On Grandaddy’s Knee

About the Book

On Grandaddy’s Knee is a collection of poems suitable for young children, thus they can be read aloud by parents to their preschool children or introduced by teachers to five- or six-year-old children in classrooms. Some of the poems are cause for laughter—“Water Melon,” “My Little Sister’s Voice,” and “Now Go to Sleep”—while others are written to promote quiet reflection—“On Grandaddy’s Knee” and “Young Child.” Familiarity with the poems might prompt young children to write their own poems.

About the Author

Lorraine became a teacher when she left school. It was while she was teaching at a large inner-city disadvantaged primary school that she started to write. She wrote about the lives of the children she was teaching so that they could see themselves and their lives in books. These first titles became the well-known City Kids series which sold all around Australia and the United States of America. Following the publication of City Kids, Lorraine was beseeched by children from country Australia to write about their lives, and hence, she wrote Country Kids. Many of her own early childhood experiences are revealed in these books: living with an outdoor toilet, snakes, and the birth and death of animals. Next came Footy Kids, books about the individual clubs within the Australian Football League. These books were devoured not only by child supporters but also by their parents. Altogether Lorraine has written over two hundred books for children.