Our last post reminded us of our childhood favourite poem, from Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘A Child’s Garden of Verses’. It was called ‘The Land of Counterpane’.. and was all about when you
are ill in bed and you have all your toys around you and play wonderful (slightly listless) games. There is another very suspect poem in this book.. i think it is called ‘Foreign Children’.. anyway.. never in your whole life have you read such an un-pc racist poem.. and imagine it is for CHILDREN!.. Anyway.. i always rip that page out when i get a copy.. so perhaps you should too!
The Mikes gang went to Moonlight Cinema to see ‘Nacho Libre’ last night and much chortling ensued at the site of Jack in his stretchy pants… oh.. he is so lovely really! Thanks erin for letting us know it was showing!
Happy day to you, friends!
xx mikes
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Aug 14, 2012 Jessica rated it did not like it
I would not recommend this book to children. Though it might be a fun read aloud to very young children who do not understand words very well yet because of the well-crafted rhythms and rhymes, most children would not understand these poems on their own. Some of them are simple enough that they would make sense, but many deal with things that were part of the English way of life back in the late 1800s when this collection was written. The coming generation of children will not understand many of I would not recommend this book to children. Though it might be a fun read aloud to very young children who do not understand words very well yet because of the well-crafted rhythms and rhymes, most children would not understand these poems on their own. Some of them are simple enough that they would make sense, but many deal with things that were part of the English way of life back in the late 1800s when this collection was written. The coming generation of children will not understand many of these things because they will have nothing to compare them to in these modern times. For that reason, if this book is to be shared with children, I would recommend using it as a read aloud so that children can ask questions and get an explanation of what these foreign things are. Even then, I would still not recommend this book to children younger than 8 because the vocabulary is rather complex, even for an 8-year-old, and some of the topics it discusses are rather philosophical, which will be difficult for younger children to grasp. In all reality, I would rather recommend a collection of Shel Silverstein’s poetry over this one because it is more expressly directed at children of all ages during these modern times. ...more
Feb 07, 2021 Shannon rated it liked it
At the beginning, I was skeptical. The poems lacked the prodigious charm of A.
A. Milne, who was our introduction to poetry, so in comparison they felt rather bland at first. The turning point came when the three-year-old specifically requested a repeat of a poem about a shadow. For a poem without a picture to make enough of an impression on this preschooler to request again from memory...I realized Stevenson was probably on to more than I snobbishly assumed, and from there began to read with a At the beginning, I was
skeptical. The poems lacked the prodigious charm of A. A. Milne, who was our introduction to poetry, so in comparison they felt rather bland at first. The turning point came when the three-year-old specifically requested a repeat of a poem about a shadow. For a poem without a picture to make enough of an impression on this preschooler to request again from memory...I realized Stevenson was probably on to more than I snobbishly assumed, and from there began to read with a greater goodwill. By the
end, I appreciated just how well Stevenson was able to capture a child's perspective on the world. Several poems stood out as being exactly how I remember thinking as a child, like the one about building blocks. One poem my kids asked for over and over again was drawing a comparison between the boy sleeping in his bed and a ship on a voyage, so Mommy had occasion to be pleased that they were being ushered repeatedly into the presence of an extended metaphor.
Some nice classic lines, especiallyabout the land of Nod, but there was one that was quite racist, I could just imagine these same kids growing up to be proper colonizers... from the poem Foreign Children: ..."you have curious things to eat, I am fed on proper meat... little Indian, Sioux or Crow, little frosty Eskimo, little Turk or Japanee, oh! Don't you wish that you were me?" :-( YUCK!!!!! No need to pass these on. Some nice classic lines, especiallyabout the land of Nod, but there was one that was quite racist, I could just imagine these same kids growing up to be proper colonizers... from the poem Foreign Children: ..."you have curious things to eat, I am fed on proper meat... little Indian, Sioux or Crow, little frosty Eskimo, little Turk or Japanee, oh! Don't you wish that you were me?" :-( YUCK!!!!! No need to pass these on. ...more
Oct 02, 2020 Becky rated it it was amazing
I love this book! While I know it is a classic and very beautifully written, my love for it is the memories it brings. My grandfather was a farmer. He was born in 1915 in a very rural area. He was only allowed to go to 8th grade, yet he would often quote Robert Lewis Stevenson to me. He would tousle my hair and begin i have a little shadow.........
Feb 04, 2021 Aurora rated it it was amazing
There was a copy of this book in my library when I was a child and
my Mother and I spent many pleasant hours reading it. It's been years since I thought about it, but as I listened, I found myself reciting the lines along with the narrator. Some memories just don't fade away.
Thanks to narrator Michael Sheppard or helping me to relive some treasured moments. There was a copy of this book in my library when I was a child and my Mother and I spent many pleasant hours reading it. It's been years since I thought
about it, but as I listened, I found myself reciting the lines along with the narrator. Some memories just don't fade away.
Thanks to narrator Michael Sheppard or helping me to relive some treasured moments. ...more
Dec 24, 2021 N.B. Shaver rated it it was amazing
Transported into the world of a child at play, at rest, at wonder. So lovely to think back upon the days of innocence and delight in the simplest things. A stick, a sword. A shadow, a friend. Mother, sister, nurse companions all. What a wonderful reflection on the beauty of childhood in verse. Just lovely.
AR Quiz No. 19095 EN Nonfiction
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: LG - BL: 3.4 - AR Pts: 0.5
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP
Jan 05, 2019 Serena rated it liked it
This is a nice book of poetry not just for children, but for adults who may want to revisit the fun of playing with toy soldiers, sailing toy boats, and having battles with toy weapons.
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer, and a leading representative of English literature. He was greatly admired by many authors, including
Jorge Luis Borges, Ernest Hemingway, Rudyard Kipling and
Vladimir Nabokov. Most modernist writers dismissed him, however, because he was popular and did not write within their narrow definition of literature. It is onl Most modernist writers dismissed him, however, because he was popular and did not write within their narrow definition of literature. It is only recently that critics have begun to look beyond Stevenson's popularity and allow him a place in the Western canon.
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