Title: I Stole a Little Lovely Dream
Introduction By: Jerry Pinto
Cover Illustrator: Asuma Noor
Cover Design: Maithili Doshi Aphale
Type: Hardbound
Genre: Poetry
Publisher: Talking Cub (an imprint of Speaking Tiger Books)
Length: 262 pages
Age group: 10 years onwards
I recently received I Stole a Little Lovely Dream, a collection of 101 favourite poems for children from around the world. With an introduction by Jerry Pinto, I instantly knew I was going to fall in love with the book. While that may sound like this review is biased, I want to clarify that I’ve tried to remain as objective as possible in sharing my thoughts.
Why poetry? What does poetry do, after all?
Well, poetry deserves a place in all our lives. It helps us capture moments and emotions that we often overlook. Especially in today’s fast-paced world, where everything feels fleeting and our attention spans are constantly shrinking, poetry brings with it the gift of pause. It slows us down, encourages reflection, and helps us stay present. In doing so, it allows us to appreciate life as it is and acknowledge the emotions and moments that make life whole and beautiful.
This anthology is a thoughtfully curated collection featuring both Indian and international poets. It brings together a wide range of emotions — joy, wit, sadness, wonder — while remaining accessible to children who are just being introduced to poetry. The poems are relatable, engaging, and inviting, making this book an easy recommendation.
The introduction by Jerry Pinto deserves special mention. Through witty anecdotes from his school days, he gently draws readers into the world of poetry. He also shares simple, practical ways to get started with writing poetry, ideas that feel freeing rather than intimidating. One such suggestion is to copy down poems you love and then play with them: begin with a familiar line, add your own verses, make them silly or strange if you wish. Poetry, as he reminds us, is about experimentation, enjoyment, and being in the moment. That sense of creative freedom is truly empowering, especially for young readers.
Coming to the poetry itself, what I particularly loved is the balance between the classics and contemporary voices. The collection includes poets many of us encountered during our school years — Shakespeare, Robert Frost, Sarojini Naidu, Rabindranath Tagore — alongside contemporary poets such as Arundhathi Subramaniam, Mamang Dai, Keki Daruwalla, Jerry Pinto, and Vikram Seth. This allows readers to experience different poetic styles across time and see both the contrasts and the quiet similarities between them.
The book caters to a wide range of readers. It appeals to beginners as well as those already familiar with poetry. For children who enjoy playfulness, there are delightful nonsense poems by Sukumar Ray, Edward Lear, and Lewis Carroll. For those inclined toward reflection, poems by Tagore, Kabir, Dylan Thomas, and Wordsworth invite contemplation. The collection manages to be both serious and playful; a rare and wonderful balance.
Another highlight is its linguistic diversity. Beyond English, the anthology includes translations from French, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, Japanese, Spanish, and Kannada. This multilingual richness makes the book feel expansive and inclusive.
Overall, I Stole a Little Lovely Dream is a must-have for poetry lovers and an excellent gift for anyone who is just beginning to explore poetry. Thoughtfully and beautifully curated, with an engaging introduction by award-winning writer Jerry Pinto, this book is best enjoyed slowly: pick a page, read a poem aloud, and let it linger.
And yes, as the title suggests, this book truly takes you to places you may never have been before. Reading it feels like gently slipping into unfamiliar worlds, emotions, and imaginations as if you’ve quietly stolen a little lovely dream and carried it back with you.
If you enjoyed the review and love poetry or wish to explore it, you can order the book from Amazon (kbc affiliate link),
CLICK & BUY NOW!Disclaimer: Seethalakshmi and her daughter are a part of the #kbcReviewerSquad and received this book as a review copy from the publisher via kbc.
