Graduation Gift

My Graduation Present

Introduction—I received my first graduation present. My school librarian and I eat lunch together and she gave me a wonderful picture book, “All God’s Critters” by Bill Staines. It’s colorful, humorous, and easy to read. I’ve already read it at storytime and the children started clapping and repeating the chorus without any prompting. It’s a fun book. Here’s the chorus.

“All God’s critters got a place in the choir,
Some sing low, some sing higher,
Some sing out loud on the telephone wire,
And some just clap their hands, or paws, or anything they got. Now……”

Staines, Bill. “All God’s Critters.” Nelson, Kadir, ill. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2009.

Extension—My granddaughter started clapping her hands on the beat and I was amazed how she connected the word clap and her to respond so quickly. She started the other children clapping and singing the chorus. A great book for the children who are visually inspired is “Doodle Dandies” by J. Patrick Lewis. The poems take on the shape of the subject of the poem. Look at the giraffe (pages are not numbered). It looks like a giraffe in words. It’s a cool book. Read, sing, and talk poetry out loud!

Lewis, J. Patrick. “Doodle Dandies: poems that take shape.” Desimini, Lisa, ill. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1998.

A fun Book

“Poems go Clang: a collection of Noisy Verse.” Gliori, Debi, ill. 1997, Cambridge: Candlewick Press, 1997.

Conclusion—I have taken on a whole new world of appreciation for poetry and I will continue to enjoy poetry read out loud for years to come. I am still an immature poet, “Immature Poets imitate, mature poets steal,” T.S. Eliot. With time and practice, I hope to mature. Thank you Dr. Vardell for a wonderful course in “Poetry for Children and Young Adults.”

Blog Bibliography

Blog Bibliography

Adedjouma, Davida. THE PALM OF MY HEART: Poetry by African American Children. New York: Lee & Low, 1996.

Bennett, Lee Hopkins. MARVELOUS MATH: A BOOK OF POEMS. New York : Simon & Schuster, 1997.

Cullinan, Bernice E. A JAR OF TINY STARS. Honesdale: Wordsong, 1996.

Cullinan, Bernice E. Marilyn C. Scala,, and VirginiaC. Schroder. THREE VOICES: AN INVITATION TO POETRY ACROSS THE CURRICULUM. Portland: Stenhouse Publishers, 1995

Dunning, Stephen, Edward Lueders, and Hugh Smith. REFLECTIONS ON A GIFT OF WATERMELON PICKLE; AND OTHER MODERN VERSE. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1996.

Florian, Douglas. HANDSPRINGS. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2006.

Florian, Douglas. IN THE SWIM. Orlando: Harcourt, 1997.

Grimes, Nikki. WHAT IS GOODBYE? Colon, Raul, ill. New York: Hypero Books for Children, 2004.

Heard, Georgia. “For the Good of the Earth and Sun: Teaching Poetry.” Portsmouth: Heineman Educational Books, 1989.

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. DINOSAURS. Ill. Tinkelman, Murray. San Diego: Voyager Books/Harcourt. 1987.

Hughes, Langston, THE DREAM KEEPER; and other poems, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1994.

Janeczko, Paul. A POKE IN THE I: a collection of concrete poems. Raschka, Chris, ill. Cambridge: Candlewick Press, 2001.

Johnson, Tony. VOICE FROM AFAR: POEMS OF PEACE. Guevara, Susan ill. Malaysia: Holiday House, 2008.

Prelutsky, Jack. SCRANIMALS. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2002.

Prelutsky, Jack. THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1984.

Podwal, Mark. JERUSALEM SKY: STARS, CROSSES, AND CRESCENTS. New York: Random House Children's Books, 2005.

Spinelli, Eileen. WHERE I LIVE. Matt Phelan,Ill. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2007.

Staines, Bill. “All God’s Critters.” Nelson, Kadir, ill. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2009.

Vardell, Sylvia M. “Poetry Aloud Here!” Chicago: American Library Association, 2006.

Weatherford, Carole Boston. Floyd Cooper ill. BECOMING BILLIE HOLIDAY. Honesdale:
Wordsong, 2008.

Whitehead, Jenny. LUNCH BOX MAIL: and other poems. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2001.

Paul Janeczko Book Review

A POKE IN THE I



Janeczko, Paul. A POKE IN THE I: a collection of concrete poems. Raschka, Chris, ill. Cambridge: Candlewick Press, 2001.


