Poems about Family

Children who enjoy exploring the diversity of the English language will appreciate having a collection of poems about family to add to their library. Poetry is great to encourage reluctant readers to develop their skills, since the short format of a poem is less intimidating than reading a longer chapter book. Poetry about family life is appealing because family is one topic that every child can relate to.

Introduce your child to classic poetry with The Kingfisher Book of Family Poems. This excellent anthology includes work by Ogden Nash, Langston Hughes, Jack Prelutsky, Shel Silverstein, and a variety of up-and-coming poets. The 159 poems featured cover a wide range of emotions, so you're sure to find the perfect poem for almost any occasion.

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Haven't You Grown! is a great poetry anthology for discussing the range of family relationships, including stepfamilies, single parent families, extended families, and children who live apart from their biological parents. With plenty of thoughtful and offbeat selections, the poems in this book are sure to appeal to both young readers and their parents.

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Grandad's Tree: Poems about Family includes 20 short poems by poets such as Mary Ann Hoberman, Arnold Adoff, Grace Nichols, Christina Rossetti, Carl Sandburg, Eloise Greenfield, Judith Viorst, and Eve Merriam. In tones raging from serious to silly, these poems celebrate the diversity of modern family life.

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The Rainbow Hand: Poems about Mothers and Children is a collection of 18 short poems about mother and child relationships. Some poems are written from the mother's perspective, while others tell a story from the child's point of view. However, all of the poems address universal themes that young readers should appreciate.

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No Boys Allowed: Poems about Brothers and Sisters explores the complexity of sibling relationships. Whether your child is expecting a new brother or sister or simply can't seem to get along with the siblings he has, this book provides a great opportunity for discussing family dynamics.

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Like No Boys Allowed, Brothers and Sisters is a collection of family poems with a focus on sibling relationships. Titles in this book include "The Two of Us," "Mad at Dad," "Let's Make Up," and "Grandma and Her Sisters" - each accompanied by beautiful watercolor illustrations. The children in the illustrations are exclusively African-American, but the poems are thoughtful enough to deserve a place in any child's library.

For more children's poetry selections, please review our slideshow on Really Funny Poems for Kids.

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