When I was little, one of my sisters, 10 years my senior, worked at a children's bookstore. She introduced me to my favorite author of all time, Shel Silverstein. I actually broke the binding on my copy of Where the Sidewalk Ends, from the hours and hours I spent reading this amazing book. I recently discovered another book of children's poems that captivated me as well. This book, If Gumdrops Fell Like Raindrops, by Thalia Marakas, is one of the most well-written, entertaining, and fun collection of poems.
This is the first book by Thalia Marakas, a mother of two, who has been writing children's poetry for over a decade. What I love the most about her poems, are the topics they embrace. For example, her poem My Mom Just Had a Baby, is written from the perspective of an older child dealing with the changes and challenges associated with a younger sibling coming home. All parents of 2+ children can relate to the anxiousness felt inside when bringing home a new baby. In my situation, I tried to prepare my older son, but didn't have anything "tangible" to read him or show him. What a wonderful idea it would have been to explore his feelings in this situation by reading Thalia's poem.
Another excellent poem in the collection is My Pet Died. It starts out exploring and accepting the sadness a child feels from the loss of the pet, the anger that next ensues, and finally the healing of the child's heart. We haven't experienced this yet in my house, but I know when our "Dorothy" goldfish passes, we will be a little better prepared.
If Gumdrops Fell Like Raindrops is also available on CD. I have to admit, my sons have not listened to the CD yet, but I have! I popped it in my computer one night, and before I knew it, I had listened to the whole disc. The narration and sound effects are phenomenal and add another fun dimension to the words of the poems. I never realized how much more I love poetry when it is read TO me. However, I highly recommend you follow along with the book as you listen to the CD, otherwise you will miss out on the beautiful illustrations by Ben Griffin.
Every family has the "classic" children's books, i.e. Guess How Much I Love You and Goodnight Moon, but not everyone has this gem, If Gumdrops Fell Like Raindrops. Delight your child today by visitingthe author's websiteand add it to their special collection.
