From: Cassandra Whetstone <casscraig>
Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2006 11:57:34 -0700

On Apr 11, 2006, at 11:29 AM, Emmaattic at aol.com wrote:

> Again, it seems there is plenty of wonderful audios for adult poetry;
> not so
> for
> children's poetry.

This may be true, but one of the joys about children's poetry is that it can be read aloud by teacher or parent or librarian and the listener will find as much joy in the hearing as if it were read by the poet him or herself.

My six year old daughter has the Poetry Speaks CD and I was excited to let her hear the real poets read when we got the CD. She tried to share my enthusiasm when I said, "Honey, this is Robert Frost HIMSELF," or
"Sweetie, do you understand that this is THE Langston Hughes?" She enjoyed it, and listens to it while she putters around her room, but at bedtime she still prefers my reading of the poems. We start off with a few picture books, followed by her chapter book, but our evening reading is not complete without a few poems. She'll find her favorite poems as after the first reading she'll often point to lines or verses and ask, "read that part again."

Audio readings of poetry collections are a treat. We as writers and teachers and librarians may read a collection cover to cover, but kids like to break it up like an oreo cookie. It's meant to be savored in the mind and in the mouth.


-Cassandra Reigel Whetstone
Received on Tue 11 Apr 2006 01:57:34 PM CDT