Concrete poems are often hard to read and I usually avoid them. Paul Janeczko's A POKE IN THE I didn't change my mind. It is a collection of thirty delightful eye catching poems that young readers will find irresistible.



The collection includes one word poems instilled in poetic illustrations. STOWAWAY by Robert Carola, and CAT CHAIR by Chris Rachka are two examples. A concrete poem can also be a selection of words arranged into a particular shape like an ESKIMO PIE written by John
Hollander.






I enjoyed SKIPPING ROPE SPELL by John Agard. The torn paper art work of the girls as poetry spins in circles between them captured the excitement of recess. Chris Raschka's stunning illustrations are poetic and could almost stand alone.





Skipping Rope Spell
By John Agard

Turn rope turn,
Don’t trip my feet,
Turn rope turn,
For my skipping feet.

Turn rope turn,
Turn round and round,
Turn in the air,
Turn on the ground.

One for your high,
One for your low,
Turn rope turn,
Not too fast,
Not too slow.

Turn rope turn,
Turn to the north,
Turn to the south,
But pleased rope, please,Don’t make me out.



A POKE IN THE I presents a well selected group of concrete poems written by some of the world's finest visual poets. These are good examples of how the use of space and the arrangement of words and letters add meaning to poems. It's a collection of playful poems which will entice children and adults.



Publishers Weekly



On this book's cover, a winking man nudges a letter "I" with his umbrella. This multilayered image, with its homonym and visual game, provides a stimulating introduction to 30 concrete poems by various authors. Throughout the volume, crisp black words on spotless backgrounds do double-duty as concepts and physical objects. ........... Janeczko (Very Best [almost] Friends) selects economical works that allow plenty of space for reflection. "Whee" offers a slope of six single-syllable words ("Packed snow steep hill fast sled") and a scattered group of rag-doll figures; another piece simply joins "merging" to "traffic." Raschka's restrained collages of calligraphic watercolor lines and torn paper leave most everything to the shaped poems. He and Janeczko provide an uncluttered, meditative space for the picturesque language.

A serious Poem "DEATH"

Introduction

I open by telling how it has been a year since my dog played to rough with my guinea pig and killed it. I don't really know what to do today. I found this poem about death that I'd like to share it with the class.

Anniversary—Jesse

It’s been a year.
What can I do
to mark the date?
Death’s not a thing
To celebrate,
but something special
should be done.
I burn my drawings
one by one,
take the ashes
to his grave
and say goodbye
at last,
and wave.

Grimes, Nikki. WHAT IS GOODBYE? Colon, Raul, ill. New York: Hypero Books for Children, 2004.

Extension

Read the poem again and after a moment of silence, ask the students how the poem made them feel. Did it remind them of anything that has happened to them? Explain about Jesse's brother death and how Jesse and his sister expressed their grief in poems. Read more of the poems from WHAT IS GOODBYE? Let the children experience the silence after each poem. Invite the children to write poems to share with the class which they can do as homework.

Poetry by a Child

Introduction

Words can be playful, serious or hurtful. Poetry is an expression of feelings. Explain how African American people were called black and how it was meant in a negative way. Show the class how a group of children took the word and wrote poems with positive situations dealing with black. Read a poem by Brandon N. Johnson.

BLACK


Black ancestors
died for my freedom.

My great uncle Jimmy risked
his life to help
Black people vote.

My great great grandmother voted
for the first time
when she was
80 years old.

Black is boldness.

By Brandon N. Johnson

Adedjouma, Davida. THE PALM OF MY HEART: Poetry by African American Children. New York: Lee & Low, 1996.

Extension

Read the poem again. Help class to make a list of other negative words. Ask children to find words that are opposite of the negative words. Let children work in pairs to write why they feel the words are negative or positive. Ask the children to write a poem using the words and their sentences (negative, positive or both). If time permits read a couple of poems to the class.

My new Favorite Poem

Introduction

Explain why some children are sent to the United States from war sung countries. They are not familiar our holidays. April 1 is a day of tricks but that’s not the only time we play tricks. Some times tricks are not taken well and other times they help us to grow and appreciate life.
I have a poem that shows us how to look for the good in a trick played on us.

ANY DIRECTION IS GOOD

Nazli came to us from Cairo.

The day she arrived at our house,

she asked, “Which way is East?”

My little brother, ever the joker,

happily faced her prayer rug due north.



Six years she studied for her doctorate.

Six years she sank to her knees on the plush rug

And prayed faithfully to Allah, toward Oregon,

Alaska and the great Arctic Circle.



