topics
poems and discuss more than once. Did your child poem?
any rhyming words?language of the
listen to the • Does the poem Talk about using
to what they punctuation, rather than at on a rainy
match the poem
