Though I love the idea of having poems from all around the world available for students, I did not like how this particular book comprised the poetry. I did not like this poetry book for 2 reasons. Firstly, the language of the book, and secondly, the comprehension aspect of certain poems. The diction or language of poetry is highly important, but in this collection, it often was presented only in a foreign language. Assuming that the reader speaks no more than two languages, the lack of translation of the foreign poetry creates a barrier and a lack of understanding. For example, Xiao Peng You, Gou Gou Shou from China does not have a translation. Though the poem may be sweet or even insightful with beautiful language, those who do not speak the language of the poem lose the meaning and importance of the language. The main idea of this collection is present the reader with authentic poems from around the world ( )

This is a collection of rhymes from around the world. Each two page spread contains the poem translated into English, as well as the poem in its original language. It is neat to compare the words and rhythms, as well as see what children around the world memorize to recite! The colorful collage illustrations really enhance the book.