McCord is best remembered for his poetry written for children. EVERY TIME I CLIMB A TREE is a collection of 25 poems for young children demonstrating his gift of "making serious ideas unforgettable and ordinary events extraordinary."

THIS IS MY ROCK

"This is my rock,
And here I run
To steal the secret of the sun;

"This is my rock,
And here come I
Before the night has swept the sky;

"This is my rock,
This is the place
I meet the evening face to face."

EVERY TIME I CLIMB A TREE

"Every time I climb a tree
Every time I climb a tree
Every time I climb a tree
I scrape a leg
Or skin a knee
And every time I climb a tree
I find some ants
Or dodge a bee
And get the ants 
All over me

"And every time I climb a tree
Where have you been?
They say to me
But don't they know that I am free
Every time I climb a tree?
I like it best
To spot a nest
That has an egg
Or maybe three

"And then I skin
The other knee
But every time I climb a tree
I see a lot of things to see
Swallows,  rooftops and TV
And all the fields and farms there be
Every time I climb a tree
Thought climbing may be good for ants
It isn't awfully good for pants
But still it's pretty good for me
Every time I climb a tree"