# In search of a children's poetry book **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 12, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-search-of-a-childrens-poetry-book/459740 "2008-08-12T15:38:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-search-of-a-childrens-poetry-book/459740/1 "2008-08-12T15:38:44Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-search-of-a-childrens-poetry-book/459740/2 "2008-08-12T15:57:30Z")
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](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. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-search-of-a-childrens-poetry-book/459740/3 "2008-08-12T16:28:33Z")
Is it [this one](http://cgi.ebay.com/FAVORITE-POEMS-TO-READ-ALOUD-COPYRIGHT-1965_W0QQitemZ270126303655QQihZ017QQcategoryZ279QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting)? (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.) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-search-of-a-childrens-poetry-book/459740/4 "2008-08-12T16:36:41Z")
Moving to Cafe Society from GQ. Colibri General Question Moderator ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-search-of-a-childrens-poetry-book/459740/5 "2008-08-13T00:54:45Z")
Thank you. My daughter asked me to send her the Ebay link,and I just did. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-search-of-a-childrens-poetry-book/459740/6 "2008-08-13T15:32:54Z")
Here’s an old clip from **The Muppet Show** that features Twiggy performing [“The King’s Breakfast”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xnawBm-tE4). Thought you might enjoy it if you’ve never seen it. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-search-of-a-childrens-poetry-book/459740/7 "2008-08-13T17:24:46Z")
[QUOTE=Max Torque] Here’s an old clip from **The Muppet Show** that features Twiggy performing [“The King’s Breakfast”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xnawBm-tE4). Thought you might enjoy it if you’ve never seen it. [/QUOTE] Loved it! Sent it to my daughter. Very nice of you, **Max.**