When Nazli discovered my brother’s treachery,

she called him Little Stinker. Then she laughed.

No worries, Jimmy. North is good.

Wherever they are headed

all prayers reach God.

Johnson, Tony. VOICE FROM AFAR: POEMS OF PEACE. Guevara, Susan ill. Malaysia: Holiday House, 2008.

Extension

Read the poem a second time. Let the kids absorb the poem then let them tell of a trick they played on a friend or relative and what happened as a result of the trick. Provide a display of books with riddles, about children displaced by war and holidays celebrations from other countries. Let the children read a poem to the class or a riddle to see who knows the answer.

Poetry and the Refrain

Introduction

Ask the students where vegetables grow. They may say vines, plants, or even trees. Explain that they all start from the ground. Earth day is this month and we can show appreciation for the earth by keeping it clean. Show a picture of a rutabaga. Ask if anyone knows the name of the vegetable? Read the poem about rutabaga.

Carrots? No, Thank You!

Some vegetables are good to eat,
and some are just okay.
My favorite vegetable’s the one
that’s really fun to say—

........Rutabaga!
................Rutabaga!
........................Rutabaga!

It’s really kind of tasty,
whipped up hot like mashed potata.
But I always start to giggle
when I’m asked, “More rutabaga?”

..........Rutabaga!
.................Rutabaga!
.........................Rutabaga!

You may like another vegetable
That has a funny name.
Chickpeas, leeks, and parsnips
may tickle you the same.

But I think rutabaga
is the best veggie that grows.
It’s the only one I know of
I can laugh right my nose!

.......Rutabaga!
...............Rutabaga!
.......................Rutabaga!

Whitehead, Jenny. LUNCH BOX MAIL: and other poems. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2001.

Extension

Explain to the class the term "refrain." Read the poem again. Ask the children to make a list of vegetables or fruits that they enjoy eating. Have them choose one item from their list and write three reasons why they like that fruit. Have fun writing poems and using their fruits for the refrain.

(Note: I can't get my blog to post the space so I use periods.)

New Poetry Book Review

JERUSALEM SKY

Podwal, Mark. JERUSALEM SKY: STARS, CROSSES, AND CRESCENTS. New York: Random House Children's Books, 2005.

The beauty of Jerusalem is not well known by most children in the United States. Daily news stories paint dem views of the world. JERUSALEM SKY paints "hope." Mr. Podwal has taken this ancient city and given readers information about its beauty, history and the people living in Jerusalem.

JERUSALEM SKY is inspiration for any child or adult that reads its beautifully written verses. The words reflex the diverse worshippers who long to see God. His bibliography includes Marie-Rose Seguy's THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF MAHOMET'S and Zev Vilnay's LEGENDS OF JERUSALEM, two other outstanding works.

His use of "white space" accents each line. The lines break at various lengths and are staggered not flush left. The white space and line breaks develop a calm spiritual rhythm. Each verse tells you more and more about Jerusalem's history and the sky above it. I enjoyed how the verses give such vivid imagery.

_____Legend says that the Jerusalem sky

___________has a hole in it,

___________made by a jewel

_______that fell from God's throne.

___________Through this hole

__________hopes reach heaven.

Podwal used several double page illustrations to magnify the beauty of Jerusalem and its religious significance to many diverse people and nations. I like how he ties in the stars, crosses, and crescents. It's a universal book for children; regardless of their religious background, to read and to be inspired.

______Atop these majestic monuments to miracles,

________________synagogue stars,

________________church crosses,

________________mosque moons

__meet under the Jerusalem sky and merge their shadows.

Review

Booklist--Starred Review* Gr. 3-5. The religious history of Jerusalem is as omnipresent in the sky above, as it is in the city itself. In short, with beautiful poems and vivid, impressionistic artwork, Podwal captures the hope and tears the city evokes among followers of the three monotheistic religions of the world. Calling on both history and myth ("Some believe that halfway between heaven and earth, the Jerusalem sky is home to a city with walls of silver, gates of pearl, and streets of gold"), Podwal paints word pictures of Jerusalem's special nature and explains why Judaism, Christianity, and Islam hold it holy. For instance, "Christians tell of a wondrous star in the Jerusalem sky . . . . And they tell how thirty-three years later, a spring afternoon's daylight blackened into a starless sky." The pictures hint of Chagall, with readers using their softer sight to make out the images. The colors, though, are vivid: the pinks and golds of the city's stones, the oranges and greens from the groves, and the myriad blues of the sky. Put this in the hands of children, and talk to them about hope rather than hostilities

Biographical Poetry Book Review

BECOMING BILLIE HOLIDAY

Weatherford, Carole Boston. Floyd Cooper ill. BECOMING BILLIE HOLIDAY. Honesdale: Wordsong, 2008.

