Such a beautiful book at a great price.

Who wrote, "The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings"? Did you guess Robert Louis Stevenson? Poetry is not my favorite form of literature. However, Stevenson is one of my best-loved authors, and I have always liked his poetry because, unlike some other poetry that I have read, it makes sense to me. One of my favorites is "The Swing": 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! Of course, one would buy this edition of A Child's Garden of Verses not only for Stevenson's poetry (this is not a complete version but a newly revised selection) but also for Brian Wildsmith's gorgeous, whimsical illustrations. Wildsmith, born in 1931 at the mining village of Penistone in Yorkshire, England, has been called one of the greatest living children's book illustrators. Stevenson's poems perfectly capture the make-believe imagination of childhood. What child has not pretended at one time or another that his bed is a ship sailing the wide seas? And Wildsmith's stunning, colorful paintings perfectly capture the joyful childhood innocence of Stevenson's poetry. While the language may be upper class Victorian England, the appeal is universal. This would make a wonderful book for a parent to read aloud while the child gazes at the pictures.

A good quality book (both in content and construction).

I enjoyed the artwork in this particular edition and some of the poems, even though they were written for little children and I'm so old that my favorite part of the day is going to bed early and watching Columbo. When it comes to books like this, I always ask myself if I would read it to a child and I don't think I would with this one. Stevenson has written many things that I would recommend but some of these poems are pretty iffy and if I'm going to have a conversation about colonialism and racism with a child--which I should if I'm theoretically caring for this child enough to read to them--I'd rather have that conversation with a book that I actually enjoy. Although I'm not super-familiar with children's poetry so I would have to do a lot more digging before I had my perfect "read-this-to-a-kid" poetry book.

A hardcover version of this collection of poems written by Robert Louis Stevenson over 100 years ago entertained me and my siblings when we were children, and this version, with its watercolor illustrations by Tasha Tudor, brought back many memories. Stevenson's poems were among the first for children, and are all about simpler times, when children sent model sailboats down rivers, played in the garden until the lamplighters came out at dusk, and played with toy soldiers for hours on end. I think that these poems would be wonderful to share with a class as a read aloud, and could be compared with what children do often nowadays for entertainment and play. Because most of the poems are fairly simple, this collection might also be a vehicle for introducing students to writing their own poetry.

The poems mostly have to do with going off to imaginary lands, utilizing common things in a playful fashion, and enjoying the wonderous time of childhood while it lasts. It's all touched very heavily by nostalgia - I don't know anything about Robert Louis Stevenson's life, but it seems he really wanted his adult life to be simpler and less soul-destroying, ha ha. I think it's kind of funny how adults wax nostalgic about the simpleness of childhood; quite clearly children don't feel it's simple or wonderous very much of the time. ;) The illustrations by Gyo Fujikawa are also sweetly nostalgic, full of cherubic boys and girls, lush grasses, delicately pretty flowers, butterflies, and birds, etc. I think the artwork was originally published in the 1950's and you can tell - very emblematic of that time. Quite a lovely gift book; some classics could serve as read alouds during a storytime.

A Child's Garden of Verses is the epitome of poetry for and about children. The imagination of a child grows wild and free among the pages. Hopes and fears are expressed as only children can. The sense of wonder and innocence resonates as reminders to all adults about how the world once was.

This is a must have book for every library. I recently purchased one for my own. I had this book read to me over and over again as a child and was told not too long ago that it was one of my mother's favorites. If an adult can read something to a child "over and over" and still keep it as a favorite, it must be great- right? My favorite poem is still "how I love to go up so high on my swing..."

Whether your child has difficulty falling asleep, or wants to escape into fairyland, this book will satisfy all those desires. Short poems to amuse, long ones to lull and quiet; poems about singing, swinging, and travelling - everything a child does in his young life are detailed in these poems. The illustrations are simple, but give the poem just enough visual detail to entrance the listening child, or reading child. Colours are expressive, and reflect the mood of the poem. Sneaking robbers hush howling dogs and swings soar into the wild blue to join the birds. Though this set of poems might be a bit old fashioned nowadays, they still have merit in lives. There are still swings, windy nights, forests and jungles (real and imaginary) and there is always bedtime.

