Known as "Father Goose," poet Charles Ghigna (1946- ) is the author of more than 5,000 poems and has published more than 100 books for children and adults. He is best known for his work in the genre of children's literature. His work focuses on the details of life, using concrete imagery to vividly convey personal scenarios—a technique that carries through into his children's poetry.

In 1992, Ghigna published his first books of children's poetry, Good Dogs/Bad Dogs and Good Cats/Bad Cats. Ghigna left ASFA the following year, but he remained in Alabama and devoted his creative energy to children's literature full time. Also in 1992, and likely linked with critical and popular success of his Good Dogs/Bad Dogs and Good Cats/Bad Cats books, Hyperion, a Disney subsidiary that publishes children's books, signed Ghigna to a four-book contract. Since then, Ghigna has published numerous books of children's and adult's poetry. His work has appeared in such major outlets as Cricket, Highlights, The New Yorker, and Harper's. Embraced by the general public, his work also has won critical acclaim, receiving honors such as the Helen Keller Literary Award and the Alabama Library Association Book Award, Juvenile Division.

Selected Works by Charles Ghigna
Plastic Tears (1973)
Returning to Earth (1989)
Good Cats/Bad Cats (1992)
Good Dogs/Bad Dogs (1992)
Tickle Day: Poems from Father Goose (1994)
The Best of Snickers (1994)
The Day I Spent the Night in the Shelby County Jail (1995)
Love Poems (1999)
One Hundred Shoes: A Math Reader (2002)
The Alphabet Parade (2002)
A Fury of Motion: Poems for Boys (2003)
Animal Tracks: Wild Poems to be Read Aloud (2004)
Score! 50 Poems to Motivate and Inspire (2008)
Snow Wonder (2008)
Barn Storm (2010)
I See Fall (2011)
Recycling is Fun (2012)
The Alphabet Parade (2014)
A Carnival of Cats (2015)
Alabama: My Home Sweet Home (2018)
Dear Poet: Notes to a Young Writer (2019)
Once Upon Another Time (2020)
Additional Resources
Ghigna, Charles. Charles Ghigna Papers. de Grummond Children's Literature Collection. The University of Southern Mississippi. 1965-2003.