Children's books come in all shapes, sizes, and styles, which is one of the things I love about them.
Sometimes, it dawns on an editor that a well-known verse or literary piece, traditionally
meant for adults, could make an equally appropriate choice for young readers.
meant for adults, could make an equally appropriate choice for young readers.
"Life Doesn't Frighten Me At All," Maya Angelou's reknown poem, is both powerful and
playful and makes a wonderful introduction to poetry for kids. Many children's stories
already have a lot of rhythm and rhyme but to present the cadence, symbolism, art and beauty of words strung together specifically into a POEM by a bona fide POET can lay a nice foundation for poetry appreciation in the future.
It takes a certain state of mind to listen to, absorb, and understand poetry. It is a very sophisticated style of writing that has its own rules and breaking of the rules. From traditionalists (John Keats) to modernists (e.e. cummings), poems in all their variations present a view of the world in a swift and succinct way. One can even view reading a poem as a skill to be learned, so for me, I believe earlier the better (Alright, I was an English major; admittedly, I may be biased).
What's nice about Angelou's poem, which makes it a perfect first choice for a child, is that it can be taken quite literally and still be fun and accessible to children.
playful and makes a wonderful introduction to poetry for kids. Many children's stories
already have a lot of rhythm and rhyme but to present the cadence, symbolism, art and beauty of words strung together specifically into a POEM by a bona fide POET can lay a nice foundation for poetry appreciation in the future.
It takes a certain state of mind to listen to, absorb, and understand poetry. It is a very sophisticated style of writing that has its own rules and breaking of the rules. From traditionalists (John Keats) to modernists (e.e. cummings), poems in all their variations present a view of the world in a swift and succinct way. One can even view reading a poem as a skill to be learned, so for me, I believe earlier the better (Alright, I was an English major; admittedly, I may be biased).
What's nice about Angelou's poem, which makes it a perfect first choice for a child, is that it can be taken quite literally and still be fun and accessible to children.
Paired with the bold yet childlike paintings of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, her words
and his images provoke the imagination into fanciful flights of glory where anyone—big
or small—is able to overcome their greatest fears and challenges.
and his images provoke the imagination into fanciful flights of glory where anyone—big
or small—is able to overcome their greatest fears and challenges.
Here is an except:
Shadows on the wall
Noises down the hall
Life doesn't frighten me at all
Bad dogs barking loud
Big ghosts in a cloud
Life doesn't frighten me at all
Mean old Mother Goose
Lions on the loose
They don't frighten me at all
Dragons breathing flame
On my counterpane
That doesn't frighten me at all.
I go boo
Make them shoo
I make fun
way they run
I won't cry
so they fly
I just smile
They go wild
Life doesn't frighten me at all...
Not at all
Not at all.
Life doesn't frighten me at all.
words by Maya Angelou
pictures by Jean-Michel Basquiat
compilation © 1993 Sara Jane Boyers
compilation © 1993 Sara Jane Boyers
published by Stewart Tabori and Chang
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