Poetry for Children

[cupcakes]

I would like to get an anthology of poetry that I can read to my children, mainly my ds who is 5. Can anyone recommend a good one? Preferably illustrated.
TIA!

There are masses and masses, and they vary so much according to taste. Look in your library, and try out a few so that you know what angle you like - heavy on the pictures/light on the text or the other way around; collections of classics only vs. some other kind of principle, like "from around the world"; a general collection, or thematic, like "animals" or "nonsense" or "funny".

(Eg, we like classic/lots of text/funny; not that interested in translated/heavy on pictures/soppy.)

If you want just a general starter, I think the Hutchinson Treasuries are always well done.

v popular chez Enid

Enid, that looks fantastic! I love the description of 'stepping stone from nursery rhyme to poetry' - exactly what I was hoping for.
Will have a look for Hutchinson now too.

Hard to choose. Will have to visit a bookshop to compare illustrations and the like.

What about A.A. Milne ('When we were very young' and 'Now we are six')? I read 'There once was a dormouse who lived in a bed / of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red)' to my dds (3 and 5) only tonight, and they loved it. We also like 'James, James, Morrison, Morrison...' and the one about 'the butter for the royal slice of bread'. I find the 'readability' mixed (some poems don't scan as well as I'd like for reading aloud), but a lot of them are really lovely, and although some are very clearly dated ('Nanny let my beetle out', etc.) I don't find that impairs the enjoyment.

I used to love 'James. James...'
Will have to get those too!

Are most frequently consulted poetry anthology is: BBC: The nation's favourite children's poems It's not big on illustrations. But it does have all the 'classics' .. from A A Milne to Hilaire Belloc to Spike Milligan and Roald Dahl. I love it.

I nearly always find it has the poem I am looking for.