Ms. Weatherford grew up hearing the music of Billie Holiday. She stated in the afterword that BECOMING BILLIE HOLIDAY is a "fictional verse memoir" that "imagines her legendary life from birth to young adulthood." Ms. Weatherford used the titles of Ms. Holiday's hit songs as titles for her poems.

The fictional verse memoir includes historical information on the racism in the South and how Ms Holiday had to suffer racial slurs and harsh treatment. Billie though the South was bad that was until she visited Detroit. She faced a more personal kind of racism. It was against “her.” In the poem “Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?" you can feel the pain she must have had to endured.

Say what you will about the south:
The worst racist I came up against
Was not deep down in Dixie
But way up in Detroit with Basie’s band.
The boss at the Fox Theater claimed
I was too high yellow,
Too light-skinned, to share
The stage with black musicians
And might be mistaken for white.
The one condition for the show to go on:
that I darken my skin with greasepaint.
I smiled to keep from throwing up
and never missed Harlem more.

The story moved quickly with the precise words to paint realistic scenes of Harlem, a child being raped, prison, abandonment, the Apollo, and even a hanging. Poetry eliminates the added words or pages and gets to the heart of the moment. Mr. Cooper's illustrations reflected the period of time but I doubt that his choice of style would connect or engage teens in the story. I didn't like the blurred lens effects.

Two stories are presented; one about the life of Billie Holiday from birth to her mid-twenties and one that presented the struggles Blacks suffered even after slavery. Weatherford added imagery and information that leads to knowledge. Blues and Jazz singers tell their stories through song. The last poem, "Coda: Strange Fruit," sums up Ms. Holiday's life as it was presented in the novel. The last two stanza are powerful.
"When the waiters stopped service
the room was pitch black
except for a spotlight on my face,
and I stood completely still,
preforming "Strange Fruit,"
how could I not shed tears?

When I arrived at Cafe Society
a girl singer with a string of hits
and departed the star of the hour,
how could I not claim:
This is my song?

The Afterword, Biographies, and list of Further Reading and Listening are great resources to complete the book. A reader looking for a biographical verse memoir would not be disappointed in reading "BECOMING BILLIE HOLIDAY."

Note: What is a fictional verse memoir? It combines elements of the novel, biography, oral history, persona poem, and one-woman show into a unique genre. The fictional verse memoir is ideally suited to Billie Holiday's sassy, soulful and sophisticated style.

http://www.becomingbillieholiday.com/

Book Review:
School Library Journal--In this fictionalized memoir, Weatherford has composed nearly 100 first-person narrative poems that detail Holiday's life from birth until age 25, the age at which she debuted her signature song, "Strange Fruit." The poems borrow their titles from Holiday's songs, a brilliant device that provides readers with a haunting built-in sound track. Weatherford's language is straightforward and accessible-almost conversational. ....Cooper's sepia-toned, nostalgic, mixed-media illustrations provide an emotional counterpoint to the text. Resembling old photographs seen through a lens of aching hindsight, they make explicit the pain that Weatherford studiously avoids giving full voice to in her poems.

Math Poetry Book Review

MARVELOUS MATH: A BOOK OF POEMS

Bennett, Lee Hopkins. MARVELOUS MATH: A BOOK OF POEMS. New York : Simon & Schuster, 1997.

Math is all around us everywhere. Most people use some form of math each day. Mr. Bennett presents a collection of poems that connect math to every day events in our lives. The poems are written by poets that use various styles (rhyme and free verse, ect.). Ms. Barbour's watercolor illustrations complete the poems with characters dressed in bright colors and silly outfits. Children will enjoy the full pages of common and strange items. It's nice to see more than the use of only numbers.

Marilyn Scala, in our Textbook "Three Voices," stated that math is vocabulary and children need to be taught the concept that math is a language.
Math concepts can be challenging to students who have trouble visualizing the concept. Linking the imagery of poetry to math may help children visualize abstract concepts and operations. (Three Voices) The majority of the poems in MARVELOUS MATH ask children to think about the world without mathematics. One of the keys to understanding what’s important is to view life without it. I liked two of the poems that addressed math concepts.

