My Bookman brought me home a wonderful book last night. A children’s book called Please Bury Me in the Library by J. Patrick Lewis and Illustrated by Kyle M. Stone. Have you seen this delightful book? The illustrations are rich paintings that mostly feature animals with books. The illustrations accompany short, rhymed poems about books, reading, or words. The poems are light and cheery and frequently humorous, the kind young children love and grown-ups too. And speaking of grown-ups, why is it this kind of fun poetry is written only for kids? Why are adults only allowed to take pleasure in silly rhyme when it appears in a children’s book? It certainly doesn’t seem fair, but thank goodness there is nothing preventing us from reading kids’ books!
There are several poems I want to post for you but I don’t want to get the copyright police after me so I’ll only post the titular poem. But when next you are at the library or bookstore, look for this book and read the rest of the poems and enjoy the fun illustrations.
Please Bury Me in the Library
Please bury me in the library
In clean, well-lighted stacks
Of Novels, History, Poetry,
Right next to the Paperbacks,
Where the Kids’ Books dance
With True Romance
And the Dictionary dozes.
Please bury me in the library
With a dozen long-stemmed proses.
Way back by a rack of Magazines,
I won’t be sad too often,
If they bury me in the library
With Bookworms in my coffin.
What a delightful poem! I know just the expectant mother who’s getting this for a present…
Very cute!
Oh! I want that poem.
I meant that book. lol I loved the poem.
How lovely! What a neat idea, I love the poem!
I’ll have to look for this book. What a nice Bookman to bring it home to you! And I have to say, this kind of poetry is right up my alley!
Oh yes, why is it that only children are supposed to enjoy this kind of poetry? It happens to be my favorite kind. I did happen upon The Library of America’s collection of Light Verse a few years back, and loved it, so maybe it’s becoming more acceptable for adults at this point.
That poem would make a nifty bookplate for a birthday gift!
Aw, that was absolutely adorable! I know one the books I’ll be looking for when next I’m in the bookstore.
That’s a great poem! I love fun poetry and try to get hold of the adult equivalent whenever possible. You might like Wendy Cope, Stefanie, who’s the funnest poet I know. Followed by Sophie Hannah.
I’m going to be looking for this one, too. Always on the lookout for books for the grandkids, and if the books have poetry and deal with reading — all the better!
That’s great — it sounds like a wonderful book.
This is great! Love it . . . now, if only I can come up with an excuse to get this book for myself. Do you suppose reading it to a couple of highly literate (when we’re not looking, of course) cats is a good enough excuse to buy a children’s book for a household with no children?
What really got me? The line “With a dozen long-stemmed proses.” Wonderful!
Aw, this is so cute! We are off to the bookstore tonight so I’m going to see if they have it. I want to check out some of the other poems.
Oh, that looks a lovely book – I’ll have to find it!
Another poem written here from (a faulty) memory. The author is English, probably 20th century, but I don’t recall the name.
When I am dead
I hope it is said
That his sins were scarlet
But his books were read
To all of you booklovers out there: thanks, at times I think I’m the only one.
Rich
Glad you all liked the poem!
Litlove, thanks for the recommendations, I will be looking them up for sure!
Inkslinger, I have no children either and think it’s perfectly ok to buy children’s books. And I love the long-stemmed proses too!
Rich, thanks for the rhyme! Very aspirational
We just got this book at my library and I had to sit and read it before releasing it to the public! Very cute.
Rich’s comic poem is from the poet Hilaire Belloc. I always recall this one myself.
This book looks lovely! When I was working in bookselling I used to regularly volunteer to straighten the childrens section, just so I could read the books!
One of favourites was Oliver Jeffers, ‘The Incredible Book Eating Boy’, which tells the lovely tale of a boy, who funnily enough, starts eating books and as a result becomes really smart but at a price. It’s such a wonderful message for children about the power of books.