Famous Children's Poets

These are some of the most famous writers of children's poetry in the English language.

Elizabeth Acevedo

Elizabeth Acevedo

American Poet and Author
(1988-)

Francisco X Alarcon

Francisco X. Alarcón

American poet
(1954-2016)

Kwame Alexander

Kwame Alexander

American Author and Poet
(1968-)

Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou

American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist
(1928-2014)

Hillaire Belloc

Hilaire Belloc

English writer, poet, and humorist
(1870-1953)

Edmund Clerihew Bentley

Edmund Clerihew Bentley

English novelist and humorist
(1875-1956)

William Blake

William Blake

English Poet and Painter
(1757-1827)

Gellet Burgess

Gelett Burgess

American artist, art critic, poet, author, and humorist
(1866-1851)

Lewis Carroll

Lewis Carroll

English author, poet, and mathematician
(1832-1898)

Charles E. Carryl

Charles E. Carryl

American children’s author and poet
(1841-1920)

Guy Wetmore Carryl

Guy Wetmore Carryl

American humorist and poet
(1873-1904)

Lydia Maria Child

Lydia Maria Child

American abolitionist, activist, and writer
(1802-1880)

John Ciardi

John Ciardi

American poet, translator, and etymologist
(1916-1986)

Adelaide Crapsey

Adelaide Crapsey

American poet
(1878-1914)

Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl

British writer and poet
(1916-1990)

Kalli Dakos

Kalli Dakos

Canadian children’s poet and educator
(1950-)

Margarita Engle

Margarita Engle

Cuban-American poet
(1951-)

Eugene Field

Eugene Field

American writer, poet, and journalist
(1850-1895)

Rachel Field

Rachel Field

American novelist and poet
(1894-1942)

Paul Fleischman

Paul Fleischman

American writer and poet
(1952-)

Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman

American Author
(1852-1930)

Robert Frost

Robert Frost

American poet
(1874-1963)

Nikki Giovanni

Nikki Giovanni

American poet, writer, and activist
(1943-)

Harry Graham

Harry Graham

English Poet
(1874-1936)

Nikki Grimes

Nikki Grimes

American Author and Poet
(1950-)

Arthur Guiterman

Arthur Guiterman

American Writer and Poet
(1871-1943)

Sarah Josepha Hale

Sarah Josepha Hale

American Writer
(1788-1879)

Oliver Herford

Oliver Herford

English-American Writer, Poet, and Artist
(1860-1935)

Mary Ann Hoberman

Mary Ann Hoberman

American author and poet
(1930-)

Lee Bennet Hopkins

Lee Bennett Hopkins

American educator, author, poet, and anthologist
(1938-2019)

A. E. Housman

A. E. Housman

English classical scholar and poet
(1859-1936)

Paul Janeczko

Paul Janeczko

American poet and anthologist
(1945-2019)

X. J. Kennedy

X. J. Kennedy

American poet
(1929-)

Rudyard Kipling

Rudyard Kipling

English Writer and Poet
(1865-1936)

Karla Kuskin

Karla Kuskin

American author, poet, and illustrator
(1932-2009)

Edward Lear

Edward Lear

English artist, illustrator, musician, author and poet
(1812-1888)

Dennis Lee

Dennis Lee

Canadian poet, teacher, editor, and critic
(1939-)

J. Patrick Lewis

American Poet
(1942-)

Myra Cohn Livingston

Myra Cohn Livingston

American poet
(1926-1996)

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

American poet and educator
(1807-1882)

Spike Milligan

Spike Milligan

Irish actor, comedian, writer, musician, and poet
(1918-2002)

A. A. Milne

A. A. Milne

English writer and poet
(1882-1956)

Clement Clarke Moore

Clement Clarke Moore

American writer and scholar
(1779-1863)

Ogden Nash

Ogden Nash

American poet
(1902-1971)

Kenn Nesbitt

Kenn Nesbitt

American Poet
(1962-)

Alfred Noyes

Alfred Noyes

English writer and poet
(1880-1958)

Naomi Shihab Nye

Naomi Shihab Nye

American Poet and Writer
(1952-)

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe

American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic
(1809-1849)

Jack Prelutsky

Jack Prelutsky

American poet
(1940-)

William Brighty Rands

William Brighty Rands

English Poet
(1823-1882)

Laura E. Richards

Laura E. Richards

American author and poet
(1850-1943)

James Whitcomb Riley

James Whitcomb Riley

American Poet
(1849-1916)

Christina Rossetti

Christina Rossetti

English Poet
(1830-1894)

Carl Sandburg

Carl Sandburg

American poet, biographer, journalist, and editor
(1878-1967)

Robert W. Service

Robert W. Service

British-Canadian poet and writer
(1874-1958)

Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss

American children’s author and cartoonist
(1904-1991)

Joyce Sidman

Joyce Sidman

American children’s author and poet
(1956-)

Shel Silverstein

Shel Silverstein

American writer, poet, cartoonist, songwriter, and musician
(1930-1999)

Marilyn Singer

Marilyn Singer

American writer and poet
(1948-)

Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson

Scottish Novelist and Poet
(1850-1894)

Jane Taylor

Jane Taylor

English poet and novelist
(1783-1824)

William Makepeace Thackeray

William Makepeace Thackeray

British author, poet, and illustrator
(1811-1863)

Ernest Thayer

Ernest Thayer

American writer and poet
(1863-1940)

Judith Viorst

Judith Viorst

American author, poet, and journalist
(1931-)

Carolyn Wells

Carolyn Wells

American author and poet

Jacqueline Woodson

Jacqueline Woodson

American Writer and Poet
(1963-)

Jane Yolen

Jane Yolen

American author, poet, and journalist
(1939-)

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