FRACTIONS
Lee Bennett Hopkins

Broken number pieces
disconnected—

a quarter
a half
an eighth

fragmented—

out of order
out of control—

until—

I explore them
restore them

make them
whole
once more
again.

TIME PASSES
Ilo Orleans

Sixty seconds
Pass in a minute.
Sixty minutes
Pass in an hour.
Twenty-four hours
Pass in a day—
And that’s now TIME
Keeps passing away!

Poetry is a good tool to remove the fear of math and allow children to express how they feel about math even if they don't like math. Children will find math less threatening when the connect with the poems in Marvelous Math.

Review
School Library Journal
Grade 3-5. Hopkins pulls together poems on mathematics, providing insights from writers such as Karla Kuskin, Janet S. Wong, and Lillian M. Fisher. Several selections share the predictable theme of the significance of math and numbers. Rebecca Kai Dotlich's title poem, for example, asks questions such as, "How fast does a New York taxi go?" and "How slow do feathers fall?" and suggests how to find the answers: "Mathematics knows it all!" Some take a unique point of view, as in Betsy Franco's "Math Makes Me Feel Safe": "Knowing that my brother will always be/three years younger than I am,/and every day of the year will have/twenty-four hours." Rhymed and open verse styles are represented, as are a variety of tones. David McCord's "Who Hasn't Played Gazintas?" is a playful presentation of spoken language. Barbour's lively illustrations dance and play around the poems. Her boldly outlined watercolor figures, often wearing ill-fitting hats, fill the pages with childlike whimsy. Children will enjoy studying the oddly colored animals, numbers, and stylized, arched-browed people. A delightful collection

Cullinan, Bernice E. Marilyn C. Scala,, and Virginia
C. Schroder. THREE VOICES: AN INVITATION TO POETRY ACROSS THE CURRICULUM. Portland: Stenhouse Publishers, 1995.

Spring Poetry Break

Introduction
Hang a poster that includes clouds, flowers, baseball diamond, skateboards, ladybugs, and centipedes. Ask the kids what season they would see these objects. Turn the poster over and read the poem "Spring Is."

SPRING IS

Spring is flowers
...................showers
.......................plowers.
Spring is watching clouds for hours.

Spring is seeding
....................weeding
.........................centipede-ing.
Spring is great for skateboard speeding.

Spring is hiking
...................biking
......................baseball striking.
Spring's a time to take a liking.

Florian, Douglas. HANDSPRINGS. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2006.

Extension

Children usually say, "Yea, I knew that was about spring." You can then ask them to tell you more spring time things like: birds returning, baby animals, bears and other mammals waking from their sleep, rainstorms, and holiday's like St. Patrick's Day. Let the children read their list and ask them to pick five words from their list and find five words to rhyme with their words.
Mix two sets together and let that pair of kids play a Spring Rhyme Match game or they can make up a poem from their ten rhyming words.

http://thehollyandtheivy.blogspot.com/2009/02/humans-ramble-trees-long-to-walk.html

Book Review--Verse Novel

WHERE I LIVE

Spinelli, Eileen. WHERE I LIVE. Matt Phelan,Ill. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2007.

WHERE I LIVE isn't a story about a house and other material things. It's about living. Ms. Spinelli has taken an ordinary second grader with a major event in her life (moving, good-byes, sadness) and developed a intriguing story. The free verse style works well with this novel.

You are introduced to all the main characters within the first six poems. Diana describes her house, mentions her best friend, describes the sky and lets you know that it is autumn all in the first poem. The story quickly moves along with the wren's nest on the front door, Grandpa Joe's home and broken arm, the birth of her sister and her dad losing his job which causes their move.

Youthful dramatic dialog adds humor to the story. "Rose rolls her eyes. "Nebula is not a word."
..."Okay. If my friend Rose looked up at the sky more often..she would know a nebula when she saw one." Rose throws her pillow at me. "You and your sky!" Good use of dialog. Ms Spinelli provides good visuals throughout the book, "Twink puts in ...three gum balls...and her stuffed rabbit, George."

Matt Phelan's simple gray illustrations connect you to the warmth in the story. The poems could stand alone but the story would be less enjoyable or even dis-engaging without the pictures. The drawings for the poem, "Dad's Latest," presents "believable characters," although the poem could stand alone.

Dad collect jokes
like some people
collect stamps.
Here's his latest:
"what kind of dog
loves to take a bath?"
Twink guesses
"A dirty dog?"
Mom grins.
I shake my head.
"No, Twink," says Dad.
" A shampoodle!"

