Poetry for Kids

I just got my poetry assignment back from my Children's Lit class... I had to send a collection in of some children's poems. Here are some of my favorites that I sent -- who knew Dean Koonz could write such great kids poetry? My textbook -- which, by the way, all parents should read! -- says that most kids hate poetry because of the way it is presented to them at school. They never get the chance to just explore it and have fun with it. I had a great time looking for poetry that would appeal to children. Go to your library and check out some books!

At War With Wood

An apple fell from a tree
And hit poor me.
Offended by this attack,
I hit right back.

So I broke my left hand,
And I broke my right knee,
But I taught that darn tree
Never to mess with me!

--Dean Koonz, “The Paper Doorway”



The Eraser Poem

The eraser poem.
The eraser poem
The eraser poe
The eraser po
The eraser p
The eraser
The erase
The eras
The era
The er
The e
The
Th
T
-

--Louis Phillips, ”I Thought I’d Take My Rat to School”



How Did You Get So Mean?

I saw you steal second base.I saw you kill some time.
I saw you shoot some basketballs.I saw you flip a dime.
I saw you cut some corners.I saw you stab in the dark.
I even saw you punch the clockand take a swing at the park.
I saw you beat a dozen eggs.I saw you strike a match.
I saw you hit a hole-in-one.I saw you slam the hatch.
I saw you kick the habit.I saw you crown the queen.
I even saw you break the news.How did you get so mean?

--Kenn Nesbitt, “My Foot Fell Asleep"



Winter

NEVER

quarrel

with
winter.

It
ALWAYS

wins.

--Lee Bennett Hopkins, “Good Rhymes, Good Times”



Doors

Some doors
are always open Some
doors hold themselves
shut
The open doors say
“Come on in” and
“I missed you”
and
“Have a sandwich”
The closed doors
just shake their heads

I know a door
that collects things
collects
leaves scratches
chipped paint
parts of words
It is an old door
getting gray and crabby
The other
it said “SLAM!!” and collected
my fingers

--Barbara Esbensen, “Who Shrank My Grandmother’s House?”



What You Don’t Know About Food

Jelly’s made from jellyfish.
Spaghetti’s really worms.
Ice cream’s just some dirty snow
mixed up with grimy germs.
Bread is made of glue and paste.
So are cakes and pies.
Peanut butter’s filled with stuff
like squashed-up lizard eyes.
And as you eat potato chips,
remember all the while—
they’re slices of the dried up brain
of some old crocodile.

--Florence Parry Heide, “The 20th Century Children’s Poetry Treasury”



Breakfast

I C U 8 your scrambled X,
I C U drank your T.
My heart is filled with NV,
R there NE X 4 me?
O Y is the carton MT now?
How greedy can U B?
4 U 8 all the scrambled X
And left me 1 green P!

--Jeff Moss, ”The 20th Century Children’s Poetry Treasury”



my nose

It doesn’t breathe;
It doesn’t smell;
It doesn’t feel
So very well.

I am discouraged
With my nose;
The only thing it
Does is blows.

--Dorothy Aldis, “Childcraft Poems and Rhymes”



Nighttime

How do dreams know
when to creep

Into my head
when I fall off
to sleep?

--Lee Bennett Hopkins, “Good Rhymes, Good Times”



Dinner With Jilly

Jilly could never keep her room clean.
It was a dreadful mess.
She didn’t like to play nice, either.
She caused us much distress.
She borrowed things she didn’t return.
And now I must confess:
We baked Jilly in a big piecrust,
And ate her, more or less.

--Dean Koonz, “The Paper Doorway”



A Long Day of Rhyming

A cop goes on a stakeout.
A prisoner plans a breakout.
A baker takes the cake out.
A mechanic checks the brakes out.
A barbequer cooks his steaks out.
A counterfeiter puts the fakes out.
A Californian rides the quakes out.
A gardener brings the rakes out.
A hungry man orders takeout.
A snake charmer lures the snake out.
A proofreader casts mistakes out.
A hunter searches the drakes out.
And this poet has finally flaked out.

--Dean Koonz, “The Paper Doorway”