In search of a children's poetry book

Cafe Society
1

My wife wants to give it to our grandchildren. She lost her copy long ago, after she took it to school to read to some of the kids there.

This book was published in the 50’s or 60’s, and in the title it says “…children’s poems to be read aloud” or words to that effect.

And within, are two poems that readily come to mind:

**The King’s Breakfast (By A. A. Milne)

The King asked The Queen, and,
The Queen asked
The Dairymaid:
“Could we have some butter for
The Royal slice of bread?”
The Queen asked the Dairymaid,
The Dairymaid
Said, “Certainly,
I’ll go and tell the cow
Now
Before she goes to bed.”**

It goes on and on and was our daughter loved this one.

Another was our son’s favorite. The Pirate Don Dirk of Dowdee,
but we can’t quote any lines accurately.

My poor wife is desperate to another copy of this book. Can you tell us the title
so we can go search for it?

2

Do you want the exact, specific book she remembers, or do you just want those poems?

The first poem is in A.A. Milne’s Christopher Robin poems, and available at fine WaldenBooks everywhere. Just ask the girl in the Children’s section for “Christopher Robin?” and she’ll wordlessly point.

The Pirate Don Dirk of Dowdee is online.
http://teachers.mpcsd.org/cbrewbaker/Brewbaker/2004/septpoetry.html

If you want the exact book, I’d strongly suggest you contact your local children’s librarian at the public library. IME your average children’s librarian has an encyclopedic knowledge of all children’s literature for the last 100 years, and dollars to donuts she’ll not only know what the title was, but has a copy herself, or can lay hands on one very similar with the same poems.

3

Is it this one? (It’s an eBay link, so in case it expires, it’s Favourite Poems to Read Aloud by Krusz. Wonder Books, 1958 then 1965. It’s the right era and would have been well-known. ABE has copies fairly cheap.)

4

Moving to Cafe Society from GQ.

Colibri
General Question Moderator

5

Thank you.

My daughter asked me to send her the Ebay link,and I just did.

6

Here’s an old clip from The Muppet Show that features Twiggy performing “The King’s Breakfast”. Thought you might enjoy it if you’ve never seen it.

7

Loved it! Sent it to my daughter.

Very nice of you, Max.