Julie Andrews' Collection of Poems, Songs, and Lullabies

by Julie Andrews Edwards, Emma Walton Hamilton (Narrator)

Julie Andrews and her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, have hand-selected a wonderful mix of their most cherished poems, songs, and lullabies in this rich and diverse poetry collection. Brought to life with James McMullan's stunning watercolor paintings, this volume features nearly 150 treasured works, including beloved classics and modern favorites from Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Jack Prelutsky, Shel Silverstein, Rodgers & Hammerstein, and more - twenty-one of which are theatrically and playfully read aloud by Andrews and Hamilton on the accompanying CD

Andrews introduces each of the nine themed sections with intimate stories and family memories, offering readers a glimpse into her world and her personal connection to many of the selections. There are even a number of special poems written by the authors themselves as well as contributions from close family members.

This deluxe anthology is bound to inspire an early love of poetry and song and become a classic for families to grow with and treasure throughout the years.

Genres: Poetry, Audiobook, Childrens, Picture Books, Fiction, Classics, Middle Grade

Audible Audio

First published October 6, 2009

About the author

Dame Julie Elizabeth Andrews Edwards, DBE is an award-winning English actress, singer, author and cultural icon. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honours. Andrews rose to prominence after starring in Broadway musicals such as My Fair Lady and Camelot, as well as musical films like Mary Poppins (1964) and The Sound of Music (1965).

Reviews

[Mary Lou · Rating 3 out of 5]

When you look up the word "mellifluous" in the dictionary, I'm pretty sure there's a picture of Julie Andrews there. The woman could read a trigonometry textbook and make it sound soothing and lovely. So this audio book gets two easy stars just for that. The other star is for some pleasant poems and relaxing piano accompaniment. But, try as I might, I've never been a big poetry fan and even the delightful Ms. Andrews can't change that. She alternates recitations with her daughter, who has a nice voice, but certainly not as smooth as that of her mother, and she has an American accent. It's just not the same! For both of them, some of the cadence and rhythm was a bit off from time to time (at least it seemed so to me). Ideally, this should come as a read-along book and cd set. The audio could use some drawings to go along with the poems, and the book alone would lack Andrews' dulcet voice.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens,
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens,
Brown paper packages tied up with strings—
These are a few of my favorite things."

Read for the Back to Hogwarts Readathon 2025 challenge. Julie Andrews' Collection of Poems, Songs, and Lullabies was the perfect fit for the challenge's subject, Potions, which was to read a collection of short stories or poems.

It was quite wonderful listening to the audio while following along with the physical copy from the library. I was also pleasantly surprised when "My Favorite Things" showed up (and loved the illustrations of the kitty-cats alongside it).

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the record, I would listen to Julie Andrews recite all the possible side-effects listed in the pamphlets that come from the pharmacist with our prescriptions and absolutely adore it.

We have the audiobook and we listen to it with the kids and it's absolutely delightful. We get to hear old favorites and new to us poems and songs as well. It really does feel like Julie is a part of the family we listen to her bedtime poems and stories. Hurrah for Julie Andrews!

[kezzie ʚ♡ɞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

✩ 4 stars
~
i loved this, it was so sweet & sentimental.
~
the audiobook was so good ❤️

[The Library Lady · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was underwhelmed by this. There seemed a definite undertone of promoting both Andrews' and Walton's own work, and while I find Andrews to be a good prose writer, neither she nor her daughter is much of a poet. I also found a lot of the choices with more appeal to sentimental parents and grandparents. Am betting this will be bought by many a childless adult and by well meaning relatives as a gift for kids. And if you're looking for a kid's gift I'd go for The 20th Century Children's Poetic Treasury edited by someone who really gets KIDS tastes, Jack Prelutsky .

[🌶 peppersocks 🧦 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reflections and lessons learned:
“The elephant said with tears in his eyes, pick on somebody your own size!“

Ahhh! For any on be that’s ever loved her voice, this is a wonderfully inviting, family shared collection of childhood songs and general poetry. A shared narration with her daughter Leisl/Brigitta/Louisa/Marta/Gretl Emma, the sheer delivery alone can make me smile, before we’ve even got to the content! Joy filled and fab - in a strange timing thing, I also listened to this around watching her in the most recent Despicable Me film, the Rise of Gru! A cartoon ‘meh’ has never sounded so well acted

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolute joy and pleasure to listen to

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every bit of this collection was delightful!!

