CLASSIC TREASURY FIRST POEMS

Classic Treasury: First Poems

Compiled and Illustrated by Tig Thomas

Miles Kelly Publishing Ltd 2014

I am extremely interested in building up my personal library, and what better way to do that then add a collection of poems. Classic Treasury: First Poems allows me to view 383 different pieces in one setting. Tig Thomas did a fabulous job compiling each of these works. The illustrations are so eye catching with the illuminating color choices used cover to cover. There is also a table of contents and an index which makes finding the perfect poem as easy as 1, 2, 3. Two of my favorite pieces in this collection are "Betty Botter Bought Some Butter" and "Swan."

"Betty Botter Bought Some Butter"

•Anonymous Author•Page 43•

Everyone loves a great tongue twister and that is exactly what these two poems bring to the table. In "Betty Botter Bought Some Butter" you can challenge your friends with a speed round on who can complete a read aloud without getting tongue tied. While doing so, you can also see if Mrs. Betty Botter finds a solution to her cooking nightmare's of producing a bitter product.

"Swan"

•Anonymous Author•Page 295•

The next poem which I highly recommend for those readers whom love a challenge is "Swan". Much like the first poem, the reader must be extremely careful not to miss a letter sound. It can be very easy to do. The authors purpose of this poem is to do his best at tricking you! Check it out for yourself and see what you can do. 

As I mentioned above, the illustrations throughout this collection are very eye catching. The type of medium used for each of the pages are paintings. The illustrator, Tig Thomas, did a fabulous job ensuring that every image is unique, yet relates to the main idea of the poem. The primary character in "Betty Botter Bought Some Butter" is portrayed at the bottom of the page with a very simple background. She is standing over her bowl, with the butter in reach, ready to cook. The illustrator also uses a simple background for "Swan" with a watercolor painting of a vibrantly colored swan. Once again he used the image to represent the main idea/character of the poem. 

This collection of poems would be the perfect addition for your classroom library. There are many different types of poetry which could offer children a variety of styles to choose from. Each work could be suitable for a variety of ages. I would recommend using this collection for any kindergarten to sixth grade class. The two poems which I discussed would be more suitable for children in either first or second grade. Teachers could use them to reinforce sound patterns since these pieces are tricky tongue twisters. To assist this lesson, the teacher could create a word sort that each student completes at their table. This should be modeled by the teacher first, then the students could apply their knowledge and complete the assignment.