I have two children but three copies of this book, each tattered and taped and torn from reading and re-reading. The book claimed the kids' imagination when they were barely a year old, and held it for a long, long time. The pictures are the kind that children who can't walk yet can walk into to create a world of their own. I now have nieces and nephews that I want to give this book to, but sadly it is out of print. Please reprint it!

This was my absolute favorite book in the whole world when I was growing up! I would stare at the pictures for HOURS making up stories to go with them (since I couldn't yet read). I think this is where I learned to be creative and to enjoy the simple things in life. My favorite picture is of all the children playing at the playground. I loved this book to pieces... LITERALLY! I need a new copy! Please, PLEASE reprint this book! ...

This was my favorite book as a child in the seventies - my mom tells me we read this one book over and over each night before bed! Our copy was so well-loved that it was thrown away years ago, and I've since been searching for another copy of this special book for myself and for friends who are having children. PLEASE REPRINT THIS BOOK!

My sister gave this book to my daughter when she was born 35 years ago. She loved it and I loved sharing it with her. I have pictures of her lying in her crib looking at this book before she was a year old. My son loved it, my Sunday School babies loved it and all these years I give it to every new baby I know & all the kids and parents love it! A wonderful tool for teaching babies to recognize objects & sounds and to recognize themselves and establish a love for reading and books.

As a Child this was my favorite book. I still have it today in my baby trunk althought the binding is all worn off. Now for newborns this is always the first gift they get. I recently gave it to my 10 month old cousin, she loved turning the pages and looking at the colorful pictures.I am glad to see that after 27 years this book has survived. A wonderful book for Babies!

I've read this to my daughter since she was 4 mos. At 16 mos. she just loves this book. I use the pictures of babies doing things like being nice to a younger child, doing things for themselves, and being good or naughty to talk to her about day-to-day events. When I read the line, "All babies liked to be hugged and cuddled and loved," my daughter snuggles close to me and says, "Oh Baby." This book is priceless. The illustrations are not only beautiful but feature children of diverse backgrounds.

This is a beautifully illustrated tender story for snuggling at storytime with your little one.

When my son was five months old, I learned I was expecting another baby. My nurse-practitioner recommended this book as a first reading experience for my son and as an introduction to having a baby sibling. We read the book almost daily until his sister was born. It was a marvelous experience for all three of us. I am getting two copies for my first and second grandchildren, who will be six weeks apart in age! What a lovely thing to pass down the generations.

If you have read some of Gyo Fujikawa's other books, like "Oh, What a Busy Day", then you know they can have some strange stories. Why include the one about the two kids who go out into the woods and die? Still, this book is great. The drawings all have a very relaxed soft feeling and the underlying lesson is to be gentle with animals. This is a good book to share with your child at bedtime, while he/she is cuddled in your lap. The last page is a special treat, lots of baby animals. My daughter loves play a version of "I Spy" when we get to that page, pointing out the owl or monkey or other baby animals as I call out their names.

This is more than a kids's book to me: it is a treasured family heirloom.

The Volland Edition of Mother Goose Nursery rhymes is a well-worn book that sits on our lowest shelf for our kids to access freely. This has resulted in a bit of fraying on the edges of the pages and a binding that has started falling apart. But I have no regrets that my kids have returned to this book often and with anticipation when I announce that it is story time.

In this Mother Goose collection, you will find all the favorite rhymes in their original form; beautiful, sentimental, at times seemingly savage to our 21st century sensibilities - they were all written without regard to political correctness. For instance, the little old woman who lived in a shoe actually whipped all her children soundly before sending them to bed (not "kissed"), and Jack and Jill really do "break their crowns" instead of their hats or just bumping their heads. A few other selections mention the deaths of children and animals. Parents will have to prepare to explain some serious things to children after reading some of these rhymes.

The language back then was apparently more sophisticated than modern versions: consider "The Cat and the Fiddle" in which the little dog laughed to see such craft, which rhymes rather better than the later versions' (dumbed down) sport or play. In my opinion, that only adds to their color and charm. Hey, you can use it as an educational opportunity to teach new word usages to your kids.

But the real reason to choose this rhyme book is that the Volland Edition of Mother Goose is illustrated with an eye to beauty that you simply won't find in modern nursery rhyme books. That is what really sets the Volland Edition apart from all the modern collections; magical, perfect watercolors for each rhyme. No picture book since the Volland Edition has matched the quality here and I do believe that children enjoy good artwork and benefit from it greatly. In my case, this very book was inspirational in setting a high standard for my aspirations to become an artist someday.

As a great way to teach children poems and rhymes that will stay with them their whole lives, or as a valued heritage from another century, the Volland Mother Goose is one book every family should experience IMHO.
-Andrea, aka Merribelle

So many memories of this book with my children! Wonderful illustrations for receptive language. The picture of Mother Goose's house on the inside cover with so many details, especially the cat asleep under the bench by the door was a favorite. I gave this book to many, many friends for years and invariably it became a favorite. Though I kept an old copy which I gave to my first grandchild, I now have three more grandchildren. Wish that it would be reprinted. I would stock up! We also enjoyed other Gyo Fujikawa illustrated books.

