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Big Book of Verse for Aussie Kids by Jim Haynes
From the minute I flicked this book open to find one of the most moving
poems of my childhood Little
Boy Blue by Eugene Field on page 244 I was hooked. And I could prove
to my children that there was a
poem about The Triantiwontigongolope and I hadn’t just made it
up.
In the book is most incredible array of poetry ever gathered together
in one book and I defy anyone not to
find a poem they have either heard, read or enjoy. All of the verses
are in rhyme which makes for very
easy reading.
With classics from Australian bards in the ilk of Banjo Patterson, CJ
Dennis and Henry Lawson to ditties
by anonymous authors such as If You Meet a Crocodile and Song of a Sock
there is something for
everyone in this book.
It also includes poetry from those whose verses are classics, loved by
generations of Australians, even
though the authors may be from the USA or the UK. So the likes of Rudyard
Kipling, Alfred Noyes,
Spike Milligan and Eugene Field make an appearance in the book.
Young boys who are not readers will find their funny bones tickled by
the limericks and traditional poems
about worms (Nobody Loves Me and Erky Perky) and dogs’ toilet habits
(Dog Poo and Pooper Scooper).
Of course the inimitable Mr. Haynes has some of his own verse in the
book including Rindercella - A
Tairyfale, The Noses Holiday and How Silly Can You Get.
This is a book that should be in every Australian classroom and home.
Raelene Hall, Freelance Writer/Editor/Publisher,
WA
This is a great book. The very next
day after looking through the book and reading many of the great
poems inside, my Grade 5 class were bringing some of the many, varied
poems to life, The Highwayman
by Alfred Noyes being one which was eagerly snapped up for a piece of
readers’ theatre.
With a bumper 389 pages and varied contents ranging from sections about, “Crazy
Creatures” and “All
around Australia”, the reader will be entertained in many ways.
Each poem serves as a great example of a
certain type of poetry, with a great section on limericks, sure to become
a favourite.
This book would be a valuable addition to any classroom as the poems
cover the whole range of ages
teachers might be teaching, from Kindergarten to the higher grades. The
poems included give students the
opportunity to read, act out, verse speak and enjoy good, wholesome and
provoking language at its best.
Whilst the books is called Big Book of Verse for Aussie Kids, the reader
will find many poems not written
by Australians, however many of these poems from mainly European writers
are ones that have helped
shape and from the Aussie culture and deserve a place in the poetry reading
of Aussie kids today.
This is a great book, useful for all ages, and a fun and interesting
read.
Francesca Massey, Exeter Primary School, Tas
Australian poets and those connected
to this beautiful land are gathered together by Jim Haynes in an
amazing collection for kids.
Our family came originally from England and many of these verses have
helped us gain a deeper
understanding of our adopted culture. We loved the anonymous poem Melbourne
about the MCG and
Circular Quay!
Dog Poo by Tulip Kilbourne was a real hit with my boys, as one had experienced
similar during the
previous week!
Chapter 14: the “Fun With Words” section really made us laugh
out loud. And a verse or two has become
ingrained in the boys’ brains.
We had recently attended a performance of The Spare Parts Puppet Theatre’s
The Man from Snowy River
by AB ‘Banjo’ Patterson, so to read more of his work had
meaning and was the most interesting‘Australian’ history
lesson we have had of late. We haven’t read every poem in this
beautiful collection, preferring to digest it slowly, savouring its
delights.
My husband particularly loved Don Bradman by Jim Haynes himself.
The boys have illustrated a couple of poems, one being Daddy Fell into
the Pond by Alfred Noyes.
Jim Haynes makes educating kids (spelling, language, history, geography,
nature, sport) fun and easy.
Why use boring resources when the learning can be enjoyable?
Tongue Twisters, Limericks, Epitaphs, Creatures Great and Small: This
book has it all – and just that
little bit more too...
The Roach Family, home educators, WA
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