A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers Paperback – Picture Book, October 29, 1982

This is one of my favorite children’s books of poems. My son loved this when he was little. The poems tell a story (sort of) and the illustrations are wonderful.

A delightful Newbery Medal and Caldecott Honor book. Quirky and whimsical poetry. This book is pure joy.

Art

The poems of this book tell the story of the Inn of William Blake, with odd creatures in the attic, and an array of animal characters with distinct personalities. Academically it does resemble the writings of Blake, but the underlying "educational" value pales in comparison to value this book had as part of my toddler's good night routine. When reading aloud, the poems have a rhythm and measure to them which almost becomes musical, yet is calming and a visual delight at the same time. Also, it can easily be broken into smaller portions by selecting a different poem or two each night. This was a wonderful read when my son was a toddler until about 6, and both of us still remember verses from our favorite poems (or the entire poem) six or more years later.

Let me say upfront that I am not a poetry fan, but I do wish my kids to learn to appreciate this art and so I bought this book with that goal in mind. In the end, I feel it meets those needs admirably. The poems are funny (along with their accompanying illustrations) and stand alone, yet tell a loose tale when read together. The rhythm is not uniform for every poem, which is perfect to demonstrate that poems are not all have the same structure.I didn't finish this book and then convert to a poetry lover, but I did find it enjoyable and I can still admire its quality. It is a work worthy to share with my children.

(Full disclosure: I'm a poet raising an arty and brainy kid, so that certainly colors my opinion of this book.)Over the last year, this has become one of my favorite children's book. Though it is intended for older children, my son loved it even as an infant. The illustrations are truly gorgeous, sometimes even surprising, and feel exceptionally creative in showing some details of a more traditional time. The level of inspiration the author draws from Blake's actual verse is lovely--you can easily find the fire and wonder of his work in these poems. The poems are often beautifully constructed, and the stories they tell are quite enjoyable, often surreal.My one and only criticism is there is a poem where the cat writes a letter to his wife where he instructs her not to get fat in his absence. Since we don't body shame in our household, I've re-written that line in the text of our copy of the book.

This is a favorite of mine. At first read I wasn't sure, but the more I get to know it the more I love it. It's a beautiful book to read aloud, poetic for sure. A little hard to understand the story the first time you read it as you get used to the style, but once you get the rhythm of the writing the stories are magical and imaginative. There are lots of little parts that I just fall in love with.

I love this book of brilliant poems. Fabulous use of language, brilliant imagery, musical rhythms and satisfying rhymes lead to a wonderful read- aloud experience every time. Having bought it for myself and my children, I bought for another little girl, who also told me she loved it. Highly recommended. Janice