I love Child's Garden of Verses and have several copies with different illustrations. This one is one of my favorites with illustrations by George Trimmer. My favorites are The Cow, The Swing, The Land of Counterpane, and My Shadow.

An amazing author puts together amazing poems! This is a wonderful book for any aged reader & makes poetry very fun. Shows how beautiful poetry can be!

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote these 64 wonderful poems mostly while in England and in Southern France between about 1878 and 1885 when they were first published. Since they were reflections on his own childhood, he titled them “A Child’s Garden of Verses” (ACGV). Why would you suppose that these much loved poems were not illustrated until 1895 by Charles Robinson, a year after Stevenson's death, even though the author provided many suggestions and ideas on how his written words could be enhanced by pictures? That question may, forever, remain a mystery. But since that time, well over 120 or so different artists have graced the words with their diverse and imaginative visual impressions to augment our own appreciation of the poems.\n\nTasha Tudor was one of the best known and loved artists for these poems and her first edition came out in 1947. Unlike many of the artists for ACGV editions, Ms. Tudor made a number of modifications to her illustrations over the ensuing years and this edition of 1981 almost looks like an entirely new book with its superb and inspiring pictures. Even in the 34 years between these editions, the ‘feel’ of the pictures has changed to reflect a more timely image of these experiences. Thus, there has even been a continuing evolution in her artistic interpretation of the many and cherished experiences of early childhood, along with a haunting “look back” into childhood for us adults as we thumb through this fine book. In looking through it, we are helped to remember and visualize the day to day experiences of such things as breezing along in our swing, digging holes in the wet sea sand, trying to understand and outwit our shadow, or keep ourselves occupied when we are sick in bed, or frustratingly lying awake in our beds in the broad daylight of summer but getting up in the dark of winter, watching rain fall on our street or on the ships at sea, and, seemingly later in life (like us adults), looking out of our window into the garden of our childhood only to see a wisp of our former selves in that pleasant land of the past. The hundred or so different interpretations of art works for ACGV are all very fascinating and those of Ms. Tudor even show the changing of her own images for the poems over time, just like our own memories of them also seem to vary and ‘season’ as we grow older too.

The book is fine I have p7rchased this particular series in the past and have been satisfied.\nthe fact that the book cover is marked with a price lower than I was charged is an insult\nbut not uncommon for Walmart. One only need to shop in any Walmart too recognize this egregious behavior.

A childhood favorite! In excellent condition. Well packaged & arrived wuickly.

Good condition Good condition

Good condition

Beautiful book...better than Good.Beautiful book...better than Good.

Beautiful book...better than Good.

This is a classic book from my yesterday’s 1950’s childhood - the short stories & drawings are friendly & exceptional - I just had to see it again . This is a classic book from my yesterday’s 1950’s childhood - the short stories & drawings are friendly & exceptional - I just had to see it again .

This is exactly what I was looking for. I'm excited to use it for family read aloud. The illustrations are very sweet with lots of details.This is exactly what I was looking for. I'm excited to use it for family read aloud. The illustrations are very sweet with lots of details.

Great thank you Great thank you

Great thank you

This is a classic book from my yesterday’s 1950’s childhood - the short stories & drawings are friendly & exceptional - I just had to see it again .\n

What a beautiful combination- children's poetry and Tasha Tudor's illustrations presented together in this HC book! The old fashioned stanzas align perfectly with Tasha Tudor's sentimental drawings. Some adults may love this beautiful book even more than children. Fully recommended.

I really enjoy reading the poems to my granddaughter and Tasha Tudor 's illustrations are amazing.

I skimmed this book before reading to my children. It's not really literature. There's one poem in particular, "good and bad children" that is pretty awful. Returned.

Excellent hardcover book. Beautiful illustrations. Great poems!