Spindelli includes some diversity with Rose, an African American and Sam Ling which suggest Chinese, plus he's male. I do agree with the reviewer from Booklist that the Rose's character should have been eased out the story and not just dropped. Diana's grandpa had bought her a computer to e-mail her friend and it ends there. Diana returns to her old home town for the poetry workshop but doesn't visit or call Rose. This doesn't take away from the story but I believe children could disconnect by wondering what happened to "Rose?"

One interesting note about verse novels. Yes, the pages have additional space plus they are actually thicker than regular novels pages. Reluctant readers can work through the thickness quickly. I believe the trend to publish verse novels will continue to grow which is a good thing.

Reviews

Booklist--In a market crowded with novels-in-verse, this one feels a bit facile, and some readers may wish Rose didn't drop out of the picture so completely once a new friend appears on the scene. Teachers, however, will welcome the poems' imagery and symbolism (like the fledglings nesting in, then departing from, Diana's old front door), and Diana's journey from one comfort zone to another will reassure children anticipating their own mad-sad goodbyes.

Similar Books

GROW: A NOVEL IN VERSE by Juanita Havill
HAT THAT CAT: A NOVEL by Sharon Creech

Moden Verse---Poetry Break

Introduction

Has anyone every mentioned a word that made you wonder, "What does it mean?", or "Where did it come from?" or "Why don't you know more about that word?" Poems help us to remember people, places and things.

Indian

Margret mentioned Indians,
And I began to think about Indians--

Indians once living
Where now we are living--

And I thought how little I know
About Indians. Oh, I know

What I have heard. Not much,
When I think how much

I wonder about them,
when a mere mention of them,

Indians, starts me. I
Think of their wigwams. I

Think of canoes. I think
Of quick arrows. I think

Of things Indian. And still
I think of their bright, still

Summers, when these hills
And meadows on these hills,

Shone in the morning
Suns before this morning.

INDIANS by John Fandel
Dunning, Stephen, Edward Lueders, and Hugh Smith. REFLECTIONS ON A GIFT OF WATERMELON PICKLE; AND OTHER MODERN VERSE. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1996.

Extension

Read the poem a second and third time. Ask the children to close their eyes and picture the places in the poem. Have them draw a picture that reflects what they hear described in the poem. Let them look through a collection of poems from various authors that describe people and places. Have the children work in pairs and encourage students to read the poems to each other.

Nonsense Verse-Poetry Break

Introduction

Introduce children to the author Jack Prelutsky. Explain a little about his style of writing. Often you say that you don't understand things. Well this author loves to write poems that are fun to figure out. Read from Scranimals a nonsense verse picture book.

POTATOAD

On a bump beside a road
Sits a lowly POTATOAD,
Obviously unaware
Of its own existence there.

On its coarse and warty hide,
It has eyes on every side,
Eyes that fail, apparently,
To take note of what they see.

It does not move, it does not think,
It does not eat, it does not drink,
It does not hear or taste or touch...
The POTATOAD does not do much.

The day is hot, the ground is parched,
And yet it sits as if it's starched.
To pose immobile by a road
Suffices for the POTATOAD.

Prelutsky, Jack. SCRANIMALS. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2002.

Extension

Let the children browse through the assortment of Jack Prelutsky books. Allow time for children to read a poem that they enjoyed. Children can quickly find the root words and see the added letters that change the words. Put the children in small groups to make up new words and let them write poems for homework.

Douglas Florian Poetry Break

Introduction

Science—Douglas Florian makes studying sea animals fun with his style of poetry. Quiet the class. Explain that an animal’s name can have no relation to its physical appearance. Many of our sea creatures have unusual names.
Read two poems by Douglas Florian, “The Catfish” and “The Sea Horse.”

The Catfish
By Douglas Florian

I cannot purr.
I don’t have fur
Or claws or paws.
Don’t sleep in drawers.
I don’t chase mice.
Let that suffice.
I am a fish.
I have no wish
To be a cat.
That’s that!

The Sea Horse
By Douglas Florian

You have
No hooves.
You have no hair.
You don’t eat oats.
You don’t breathe air.
You hatch from eggs.
You cannot race.
(You have no legs
With which to chase.)
You’re not a colt
Nor mare
Nor filly.
You’re called a horse.
I call that silly.

Florian, Douglas. IN THE SWIM. Orlando: Harcourt, 1997.

