Sign up for our free newsletter
Tuesday 14 September

Switching On The Moon

switching on the moonThough I was long ago (like, on day one) over the nightly battle that was part of our bedtime routine, I never, ever tired of the snuggly part, where we wrapped up and read as much as possible before admitting it was time for lights out. And I'm never tired, either, of solid, sweet children's books that allow me to read in a soft, calm, sleep-inducing  voice.

 

Switching On the Moon is a poetry anthology gathered by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters, with sweetly fuzzy illustrations by G. Brian Karas. It includes some sixty poems, but don't expect nursery rhymes here--you'll find work from Alfred, Lord Tennyson so your kid can get her Classics on, Children's Poet Laureate Mary Ann Hoberman, and even Sylvia Plath. (It's okay, this is pre-Bell Jar).

Switching On
has poems that are lovely, silly, wistful and above all, calming. There are bedtime poems, rainy day poems and brushing teeth poems -- and even a house favorite, for the sleepy mermaids among us:

Waves will rock you
Whales will sing you,
Starfish a night-light
Will bring you.
Hush, deep diver
Shush, shell keeper
Be your mother's
finny sleeper.
-Barbara

Find Switching On the Moon from our affiliate Amazon

Find More: Books for Kids

What a beautiful book, with such rich language. I think it's such a wonderful way for children to be exposed to these poets.

When they move on to study them when they grow older, it will be like revisiting old friends, and they'll be able to connect to the poetry on a much deeper level.

Leave a comment

Comment Policy: In an attempt to maintain a positive, productive, supportive community at Cool Mom Picks, we have the right to reject comments that are off-topic, self-promotional, inflammatory, or that bum us out for any reason. But you wouldn't do that anyway - you're too cool.