AND THE GREEN GRASS GREW ALL AROUND: FOLK POETRY FROM EVERYONE By: Alvin Schwartz

Bibliography
Schwartz, Alvin. 1992. AND THE GREEN GRASS GREW ALL AROUND: FOLK POETRY FROM EVERYONE. Ill. Sue Truesdell. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN: 0060227575.

Plot Summary
Alvin Schwartz had a love for the rhymes he learned as a child. He then took these rhymes and compiled them with others he found in his research to create a book of folk poetry. Schwartz has broken these poems into many sections (people, food, school, teases and taunts, wishes and warnings, love and marriage, work, stories, nonsense, riddles, fun and games, rain and shine, a tree, animals and insects, and other things. The author then includes a section of notes and sources that provide the reader with the background to many of the well-known and loved folk poems.

Critical Analysis
Schwartz has created a book full of poems and rhymes that many people grew up with. It is interesting to see a poem that you remember from childhood that actually has more verses than you thought it did (for example, I had never heard all the verses to "On top of spaghetti") and then you can go and find information on how he found that particular rhyme and notes that he felt were important. By placing the rhymes in sections with headings and a short explanation, Schwartz has made it easier for the reader to find poems with a particular theme. Also, the addition of notes and sources creates a great history of folk poets and poem origins and backgrounds. These fun poems would be a great addition to a storytime or fun, short things to share with kids at anytime.

Sue Truesdale uses black and white cartoon style drawings to lend humor and fun to Schwartz's collection of folk poems. She also has a way of depicting literal meanings for some of the poems that also add to the humor of the words.

Overall, this book has a great mix of folk poems and humorous illustrations to create a fun reading experiment.

Review Excerpts
starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "A marvelous book that is sure to become a classic"
starred review in BOOKLIST: "The late Alvin Schwartz has left a joyful legacy in this collection of folk poetry for everyone to share."
KIRKUS REVIEWS: "It's hard to imagine a child who wouldn't greet this treasure trove with enthusiasm."

Connections:
*Combine teaching poems with actual lessons to create a fun and exciting way to learn. (Example: "Berries red, have no dread" poem from page 115)
*Use this book as an introduction to poetry for children because it uses short, humorous rhymes.
*The jump rope style poems could be joined with Jump Rope for Heart or other jump roping activity in Physical Education class to give the kids rhyming verses to sing and keep them motivated.
*Related books
Eccleshare, Julia and Selina Young. FIRST POEMS. ISBN 0872263738
Hall, Donald. THE OXFORD ILLUSTRATED BOOK OF AMERICAN CHILDREN'S POEMS. ISBN 1417607259.