105 Ways to Give a Book

Thursday Three: Poetry Collections

For National Poetry Month I’m sharing three poetry collections for kids of all ages. It’s possible — and I’m not tossing out blame here — that you’ve thought of the poetry progression as Mother Goose, Shel Silverstein, and whatever they hand out in middle school. That’s okay, because I was once like you. But now you can start your foray into poetry with these incredible collections.

A Kick In the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Foms
selected by Paul Janeczko, illustrated by Chris Raschka

A Kick In the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic FomsWhether it’s starting small with an Odgen Nash couplet and moving on through to a Shakespeare sonnet, or showing a limerick where we all know the form to a pantoum where we learn something completely new, this book both serves as both a collection of poems and a primer of forms. Along with sample poems from a variety of poets, each form is explained briefly, but in a fun, entirely accessible way, from the youngest readers to us poetry-deprived adults. The bright, lively, abstract illustrations of Raschka capture the different tones of the poems and lend to the lightness of the collection. You can pick up this book in paperback, so it’s a ridiculously low investment for a lifetime of understanding poetic forms.

Poetry Speaks to Children
edited by Elis Paschen and Dopminque Raccah, illustrated by Wendy Rasmussen, Judy Love, and Paula Zinngrabe Wendland

Poetry Speaks to ChildrenThis is an amazing collection of modern and classic poems from a diverse group of poets that includes Ogden Nash, Langston Hughes, Sonia Sanchez, and Roald Dahl. I love the eclectic feel where “Gas” by C.K. Williams is one page away from a poem from Macbeth, where a Native American poem taken from a Osage prayer is followed by a poem by Rudyard Kipling. The book is accompanied by a CD of many of the poems read by the poets, which means that thanks to archival copies, today’s children can hear readings from Robert Frost and Langston Hughes, among others. Three illustrators bring these poems to life, giving us a mix of styles, while still keeping a general consistency throughout the book. Absolutely one of of my favorite poetry books.

Side by Side: New Poems Inspired by Art from Around the World
edited by Jan Greenberg

Side by Side: New Poems Inspired by Art from Around the WorldPoetry and art. Multiple languages and multicultural images. Enriching and educational, this collection is masterful in its presentation. Each poem is written in the poet’s native language, as well as in English, and collectively represent a wide range in style and subject. Each page is illustrated by an iconic, related work of art, which is such a natural fit to poetry that it makes the book inspired. The overall sophistication makes this a collection for the older elementary child on up. While it would be a pleasure to own and peruse in any home library, I have to say that it would be ideal for the classroom.

On the topic of poetry, there is a full month of blogging events listed at at KidLitosphere Central. If you need to start with dipping your feet in the poetry pool, let me suggest Gotta Book’s 30 Poets/30 Days, Miss Rumphius Effect’s Poetry in the Classroom, and Poetry for Children’s Poetry Tag.

This post was previously published at PBS Booklights.

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1 comment:

BookBlogFun said...

Your poetry selections look great! We have been reading from Switching on the Moon, A Very First Book of Bedtime Poems collected by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters.

~ Lauri Chandler
www.bookblogfun.doodlekit.com