Parents' Guide to

A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children

By Kate Pavao, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Beautiful collection of poetry and illustrations.

Book Caroline Kennedy Poetry 2006
A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

See all
age 8+

Based on 1 parent review

Paulus K.
Paulus K. Parent
September 11, 2017
age 8+

Save your money!

Yet another compilation by some famous person - in this case Caroline Kennedy - meant to entertain children. I'm roughly the same age as Ms. Kennedy, and I've read this collection in its entirety. That said, I would never have read it to my children, nor would I read it to my grand children. The poems are all quite dull and guaranteed to make any child want to leave the room and watch TV. If you want to get your children to appreciate good poetry - that which was written specifically for children - then pick up some Dr. Seuss books or 'Skipping Across The Rainbow Sea' by KT Iversen. Sure, the works of Dr. Seuss are really meant for younger children, but they are far better poetry than any of the tripe considered 'the classics'. Last of all, if you are simply looking for a great collection of books with a positive message then try any of the Serendipity Series by Stephen Cosgrove. These are not books of poetry, but your children will undoubtedly enjoy them more than they will this compilation by Ms. Kennedy. And they will learn far more from them as well!
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

As a follow up to 2001s The Best-Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Caroline Kennedy now puts together a wide range of poetry for children, from silly poems to works from the Bible.

\ \ Under headings such as "Animals" and "Bedtime," works by William Shakespeare and Walt Whitman mix with pieces by modern poets, such as Gwendolyn Brooks and Nikki Giovanni -- Kennedy even includes poems written by her mother. There are poems about dogs, the beach, Christmas trees -- even one about bedtime battles.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

A FAMILY OF POEMS: MY FAVORITE POETRY FOR CHILDREN by Caroline Kennedy makes poetry fun and largely accessible. It also reminds parents of the importance of reading poems with their kids -- not only to help them learn to express themselves, but also to give them memories of shared time together. This book can be read aloud to kids of any age -- and adults, too. Jon J. Muth's (Gershon's Monster: A Story for the Jewish New Year) gentle watercolor illustrations will draw the attention of even the youngest, and may help some of the poems make more sense.

Not all of the poems will come easily to kids. Nor do they all fall into their assigned categories just right. But there is still plenty here to appreciate and enjoy. Parents are likely to recognize many of the poems in this collection, and they -- and their kids -- are sure to find new favorites.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the author's comment that her mother's scrapbook "evokes who we were as well as if it were a photo album." Follow one of her childhood projects: Ask your kids to select, copy, and illustrate a favorite poem instead of giving you a birthday or holiday gift, and paste their work in a special scrapbook.

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate