"Climb Into My Lap" is the perfect poetry book to share with young children. Here are funny poems and story poems, rhymes to go with finger games, and verses to evoke the imaginative worlds of make-believe. Here, too, are poems that speak directly to youngsters about their budding independence, as poets explore everything from the instant a child declares "See, I can do it all myself" to a range of favorite "Secret Places." Most of all, here are poems about children's special relationships with family and friends.

In the tradition of his popular "Side by Side: Poems to Read Together," acclaimed anthologist Lee Bennett Hopkins has gathered another breathtaking selection of poems meant to be read aloud. He combines old favorites like "On Top of Spaghetti," "Jabberwocky," "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod," and "Eentsy, Weentsy Spider" with never-before-published poems. Beloved poets Robert Louis Stevenson, Edward Lear, Christina Rossetti, and Nancy Willard share these pages with new voices. And Kathryn Brown's airy, luminous artwork illustrates them all with quirky, unforgettable characters and imaginative details.

Wondrous words and beautiful art make "Climb Into My Lap" an ideal gift book for young children any time of the year. Invite a youngster to climb into your lap and read this collection together. As Lee Bennett Hopkins says, you'll be giving a gift -- of sharing and of poetry -- that will enrich that child for a lifetime.