Children's Poems-Pass The Love Along

 Jan, my older sister by just over 2 years, had to memorize a poem when she was a little girl. (Do children even memorize poems anymore?)  I remember with great fondness the way she would recite this poem. I could only remember the beginning and ending lines of the poem and always liked the sound of it.  Thanks to the search engines, I was able to find it, which for some unknown reason has pleased me greatly.  Do you know this poem too?

Grandpa dropped his glasses
in a pot of dye,
And when he put them on again
He saw a purple sky.
Purple fires were rising up
From a purple hill.
Men were grinding
purple cider at a purple mill.
Purple Adeline
was playing with
a purple doll,
LIttle purple dragonflies
were climbing up the wall.
And at the supper table,
He got crazy as a loon,
From eating purple apple dumplings
With a purple spoon.

This poem was by Leroy F. Jackson and he was born in Canada but moved to North Dakota as a child and later, moved to Asheville, North Carolina and taught at a university there.  There is something about the rhythm of poetry, especially for children that I truly love.  My son remembers how much I would read to him, Dr. Seuss being one of my favorites, and hopefully, his too!  (As a child, I would read to my younger brother and sister, all the Dr. Seuss and Beatrix Potter books that I could.)

Pretty poppies, Pretty trees,
Pretty little lettuce leaves,
Pretty pebbles, red and brown,
Pretty floating thistledown,
Pretty baby, curly head,
Standing in a pansy bed.
Pretty clouds all white and curled,
Oh, the great big pretty world!

This poem is also by the same poet and it reminded me so much of Audrey when she wrote recently of her family and her baby standing up with no hands!  www.audreygoeslocal.blogspot.com

That is Audrey's blog name.  Audrey, I hope you will read these to your girls! And for anyone reading this, please read to your children.  I am sure that anyone who reads my blog also are great lovers of books but we need to make sure that we pass that love along.  Feel the love and beauty of words and pass it on!