Extension
Help the children list other sea creatures (starfish, sawfish, jellyfish, dragon fish, and vampire squid) to write poems about and use their illustrations. Give the children a worksheet with rebus puzzles to name other fish. Children can also use rebus puzzles in their poems. (Science, literature, art and fun all tied together.)

Allow children to read Douglas Florian books you have on display, "In the swim," "Beast feast", and "Zoo's who."

"The Sun Is So Quiet" Book Review

The Sun Is So Quiet

Giovanni, Nikki. THE SUN IS SO QUIET. Ill Bryan, Ashley. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996.

The first poem in “The Sun Is So Quiet” brought back memories of my childhood. Most children will probably ask, “What is “Father John’s Medicine?” It’s a collection that allows you to feel the warmth of winter and the urgent desire for the return of the sun. The bright illustrations by Ashley Bryan connect with each poem to present an isolated moment in time. The many images of children provide a connection with various children’s age groups as well as adults.

Ms. Giovanni stirs your imagination with well placed figurative language. The poem, “Snowflakes,” begins with the simile, “Little boys are like Snowflakes, No two are alike. “ She then has the snowflakes, “waltz around my ears,” and “laugh and go away.”

I enjoyed the tongue twister, “Prickled Pickles Don’t Smile.” It’s a poem that children will repeat several times in an effort to say it correctly. You will find with the thirteen poems a use of elements that are timeless, “frogs in mud, falling snowflakes, sun that melts our names off glass windows and rainbows.”

Riding rainbows, watching stars and fairies, or licking chocolate off your fingers, the imagery will keep children reading “The Sun is so Quiet” for years to come. The images cross many cultural, ethnic and geographical lines which makes it a book for any child to enjoy.

Connie (the last part)
“quiet…like a quilt on a feather bed…and frost on
The window….we write our names knowing…the sun
Will melt them off
But the sun is so quiet…that we don’t care
We smile

Reviews

Publisher’s Weekly--- The bold, fluid lines of the gouache and tempera compositions make for a particularly eye-catching volume, just right for reeling in the read-aloud crowd and introducing them to the joys of poetry. Ages 4-up.

Booklist--- Of the 13 poems presented here, 12 appeared in books published between 1973 and 1993. The new poem, entitled "Connie," represents the best of Giovanni: a series of quicksilver images that capture a mood to perfection. Painted in Bryan's signature style, the illustrations fill the pages with sunny colors and bold patterns. Although the quality of the art and the verse is uneven, the book has plenty to offer, including illustrations that feature African American children in many cultures and settings and a warmth of feeling in both the poetry and the artwork.

Similar books
PASS IT ON: AFRICAN AMERICAN POEMS FOR CHILDREN by Wade Hudson, and Cheryl Hudson
SPLASH: POEMS ABOUT WATER by Constnace Levy

Poetry Break NCTE AWARD POET

Introduction
Ask the class the question, “Who loves ice cream?” Also ask, “What’s their favorite flavor?” Ask them to listen to the poems “Flavors.”

Flavors
By Arnold Adoff

Flavors

Mama is chocolate: you must be swirls
Of dark fudge,
And ripples
Through
Your cocoa curls:

Chips
And
Flips of sprinkles
On your summer face.

Flavors

Daddy is vanilla: you must be mean
Old
Bean
In the morning,
Cherry
Chunks by afternoon,
And
Sweet
Peach sometimes.

But mostly you
Are vanilla
Up
Your
Arms.

Flavors

Me
Is better
Butter: I must be
Pecans
Roasted,
Toasted;

Almond
Wal nut three
Scoop combination
Cone:

Melting under
Kisses.

It is a new color.
It is a new flavor
For
Love.

Extension
Read the poems a second time. Let the children discuss what their feelings are about the poems. Ask the children to write a poem about themselves and they can include pictures. (Their poem doesn’t have to refer to ice cream but it’s alright if it does.) The focus is imagery and their connection with the poems.

Cullinan, Bernice E. A JAR OF TINY STARS. Honesdale: Wordsong, 1996.

Arnold Adoff won the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children in 1988. Mr. Adoff loved food and he referred to food in many of his poems. His passion for food is evident in his collections of poems, EAT, GREENS, AND CHOCOLATE DREAMS.

Hopkins Anthology

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. DINOSAURS. Ill. Tinkelman, Murray. San Diego: Voyager Books/Harcourt. 1987.