I listened to the audiobook and it was absolute perfection and incredibly calming to listen to!! Julie and Emma won me over with their podcast, Julie’s Library and I could listen to them read all day.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetry and Lullaby books are nearly as tempting as dark chocolate to me. I really want to add this one to my collection sometime. The watercolor illustrations are soft and sweet and perfectly supportive of the words of the poems and song lyrics included by Julie Andrews and her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton. I love the nine thematic sections of the book because Julie Andrews introduces each section with sweet family memories and personal stories that really warm you to what is to come. There's even a companion CD that comes with the book (and you hear either the mother or the daughter reading several poems from the anthology aloud, occasionally with a personal comment prior). The CD has periodic music accompaniment (a sweet and tender solo piano; very soothing) and the warmth of the personal voices of each author. If there is a critique, it's only that there is no printed list of CD contents; you just have to scramble to find the poem being read (if you are like me and like to read along as it's declaimed). But that's a small price to pay for the tenderness of the gifts being given. Really such a lovely collection. It's on my list to own!

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I borrowed the Cd and book from the library. I have listened to the CD a number of times at bed time. It brought back memories of my growing up. I don't think of myself as someone who enjoys and reads a lot of poetry, but this collection brings back memories of my reading many of the poems. There are many more poems in the book, and I have started to read them. 22 September 2014

I just finished reading the large book of poems, put together by Julie Andrews and her daughter Emma. There were a few poems by Julie and Emma, and one by Emma's father. There are many more poems in the hard cover book, than on the CD version, which I listened to several times. I read a few poems at a time, in order to enjoy each of the poems, and songs. There were many that I remembered and loved, and many that were new to me. Many very lovely word pictures.

[Kristi Mangan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My boys (5 and 7) and I adore reading this wonderful, eclectic collection of poetry together. It has become a favorite. I like that it includes classics like Wordsworth's "I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud" and fun, contemporary pieces from Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky ("The Turkey Shot Out of the Oven"). A great way to introduce kids to poetry.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

We found this at a discount bookstore and I've been reading it aloud to my kids for awhile and what a treasure and a treat. Poems to make you laugh out loud, to make you cry, to make your heart soar with inspiration. I saved many that touched me deeply, highly recommend!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of poems, songs, and lullabies has a lot to admire among the pages. I like how the poems are arranged into different topics and moods. I’m reading it with my two elementary girls; they both ask to be read from this each night.

[Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. As many reviewers have noted, the weakest entries in the book come from those that the authors composed themselves, but, for the most part, I thought this collection was surprisingly twaddle-free.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute short collection of Julie Andrews's favorite poems. Aside from the few poems written by Andrews and her family members, this was mostly old well-known poems. I enjoyed listening to Julie Andrews and her daughter read the poems, but the collection itself was just ok. I'm not really a poetry person in general, so I'm sure that affected my enjoyment of this collection. It was a fun fast listen though!

[Danielle Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book, to treasure and read for a long time. I really liked the selections that were included, they were all upbeat and accompanied by beautiful illustrations. The picture on the front of Julie Andrews and her young daughter is very heartwarming. The whole book is, really. This would’ve been a wonderful book to read in dreary November or never ending February! I am a fan of Julie Andrews and a fan of poetry - what’s not to love??!!

[Isabel Tueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

If having a comfort audiobook was a thing, this would be mine.

[Shanelle Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listening to the audiobook with her and her daughter reading all these poems was amazing!

[Geordie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book collects a variety of gentle, child-friendly poems and songs, selected and edited by Julie Andrews. I'd really like to give this book a high rating, many of the poems are wonderful classics, and Julie Andrews is very charming and likeable. The problem is, some of her choices of inclusions are totally baffling. I wasn't interested in some of the poems, but I guess that's a matter of taste. More problematic was some of the songs included, they work when sung, but are stilted and strange when read. Reading "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" is so ridiculous it feels like a joke. Ultimately, the central reason this book doesn't work for me is that Andrews included several poems by herself and her daughter, and even one by her father. Even if the poems were excellent it would just be jarringly arrogant to put the poems of yourself and your family up beside the works of icons like Emily Dickinson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Shel Silverstein, and so many others. And ultimately, their poetry is not good. Julie Andrews' poems are just average, while her daughter's poetry is sappy and sophomoric; Andrews' father one piece is confusing, preachy, and a little creepy as well. You just don't make a poetry collection that stars yourself and your family above other recognized, beloved poets - even when they are excellent. And when they're not excellent it brings the whole book down.

[Katy Kissel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of poetry is intended for readers ages three and up. It is an anthology of poetry collected by Julie Andrews and her daughter, Emma Watson Hamilton. The book contains poetry by numerous famous authors, including William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, and Langston Hughes. To begin with, let me say that the book is beautiful. Many of the pages have full paintings on them, done by James McMullan. They are vibrant and lovely additions to the poetry. Pages without full paintings still have smaller paintings, such as a flower or a rainbow. The book is broken down into nine sections that cover a variety of topic, such as talking to animals or leisure activities. There are poems about the world that surrounds us, poems about growing up, and poems about getting ready for bed at night. Some of them are short, simple poems that last only for a few lines, while many of them go on for two pages or more. The varying lengths of the poems mean that there is something for a reader of any age within this book. Sometimes the poems feel a bit out of place, such as with Shakespeare's "Sonnet 29," but for the most part the poems fit within the book well. The bright pictures would make this book appealing to young readers, as would some of the more fun poems such as the ones contained in the section on laughter. I would definitely recommend this book for children to look through, as it is both beautiful and contains excellent poetry.

