Reviews

The Flag of Childhood: Poems From the Middle East by Naomi Shihab Nye

rachelkc's review

3.75

Older children (ages 8-12) are the intended audience for The Flag of Childhood, and that is apparent before reading - the book is smaller, with no illustrations. This collection hopes to instill a sense of empathy in the reader, an understanding of the universality of childhood, and of the power of words. While it’s meant for children, clearly there are some adults who could learn a thing or two from the poems inside. With over 50 poets represented, the scope is quite large, and the poetry varies in length and style. I appreciated that the poems are not “baby” versions of adult poems - they are full-fledged poems, on the subject of childhood.