Mr. Hopkins has given us a look back in time through poetry about dinosaurs. The collection includes poems by Hopkins and several poets like; Patricia Hubbell, Valerie Worth, Victoria Day Najjar, and Bernard Most. The theme of this anthology is to remember dinosaurs and to praise these mighty creatures who once roamed the earth. The cover and illustrations connect with the poems (they look old). The book includes a table of content along with poets for each poem. I liked this poem at the beginning of the book that captured the theme.

WHEN DINOSAURS RULED THE EARTH
by Patricia Hubbell

Brontosaurus, diplodocus, gentle
trachodon,
Dabbled in the muds of time,
Once upon, upon.
.....
Allosaurus awed his foe,
He sawed his friends who passed,
His teeth were made for tearing flesh,
His teeth were made to gnash.
Taller than a building now,
Taller than a tree,
He roamed about the swamp-filled world
And ate his company.

Children learn the names and the habits of dinosaurs by reading this poem. The other poems are enjoyable and educational. It's not a collection about fear or blood and guts. Hopkins connects the past to our museums which house many bones of past dinosaurs. Children can extend their knowledge and be enriched. A poem that indicates their age is "Fossils."

FOSSILS
by Lilian Moore

Older than books,
than scrolls,

older
than the first
tales told

or the
first words
spoken

are the stories

in forests that
turned to
stone

in ice walls
that trapped the
mammoth

in the long
bones of
dinosaurs--

the fossil
stories that begin
Once upon a time

It's an inspiring collection and has encouraged me to search for more poems by the other poets. Children will find it easy to read. 2-6 grades

Review
From School Library Journal--Grade 3-6 Joining the ever-growing collection of dinosaur lore is Hopkins' new poetry anthology. Not a bad idea, and there is no question as to the literary merit of these poems; the poets include Lillian Moore, Myra Cohn Livingston, and Lillian M. Fisher. But Hopkins has dug up bones, not dinosaurs. These poems celebrate museum displays, not teeth-knashing, tail-twitching giants. Although well executed, the black-and-white ink drawings reinforce the book's dreamy and reflective but ultimately static mood. Yes, it's a good book, but one can't help wishing a real tyrannosaurus or two had stumbled onto these pages, to raise the dust and spew a little excitement into these placid poems.

African American Poetry Break

THE DREAM KEEPER

Introduction
Ask children what they dream of being when they grow up and if they know a policeman, nurse, teacher, preacher, or someone they wish to be like. Explain that we live in America and we are free to work towards any dream that we have.
Say America and read the poem.

I, Too

I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.

Tomorrow,
I’ll sit at the table
When company comes.
Nobody’ll dare
Say to me,
“eat in the kitchen,”
then.

Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed—

I, too, am America.

Hughes, Langston, THE DREAM KEEPER; and other poems, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1994.

Extension
We have a new president, President Barack Obama. Do you think he dreamed of being a president? I have several books with poems about different careers. Look for a poem you like perhaps you’ll find one about what you dream of being.
The poems they select and copy will be the start to their own anthologies.

School Poem

THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

Introduction
I'm sitting at my desk making a lot of noise about something my principal asked me to take home to fill out. I complain loudly for the kids to hear, “It’s like having homework.” I ask the children to listen as I read the poem to the class.

**

**

**

**

Homework! Oh, Homework!
By Jack Prelutsky

Homework! Oh, Homework!

I hate you! You stink!
I wish I could wash you
Away in the sink,
If only a bomb
Would explode you to bits.
Homework! Oh, homework!
You’re giving me fits.

I’d rather take baths
With a man-eating shark,
Or wrestle a lion
Alone in the dark,
Eat spinach and liver,
Pet ten porcupines,
Than tackle the homework
My teacher assigns.

Homework! Oh, Homework!
You’re last on my list,
I simply can’t see
Why you even exist,
If you just disappeared
It would tickle me pink.
Homework! Oh, homework!
I hate you! You stink!

Prelutsky, Jack. THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1984.

Extension
Lead a short discussion on what will happen when we don’t do our homework. Ask kids to compare it to the benefits of doing their homework. I'll schedule extra time for the class to complete their homework during center time. The activity is to show children that it doesn’t usually take a long time to do their homework. Their homework will be to write their own poem about doing or not doing their homework. Poetry books are in the class library for students to read for other examples.

POETRY FOR CH & YA #20 (09SPLS566320)

The purpose for new entries will be to complete assignments in my graduate class at Texas Woman's University.