[Lisa Dominick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julie Andrews’ Collection of Poems, Songs, and Lullabies is an audio version of anthology of poetry by various authors to include poems by Julie Andrews, her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton and many of their family members. Poetry by well-known authors such as William Shakespeare, Emily Dickenson, Robert Frost, and A.A. Milne are also found in this collection. Since the book contains lullabies I believe the book is intended for children of all ages from young infants and into adulthood. The anthology covers topics such as GOD, trees, animals, children, laughter, flying and the earth. I gave the book a 5-star rating because it turned my view of poetry around. I was skeptical of my understanding poetry because it has always eluded me in the past. Listening to the poetry as opposed to reading it also helped me to better understand. The fact that Julie Andrews is one of my favorite vocalist also played a part in my selection of the book and fondness of the poetry being read. The language, rhythm and sounds, ballads, lyrics and topics of the poetry can be both understood by children and sooth very young children that may not have an understanding for language yet. I was brought to tears by Cecil Francis’ poem, “All Things Bright and Beautiful.” I loved the flow of the selected words and how it made me feel about what we sometimes take for granted. This book is definitely a book to be shared with all especially with our children.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

The poems in this collection are wonderful and the original watercolor illustrations are lovely. There are over two hundred poems. Most of the poems are written by famous poets (including Wordsworth, Frost, Dickinson, Emerson, and Shakespeare), and there are also some very good poems written by the two authors, and written by Julie Andrews's father and grandfather. I was a little disappointed in the accompanying audio CD. I thought the authors could have selected better poems from the collection to read, and the narration was a little self-aggrandizing at times; however, they read the poems they selected exceptionally well and it was especially fun to hear them read some of their own poems. Overall, I really fell in love with this collection. It's something I'll share with Ella and (hopefully) future children for years to come.

[JS · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to rate this one appropriately. On the one hand, I did not love the selection of poems. I found some to be just boring poetry and some didn't read out loud very well. Or at least I didn't feel like they were read out loud well.

On the other hand, I got it primarily as soothing bedtime poetry, and Julie Andrews and Emma Walton have lovely voices that do make nice bedtime listening for the most part. So it fulfilled its purpose fairly well.

There were a couple I especially liked, including the one about the exploding turkey.

Overall, a fine read but I would have preferred a lot of different selections.

[Ginger · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice collection of mostly traditional children's poems with songs interspersed and with a few lullaibes. Poets are diverse, ranging from Jack Prelutsky to Ralph Waldo Emerson, Langston Hughes to Ted Hughes. The unifying theme is optimism for life,which could have led to an oversweet, treacly bunch of poems. But the merely sweet is largely overriidden by the carefully attentive, and the collection, as a whole, is quite readable, if not always profound. The poems are held togehter by a consitent, dreamy kind of watercolor illustration.

[Meagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology of poetry is as beautiful on the inside as it looks on the cover. It is full of child-appropriate poems, many by famous poets, on topics such as nature, the seasons, feelings, family, and animals. As this week marked the beginning of Spring I have been reading a new springtime poem from it aloud to my first graders each day. I would caution anyone who intends to use the book in a classroom though, that some of the poems have references to God, so just pre-read carefully before choosing what you'll use in a school setting.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter received this her first Christmas and I've been reading selections from it to her ever since. I appreciate the variety of themes and how they're categorized, as well as the personal musings (and writings) of Julie and Emma, the mother-daughter team who compiled it.

Included is a CD which we've listened to only once or twice, but Andrews certainly has a knack for storytelling as well.

[Victoria Becker]

Julie Andrews Collection of Poems, Songs, and Lullabies is a book that can be used throughout the year in a 5th grade classroom. We could use it for the poetry.
NYS CC Standard: Students Will Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama
respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects
upon a topic; summarize the text.

[Erin Goettsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful collection of fun and serious poems and songs for kids - everything from Robert Frost to Shel Silverstein to William Blake to Shakespeare to Robert Louis Stevenson (and a few fun originals)! Our library's copy also had the CD song accompaniment which was lovely. This was a completely delightful distraction for an afternoon with the kids, when the world seems terrible this weekend.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely poetry read by Julie Andrews Edwards and her own daughter. Purchased to share with my grandchildren. It is soothing background for them now but hopefully they will enjoy it as they get older.
I knew several of the selections while others were totally new, including some written by the narrators. The selections were organized in nice themed groups including humor and nature. I really enjoyed the readings by mother and daughter.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book! The selections are very well chosen and the watercolor illustrations are incredible. I've been reading from it to my kids and they keep begging for more. I haven't listened to the CD yet, but I'm sure it is fantastic. I love Andrews' voice so I'm sure it'll be a great listen.