Poetry Month -- Multi-Genre, part 2

Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow
by Joyce Sidman
illustrated by Beth Krommes
Houghton Mifflin, 2006

Yesterday's poetry book could fit in with the ABC books. Today's multi-genre pick could be shelved in poetry or nonfiction or riddles!

Pairs of poems in double page spreads describe plants or animals of the meadow with the question at the end of each poem, "What am I?" and enough clues in the gorgeous scratchboard illustrations to guess most of the time.

Sometimes predator and prey are paired (Rabbit and Fox), while other times the poems deal with some quality the two subjects have in common (for example, the skin of snakes and of toads).

After each pair of poems comes a double page spread with the answers to the two riddle poems and the scientific information to tell why they were paired or what characteristic is being featured, as well as another gorgeous illustration.

By the end of the book, the reader will have gained in knowledge about the meadow ecosystem, and also an understanding of the interconnectedness of all of the plants, animals and systems that make up a meadow.

One of my favorite poems is a mask poem, told in the voice of a red-tailed hawk. Here is the first stanza:


An Apology to My Prey

I am deeply sorry for my huge orbs
of eyes, keen and hooded,
that pierce your lush
tapestry of meadow.

Poetry Month -- Multi-Genre

Avalanche
by Michael J. Rosen
illustrated by David Butler
Candlewick Press, 1998

I love it when books do more than one job! Here's one that fits into your ABC tub and onto your poetry shelf.

AVALANCHE tells the alphabetic rhyming story of a snowball that gets waaayyy out of hand. So to speak. As it were. (he-he)

"Once there was an Avalanche
that started out quite small.
It all began when Bobby tossed
a harmless-looking snowball...

This snowball sailed across the yard
and struck a Cat-food can.
It caught the Doghouse in its path
as though it had a plan."

The snowball rolls on and flies on, getting bigger and bigger until it is large enough to fill the universe.

"And so the Vacuum in the cosmos
clutched this cold compound,
and then rewound it round itself
and hurled it homeward bound.

With every twist something split off
returning to our World:
Each question, ocean, lake and jet
uncurled and downward swirled.

X marked the spot where something stood
before the snowball's theft,
and each thing landed back in place --
or had it ever left?

As for You, you might have seen,
or maybe might have heard,
the alphabet that's rolled inside
this avalanche of words."


Want to know what Rosen does with Z? You'll have to check for yourself! Quite a clever and surprising ending, I think!

Poetry Month -- Science Verse

Science Verse
by Jon Scieszka
illustrated by Lane Smith
Viking, 2004

"On Wednesday in science class, Mr. Newton says, "You know, if you listen closely enough, you can hear the poetry of science in everything." I listen closely. On Thursday, I start hearing the poetry. In fact, I start hearing everything as a science poem. Mr. Newton has zapped me with a curse of SCIENCE VERSE."

So begins one of the most brilliant poetry collections ever. Besides giving a nod to almost every scientific concept...or at least a lot of them...Scieszka tips his hat to poets, poetry forms, songs, and nursery rhymes.

Here's one of my favorite short ones:

CHANGES

I'm a little mealworm,
Short and wiggly.
Here's my antenna,
Cute and jiggly.

Now I am a pupa,
Squat and white.
How did this happen?
I'm a sight.

Now I am a beetle.
What is this?
I really hate
Metamorphosis.



If its been awhile since you read this book, go back and remember what an amazing masterpiece it is. If you somehow missed it, go find it. (And make sure you listen to the cd it comes with!)

gigglepoetry.com

The kids in the library spent lots of time on Giggle Poetry this week. It is a great site and I hadn't realized how much was there until kids discovered new things. This site is Bruce Lansky's site and is a pretty fun place to visit--a very appropriate name. I love the sound of laughing children, especially when they are laughing while playing with poetry.

The site includes many poems in categories that kids love--Teacher and Principal Poems, Homework Poems, Potty Poems and more.

There are also lots of fun things to do on the site. One favorite is the Poetry Race--How fast can you read a tongue twister? There is also a section of "Fill in the blank" poetry as well as Rhyming Riddles. The Poetry Theater section is filled with great poems to perform as well as tips for performance reading.

