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