A Child's Garden of Verses

FROM OUR EDITORS

Acclaimed author Cooper Edens brings together Robert Louis Stevenson's classic "garden of verses" and illustrations from the 18th and 19th centuries in this beautiful children's read, now in a board book edition. Eight of Stevenson's poems appear in the book -- including "The Land of the Counterpane," "The Lamplighter," and "Foreign Lands" -- all accompanied by full-color paintings from renowned illustrators, such as Bessie Collins Pease, Charles Robinson, Florence Edith Storer, and others. Parents will adore sharing Stevenson's verses with their children, taking them back to a pastoral time when life seemed simpler. In "The Cow," the narrator describes a hungry cow: "The friendly cow all red and white, / I love with all my heart: / She gives me cream with all her might, to eat with apple tart." And in "The Swing," the speaker famously asks: "How do you like to go up in a swing, / Up in the air so blue? / Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing / Ever a child can do!" Just right for a new generation of children who will quickly cherish them as much as previous readers, these timeless classics make a perfect gift that will remain in the mind and the heart forever.

ANNOTATION

A collection of poems evoking the world and feelings of childhood.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

This classic treasury by Robert Louis Stevenson invites children to take their first steps into the immense world that lies before them. Illustrated with more than 100 pictures by the most distinguished children's book illustrators of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this stunning edition brings together some of the world's best-loved poems and most enchanting art.

Lavishly illustrated, this collection contains all the poems that appeared in the original edition published more than a century ago. Children's imaginations can roam freely through simple, evocative verses that explore the wonders of exotic lands, the magic of day passing into night, the sheer joy of swinging through the sun-filled air, and the coziness of dreaming in front of a fire on a winter's night. The pictures, brimming with color and lush detail, brilliantly capture this universal splendor of a child's imaginative world.

SYNOPSIS

The author of the classics Treasure Island, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde , and Kidnapped shows his flair for lyrical poetry in this collection of 67 whimsical verses ranging in topics from windy nights and bedtime to autumn fires and foreign lands. The colorful drawings of celebrated artist Gyo Fujikawa add sparkle and vitality to these gleeful poems. 8 1/2" x 11 3/4".

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Rendered in brilliant candy-shop colors, Joanna Isles's folk-art designs, whimsical characters and striking typestyles put a beguiling face on a beloved work: Abrams's edition of Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses glows with charm and vitality.

Publishers Weekly

A plethora of poetry books arrive just in time for National Poetry Month. Now available in a board book edition, A Child's Garden of Verses, compiled by Cooper Edens, pairs eight of Robert Louis Stevenson's poems with turn-of-the-century illustrations to captivate a child's imagination. For instance, "Happy Thought" ("The world is so full of a number of things,/ I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings") is embedded like a placard within a pen-and-ink by E. Mars (1900), while opposite, a 1940 illustration by Ruth Mary Hallock depicts a happy assembly of children and kittens, gathering for a snack break after a game of croquet. (Mar.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

These classic poems and the equally classic illustrations have been repackaged in a board book format. The poems are fairly complex even for an older reader and the idea that they will be appreciated and understood by children under the age of four seems to be a bit of a stretch. Perhaps the soothing sounds are sufficient and perhaps it is never too soon to introduce complex language, but I do think children of this age will get a lot more enjoyment out of simple nursery rhymes. This board book, in my opinion is really not one I would select for young children. It may be quite useful in programs where children who are older cannot handle regular books and it may even appeal to grandparents and great-grandparents who enjoy looking at the pictures created nearly 100 years ago. 2004 (orig. 1989), Chronicle Books, Ages 6 mo. to 4.

AudioFile - Jo Carr