Somehow I recently stumbled upon this book at my local public library. I give it five out of five stars! I came home weary from being gone from home all day, and this book was the perfect pick me up to help me recover as I perused the pages and got engrossed in the beautiful combination of poetry and whimsical illustrations by Marjorie Priceman. It is a collection of poetry chosen by Julie Andrews, the famous actress of Mary Poppins/Maria Von Trapp fame, and her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton. Anytime you want to feel that “spoonful of sugar” magic to help your work go by faster, recite some poetry from this book!

Photo Credit: southhamptonsagharborbooks.com

I love that they have picked poems suitable for each month and season of the year. They also include poetry for birthdays, a new baby’s arrival, and the Sabbath Day. I looked up a few that are in the public domain and listed them with links in my Family Devotional Ebook. I wanted to list and link every single one they had included from the public domain, but I was so close to press time, I had to limit myself, LOL! These poems are so delightful! Some of the poems are in the public domain, some aren’t, and some are written by Julie and Emma themselves. They are not afraid of mentioning God, so they include poetry to go with religious holidays of Easter, Christmas, Hanukkah, and the Sabbath, as I just mentioned. The video below shows them reciting a poem from their first collection of poetry, “The King’s Breakfast.” I have checked that book out too, but I have to say, I prefer this newer collection with the seasonal and monthly themes and Ms. Priceman’s bright, colorful, whimsical illustrations.

I was never much into poetry until I got introduced to the power of it from LaDawn Jacob in her videos below. I mean, I dutiful studied poetry in my honors and AP English classes in high school but I didn’t feel any joy about it. But now I do! Poetry delights the brain. It helps us connect to others,  it teaches us, and it gives us something to do with our mind if we ever find ourselves in captivity, without a book, a screen, or a toy. LaDawn mentions that in the book, Seven Years in Hanoi, the author who was imprisoned kept sane by reciting poetry. As my homeschooling mama friend Martha Levie says, “Poetry is wallpaper for the mind.”

You can request access to the collection of poetry LaDawn has made here. Scroll down the page and click on the link with the title “Favorite Family Devotional Poems.”

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