The teacher link--Poetry Teachers--has great tips for teaching poetry. There are also several great interviews with poets.

This is a great site for lots of reasons--great poems and great fun is the key. But it is one that is easy for kids to navigate. It is PACKED with resources and links. It will take me a while to find all that is available on the site and you could spend hours just having fun with poems.

National Poetry Month Links

Andromeda Jazmon at a wrung sponge has the most complete list of Poetry Month links that I have seen so far. Check it out. Bookmark it. Visit links. Get poetrified.

National Poetry Month Links

Poetry Month: CITY I LOVE by Lee Benett Hopkins

Lee Bennett Hopkins was announced as the winner of this year's NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children.   I love so many of his books and am thrilled that he won the award.  His newest book is CITY I LOVE with illustrations by Marcellus Hall.  

From the front cover to the back cover, this book is full of fun.  A dog with a backpack takes us on a tour of great cities around the world.  Each poem celebrates something about cities--things that are common to all cities as well as those unique to one certain city. Taxis, street vendors, and bridges are topics of some of the poems.  Each poem is unique--many different types of poems are included.

The illustrations by Marcellus Hall really add color to the book.  The traveling dog is quite fun and can be seen on every page.  Traveling with him adds a bit of humor to the pages although he is not always in an obvious spot.

A great book that kids will read for fun and one that can also be used with social studies when learning about cities and/or places in the world.

Thanks, Lee Bennett Hopkins for another great book!

Poetry Month: I Love My Library

(Song lyrics count as poetry, right?)

Too bad I didn't find this when Jama and Susan and Sara and a bunch of other bloggers were participating in the "Library Lovin' Challenge" last week. I guess I can share it in honor of their commitment to libraries and to all the people who commented and helped them to meet their goals so they could donate to their favorite library.

Here's to everyone who participated in the "Library Lovin' Challenge" and to all of our favorite libraries and librarians everywhere: "I Love My Library" by Lunch Money.

(Thank you to Sarah Beth Durst's mom for the link.)

And while we're at it, here's a great poster via TeacherNinja:

Poetry Month: A FOOT IN THE MOUTH

This new book A FOOT IN THE MOUTH:  POEMS TO SPEAK, SING, AND SHOUT by Paul Janeczko is another collaboration with Chris Raschka. If you know A POKE IN THE EYE and A KICK IN THE HEAD, you will definitely want to add this one to your collection.  While A KICK IN THE HEAD introduced various forms of poetry and A POKE IN THE EYE celebrated concrete poem, this new book is a collection of poems that beg to be read aloud for various reasons.

The book includes poems of various length; poems for one voice, two voices and three voices; limericks; bilingual poems; poems for a group and more.

I love the poems and I also love the way that the book is divided into categories such as the ones I listed above. This organization will invite students to find other poems that are fun to read aloud in these categories and will help them to see that poems are intended to be read aloud and shared for a variety of reasons.

The introduction by the author talks to readers about reading poetry aloud, invites us to memorize the poems we love and encourages us to just grab a friend and have fun--"no need to be an expert".  And, as always, Raschka's illustrations add a great deal to the text.

Poetry Friday -- Building Rockets

I'm Building a Rocket
by Kenn Nesbitt

I'm building a rocket.
As soon as I'm done
I'm taking my friends
on a trip to the sun.

The rest of the poem is at Kenn Nesbitt's excellent site -- Poetry4Kids.

The round up this week is at ayuddha.net.


Two girls in my class are experimenting with AlkaSeltzer rockets in enrichment. They took the photos above to show the steps for making a rocket. They also videotaped the process and are now working on an iMovie. This post is dedicated to them, and to all the girls who will grow up to be the engineers and rocket scientists of the future.

Poetry Month -- Limericks

There Once Was a Very Odd School and other lunchbox limericks
by Stephen Krensky
illustrated by Tamara Petrosino
Dutton Children's Books, 2004

Sometimes it's fun to play around with a poetry form. Lots of folks do this every week when Tricia puts out a Monday Poetry Stretch invitation.

