A Book for Kids

by C.J. Dennis, Hal Gye (Illustrator)

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Genres: Poetry, Childrens, Fiction

108 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1921

About the author

Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis, better known as C. J. Dennis, (7 September 1876 – 22 June 1938) was an Australian poet known for his humorous poems, especially "The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke", published in the early 20th century. Though Dennis's work is less well known today, his 1916 publication of The Sentimental Bloke sold 65,000 copies in its first year, and by 1917 he was the most prosperous poet in Australian history.

Together with Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson, both of whom he collaborated with, he is often considered among Australia's three most famous poets.

When he died at the age of 61, the Prime Minister of Australia Joseph Lyons suggested he was destined to be remembered as the "Australian Robert Burns".

Reviews

[Ian Laird · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke
Awoke the folk with a stroke
Of dinkum Aussie pride
In our larrikin side

South Australian born and bred
Brought up by aunts instead
Of parents for a while
Young Clarence James acquired a style

Outback verse was his niche
A Book for Kids full of country speech
A gift from my dad to his son
When I was young and full of fun

CJ Dennis wrote rural stuff
Baker Barber not nearly enough
So Pieman Axeman Tram-man
The Song of the Sulky Stock Man

Stories too The Music of Your Voice
The Little Red House let us rejoice
But my favourite, yours too I hope
Is called The Triantiwontigongolope

Apologies to the memory of C. J. Dennis, author of The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke (1915), THE MOODS OF GINGER MICK (1916) and A Book for Kids (1921), my edition 1958, read by me now we are six.

[Jolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun poems and stories for kids

A nice collection of poems with a few longer stories thrown in. I particularly liked the long story about the house that was lonely when it's family went away on a trip.

[Estelle Rowsell · Rating 4 out of 5]

NO!!! 😈

i have a great way to make this book a bit better.
So you have to get it to be shorter ...
for the little ones (like a 5 year old) it will be interesting but
very hard for them.
I am not being unkind to you Estelle Rowsell 🔚

[Derelict Space Sheep · Rating 2 out of 5]

Supposedly unabridged, this audiobook in fact omits the stories, leaving only Dennis’s verse—short, rather dated bush ballads, their rhyme too simple for adults, the language too sophisticated for children. Colin Friels revisits his Play School days but fights a losing battle.

[Shawn Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute rhymes for bedtime. The best part is the rhythm! Very ear-catching and a good exercise for young readers to take a crack at. Favorite: Cuppacumalonga.

[stephanie sedillo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sorry stories

I really liked it. the story about the sunset is a must read it is real cute my favorite from this book.

[Grace · Rating 1 out of 5]

I HATED IT!!!!

I only put 1 store because I thought the characters were awful