Robert Paul Smith (1915–1977)

I regret not having read this book when I was very young. Maybe I would not have appreciated it as much, though. Now I am old enough to know how much care and love has gone into it, how carefully each suggestion is considered and balanced until just of the right weight to be put onto paper. The ideas are partly easy, paertly tricky to work out, but always rewarding and interesting and make the young adventurer feel supported all the way. The book is also beautifully illustrated by the author's wife. I am trying to think who I could give the book to, but it is a book one neds to discover for oneself. So maybe one should donate it to the local library, a treasure for someone to find.… (mere)

Robert Paul Smith was widely known for (among other things) his writing about childhood - How to Do Nothing with Nobody All Alone by Yourself - and the first half of this poetry collection feels like it comes from the same wellspring, mostly playful nonsense rhymes and child-related themes (Tell Us a Story, Frog). Near the end the subject matter swings towards the adult spectrum, with subject matter that feels much more personal and experiential in nature, especially poems on urban commuters and pedestrians, and the entire final section titled Some Songs About My Suns. Some of the shorter works in this collection appeared in publications such as Good Housekeeping at the time, and at the risk of sounding a tad snobbish, many of the poems in this collection have that "Reader's Digest back issue" feel to them. Smith was more widely known for his prose, and so it shouldn't be surprising that much of this poetry collection winds up reading more like the idle distraction that the title itself implies.… (mere)