Ring of Words, The: An Anthology of Poetry for Children

Robert Frost said ‘poetry begins in delight and ends in wisdom’. McGough’s new anthology (now in paperback) more than satisfies this statement. A mixture of classic and contemporary poems takes the reader on a journey through themes of the seasons, animals, family, school and the world of the imagination. As Norman MacCaig says in ‘An Ordinary Day’, ‘I took my mind a walk/ Or my mind took me a walk’ and he saw ‘... how ordinary/ Extraordinary things are or/ How extraordinary ordinary/ Things are’. This selection shows the reader all this and more. There are the pure enjoyment poems that play with words and ideas and there are poems which elicit a deeper response, all beautifully integrated by McGough and dazzlingly illustrated by Kitamura. From Christina Rossetti and R L Stevenson to James Berry and Jackie Kay we travel through different cultures, thoughts, anxieties and experiences, meeting a colourful array of characters and situations on the way. The Ring of Words is an anthology for every mood, every moment and everybody and a great one to begin the new millennium.