Limericks are a fun form to try with kids, but the challenge is sometimes finding examples that are appropriate for children. This collection by Stephen Krensky fits that bill.

Here's one of my class' favorites (they are just finishing up dragon sculptures in art):

Nicole drew a dragon in art,
Which breathed fire right from the start.
Then she drew a brave knight,
Which it wanted to fight,
So she had to keep them apart.

National Poetry Month Writing Prompts

Bud the Teacher is celebrating National Poetry Month by inviting readers to write some poems and publish them on blogs, his site, etc. His first prompt along with his poem inspired me to write this poem this morning. Who knew that I could enjoy spending a few minutes writing a poem based on a photo Bud shared? I love the variety of poems that people have already written in response to one prompt. It would be fun for lots of us in the Kidlitosphere to join into Bud's celebration.


The piles
Of books
Have somehow started
to take over my house
Books in every room

The ones I’ve already read
That I can’t part with
Those that I hope
One of my daughters
Loves as I do
Sometime in the future

The ones I haven’t yet read
But that are possibilities
For the future
When I have a quiet
Day for reading

Poetry Month: LOOSE LEASHES by Amy Schmidt

I can never go wrong when I buy a poetry book about dogs. They seem to be quite popular and I imagine the kids will love this new one.

LOOSE LEASHES by Amy Schmidt with photos by Ron Schmidt is a collection of poetry--told in the voices of dogs. They write about things such as getting free of their leash, battling over a bone, and ways to keep cool. My favorite poem is called "I Will NOT Go to the Groomer" and begins like this:

I will not go to the groomer

And won't be washed outside.

To be bathed in a public place

Is quite undignified.

The photos that accompany each poem are too fun and kids will totally love them. "Furry Facts" about each dog are listed at the end of the book. These bios are also quite amusing.

The couple who wrote this book is quite fun--their dog even has his own blog!

Poetry Month -- A Bad Case of the Giggles

A Bad Case of the Giggles
edited by Bruce Lansky
illustrated by Stephen Carpenter
Simon & Schuster, 1994

I am getting ready to replace this book for the third time. It is literally falling apart from constant use. My favorite thing to do when it's missing is to call out, "Who has A BAD CASE OF THE GIGGLES?" and listen to my students crack up.

Kids love funny poems. They love the sly humor of a pun and the bawdy humor of underwear and diapers.

Here's a favorite from A BAD CASE OF THE GIGGLES:

I SAW YOU

I saw you in the ocean,
I saw you in the sea,
I saw you in the bathtub.
Oops! Pardon me.

--Anonymous

Well, since that was by Anonymous, here's another one. This one's good for working on fluency of expression, but don't tell the kids that. Just tell them to make sure it makes...sense.

I THOUGHT A THOUGHT

I thought a thought.
But the thought I thought wasn't the thought I thought I thought.
If the thought I thought I thought had been the thought
I thought,
I wouldn't have thought so much.

--Anonymous

Welcome, Poetry Month! Welcome, Hope Anita Smith!

April is finally here! Bring on the Poetry!! Here at A Year of Reading, we will be spotlighting a book of poetry every day this month -- some new books, but lots of old favorites.

But before we get started with that, we need to welcome OHIO POET Hope Anita Smith to the Thurber House Children's Writer-in-Residency position! We look forward to meeting you this summer!

Here's some background information from the Thurber House website:

Originally from Akron, Hope Anita Smith is a storyteller, teacher, artist as well as an award-winning poet. Her first book of poetry, The Way A Door Closes, won several awards including The Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award and was chosen as one of the Best Books of the Year by School Library Journal 2004. The sequel, Keeping the Night Watch, was released last spring.

On top of all of her poetry and artwork, Smith is a wonderful teacher and presenter. With her company, INKED WELL WORDS, she has taught writing "wordshops" to writers of every age. She encourages her students to find their 'voice' using paint chips, random words, found objects, magazine pictures.

Hope Anita Smith's newest book, Mother Poems, just hit the shelves. In this book, a young girl deals with the death of her mother.