My grandmother read this book to me over and over again when I was very small. I loved the illustrations, especially the one for "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" at the end of the book that shows a tiny child watching the stars outside at night. This book captured my imagination and stirred my senses like no other. I hope it will last through my own children and maybe my grandchildren, too!

My father read to us from this book when we were children, and all of us had our favorites. When I saw it had been reprinted, I bought a few! I have been reading to my kids from the old copy for several years.

The variety of poetry in this collection is astounding. Poems date back to Shakespeare, into Dickenson's time, and also as recently as the 1960's. There are classics like Wynken, Blynken and Nod, but newer ones like What is Pink? A Rose is Pink. There are poems from women as well as men, and there is variety in the length as well.

The one thing that all these poems have in common is their beauty. Recently children's poets have resorted to ickiness and shock to attract children. These poems use language that expands their vocabulary and makes them want to use these new words themselves. My children have started using words like prithee!

The illustrations in this book are as attractive to me now as they were when I was a child, and my children love them as well. The illustration for Daffodils makes a person feel as though we are wandering lonely as a cloud with the child as well. If this book were more widely available, I would buy a stack to give out at baby showers.

My 35 year old daughter still has her copy of this book which I gave to her when she was 2 or 3 yrs. old. We spent many hours over many years reading the poems.

It is a beautiful, warm experience to lose onesself in this book.
I never tire of just leafing through the pages once more.

I want this book for my grandchildren. It definitely is due to be reprinted.

I still have my copy of A Child's Book of Poems, my most beloved childhood book. I read from it to my son every night. This is the most beautifully illustrated anthology of poems by great poets, some famous and some not so well known (from William Blake to William Shakespeare) I have ever seen! I have so many of the poems memorized that I hardly have to look at the words, allowing me to soak up the fantastic artwork as I get lost in a wonderland of rhyme. It is a shame that this book is not still in print.

I loved the book. My copy was stolen from me and I would love to find another one in great condition for my children. I grew up looking at the pictures and reading over and over again my absolute favorite poems in the book.

This was my favorite book as a child- in fact, it was how I learned to read- by following the words my mom read to me. Now I would love to find it for my daughter

I have five children ranging in age from 19 to two years of age. We were fortunate enough to obtain this book for our first child and have enjoyed reading it to each one since. It along with Babies by the same author is one of the best ways to teach very young children about every day emotions such as anger, happiness and love. The illustrations are charming and the stories delightful. I was sorry to learn that it is out of print but am happy to tell you that Babies is still available. After reading hundreds of childrens books these remain at the top of my list.

I loved this book when I was a little girl. It's a very cute story about 3 children, Mary, Larry, and Harry, who become best friends. The story explores their friendship and tells about all the things the children like to do together. The illustrations are beautiful and distinctive, and they remind me a bit of Japanese anime. I am sad to learn that this book is out of print; it a lovely story if you are able to find it.

Betty Bear's Birthday was one of my favorite picture books as a pre-schooler, and I am saddened to see that it is out of print. It's a very sweet story about a little bear named Betty who believes that everyone has forgotten her birthday until her friends surprise her with a special picnic. The illustrations are beautiful and remind me a bit of Japanese anime. If you are able to find this book, it's certainly a nice addition to any child's library.

"When I grow up, I'm NEVER going to sleep!", declares a little boy to his younger sister. What a wonderfully written book for small children that teaches that after playing the day away, sleep is not far behind. This book contains the most adorable illustrations I have ever encountered and is written so that toddlers easily understand its content. A wonderfully sweet and simple book.

I discovered this book 31 years ago, for my daughter and it is still loved by all the family. The illustrations are wonderful, warm, charming and delightful and bring a special meaning to the story. We still read it to all the young children on Christmas Eve and for adults we read the story and pass a grab bag gift every time the word THE is mentioned. It would not be Christmas without this book. It is magical.

We have an inexpensive paperback version (see our reviews) of this classic poem, and we said that's enough for us. That was before we looked through this beautifully illustrated (by Bruce Whatley) edition of The Night Before Christmas.

The lyrics are the same, from book to book, but the fanciful illustrations in this one are enough to engage adults and children as they read this book together.

The perfect gift for any family whose Christmas tradition includes reading this classic!

This beautiful book was in my family as a hard cover edition for many years and was a Christmas Eve tradition for my four sons when they were growing up. It's poor battered body disappeared some time after the last of my little ones went off into the adult world. I am so delighted to see it back again, though this time as a nicely affordable soft cover. Clement C. Moore's enchanting story poem already provides an atmosphere filled with warmth and joyful expectation and with the addition of Tasha Tudor's quaint, nostalgic water-colors from an antique New England the Christmas magic is complete!
The winter landscapes fill our senses and Tasha's own gray tabby cat and Welsh Corgi welcome us into this charming world.
Tasha's Santa that you will meet in this book has been portrayed as the poem describes him...a right jolly old elf. He's not that much larger than the corgi and his team really consists of eight "tiny" reindeer. His pointy ears and his Eskimo mukluks add to the delightful ambiance of the book. He dances with the toys and with the happy animals and we can truly believe it will be a happy Christmas for all.
I hope this book becomes a Christmas Eve tradition for many, many more families.