Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Lunch Box Mail and Other Poems
Poetry Picture Book
For ages 4 to 8
Henry Holt, 2001 ISBN: 0805062599
A child’s year is full of high moments and low ones. There are happy days full of grand adventures, and there are dark days when nothing seems to go right. This collection of poems explores all kinds of days in the lives of children of all ages.
Our poetical journey begins with that first day of school when there are “brand-new rules,” and “nervous knees,” and “shiny shoes.” Then there is that dreaded visit to the doctor when the child is coughing and sneezing. He does not want that dreaded “icy stethoscope” which “hops up my front and down my back.” And don’t forget those bad hair days. What is a kid supposed to do when she plays “hairdresser” “on a whim” and ends up with a lot less hair than is desirable?
Thankfully, these more stressful moments are balanced by moments that are full of discoveries and laughs. There is that wonderful moment when a child learns to read. All of a sudden, stop signs, labels on shipping crates, license plates, books, and other things are full of words that make sense. Who knew that reading could be so incredible? There are all those wonderful little notes that appear in lunch boxes from Mom and Dad. There are notes of love, good luck wishes, and even an April Fool.
In this collection of poems, Jenny Whitehead gives her readers glimpses into the lives of children. We share their likes – ice cream – and dislikes – “waiting for birthdays.” Best of all we can enjoy all the ways that Jenny plays with words to make her poems interesting, funny, calming, and silly.
