Gladiola Garden by Effie Lee Newsome

Reprinted from the original, Gladiola Garden is a sweet poetry anthology featuring black children in its illustrations (and written by a black woman).

Gladiola Garden by Effie Lee Newsome. Living Book Press, 2020 (originally 1944), 184 pages.

• Reading Level: Ages 4-8
• Recommended for: All Ages

If you’ve been collecting poetry anthologies for children as long as I have, you’ll know that very few older volumes exist which feature children of color. While newer volumes are beginning to fill this gap, older children’s poetry has a different ring to it. Both deserve a place on your shelves, and I’m glad to find this gem which is both older and by a black author.

Robert Louis Stevenson (in A Child’s Garden of Verses) and A. A. Milne (Now We Are Six) are excellent examples of poets who took their young audience seriously, didn’t write down to them, and wrote poetry with care that reflected childlike concerns. Effie Lee Newsome continues in this same vein, writing poetry about flowers, trees, stars, children, and much more.

Gladiola Garden is divided into the following sections: Insects and Spiders; We, the Children; At the Creek; Vegetables and Fruit; The Birds; Puppets and Cookies; The Flowers; Squirrel Folk and Others; The Trees; Lights; The Skies; The Snow, the Rain and the Wind; and Christmas Time. Because this book was originally published more than 80 years ago, some sections are dated, especially the poetry in “Puppets and Cookies.” But the nature poetry will delight all young readers who also find faces in the flowers and wonder what the clouds are doing.

Most poems are quite short (4-12 lines) and will work well for memorization by children. Take Gladiola Garden along with you when you play outside, or when you’re stuck inside wishing you were outside! I have no doubt that children will be repeating their favorites in no time. And you just may find that your children are inspired to write their own poetry about God’s creation. (They would be in good company; the Bible contains much figurative language about the earth.)

Bottom Line: Gladiola Garden is a good poetry anthology to consider adding to your home library if you have young children, love poetry, and would like to diversify your collection.

Related Reading at Redeemed Reader

• Review: How Elegant the Elephant by Mary Ann Hoberman (starred review for this poetry picture book!)
• Review: All the Small Poems and Fourteen More by Valerie Worth (another lovely collection for children)
• Review: Glory, Too by Nikki Grimes—for adults who wish to diversify their own poetry collection! (This one is another starred review.)

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