Ex Libris: A Funny Family Poem for Children



The word poetry derives from the Greek word poiesis which means ‘making.’ It is a type of literary art which uses aesthetic and evocative language. There are also those funny poems, short, humorous ones appropriate for kids of all ages, from kindergarten to elementary school age.

‘I have a special room, where all my books are kept, but I’m rapidly running out of space, because I’m a compulsive biblioklept.’ These lines are from the poem ‘Ex Libris,’ by Patrick Winstanley, which is a good example of a funny family poem for children. The main clue of the poem is hidden in the word biblioklept. To easily understand the poem you must know what biblioklept means. Biblioklept is composed of pieces of other real words, words that really exist and are recognised by the majority of people. The word derives from two Greek words ‘biblio,’ which stands for book, and ‘klept,’ which means steal. Hence, biblioklept means stealing books or book stealer.

The poem is about a determined book thief who has already stolen several books, making the special room they designated as their stockroom full of the stolen books. The biblioklept has a problem where to put the new books that they steal. Bibliophiles or book lovers must avoid biblioklepts to maintain the security of their favourite books.

‘You ought never to take anything that don’t belong to you—if you cannot carry it off,’ from the book ‘Advice for Good Little Boys,’ by Mark Twain.

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