THE NEGRO SPEAKS OF RIVERS (Disney, Jump at the Sun Books 2009), is a poem widely acknowledged by many to be the song of the Harlem Renaissance, and the poet who wrote it at age eighteen, Langston Hughes, to be the voice. As illustrated by E. B. Lewis, in powerful and vivid watercolor, it sings about the strength and courage of black people in America and around the world. “I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep … and I’ve seen its muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset.” The thing about rivers is that they run through all of our lives and the songs they sing are universal. Share this with the children in your life.
Nye’s A Maze Me: Poems for Girls(Greenwillow Books, 2014) is a tender tribute to girls from the ages to 11 to 13, an honest study of a young girl’s need to be heard. Regarding pre-adolescent girls, Nye states, “I want to talk to her. Ask her things. See what she is looking at, off beyond the world we can see together.” To listen deeply, in order to learn completely, is the premise of this powerful little book.
The timeless poems in this collection meet the needs of a girl in the upper scale of the ReaderKidZ age range, as well as the adults who care about her. The poems are communal; they are intended to be shared by all types of women – young and old – questioning the world they share together.
It’s a fine life, Boy.
Nap,
play,
bathe,
nap, eat, repeat.
Practice makes purrfect.
But a surprise waits behind the nearest closed door. An eager puppy-pest, threatening to upset Won Ton’s comfortable life:
Hey, Pest! Heed my hiss! My blankie. My bowl. My boy.
Trespassers bitten.
Of course it takes a while for cat and dog to work out their differences but, little by little, they adjust. Won Ton admits:
Some parts of woof I
will never understand. But…
practice makes purrfect.
Told in senryu, a form of Japanese poetry similar to Haiku, WON TON and CHOPSTICK offers a fresh twist on the theme of “sibling” rivalry and “finding your place.”
For those who mistakenly believe that poetry is all about roses and violets and love (mushy!), here are some new earthy and brilliantly uncouth collections. No mush, just good (sometimes gross) giggles!
For the youngest readers:
Ode to a Commode: Concrete Poems written by Brian P. Cleary and illustrated by Andy Rowland (Millbrook Press, 2015) Yes, you’ll use Cleary’s explanation of how to write concrete poems as a great teaching tool, but make sure you read these fantastic poems with kids for sheer pleasure anytime. What kid wouldn’t giggle over a toilet poem you have to turn in circles to read as it flushes?
For the transitional readers:
Hypnotize a Tiger: Poems About Just About Everything by Calef Brown (Henry Holt, 2015) Kids who love Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky will gobble up this highly illustrated collection of odd poems. My favorite: Carsick. “Car rides have always/ been awful for me./ I try not to look/ but as soon as I see/ that the needle is pointing/ to forty-three/ on the ol’ speedometer,/ I’m a vomiter.”
For the older readers:
A Moose Boosh: A Few Choice Words About Food byEric-Shabazz Larkin (Readers to Eaters, 2014) It’s poetry, it’s graffiti-ed photographs, it’s genius. As the poet Larkin himself says, “Poetry is food for the soul,/ Food is poetry for the tongue./ So read a delicious poem/ That makes your soul feel young.” Yummy and joyful, this collection will inspire kids to take selfies and food photos to a new, poetic level.
April is considered Poetry Month, but don’t limit these gems to just 30 days – share them all year long!
For the youngest readers:
Firebird written by Misty Copeland and illustrated by Christopher Myers (Putnam, 2014) A little girl sees ballet soloist Misty Copeland and thinks “the space between you and me/ is longer than forever”. Misty lets the girl know that with hard work and dedication “we’ll make the night sky our starry curtain/ the moon our silver spotlight/ as we spin across the planets/ pirouetting tightly as the curls on our heads”. Misty Copeland is the second African American soloist in the history of the American Ballet Theater, and her uplifting poem-story is perfectly enhanced by Christopher Myers’ gorgeous art.
For transitional readers:
When Thunder Comes: Poems for Civil Rights Leaders written by J. Patrick Lewis and illustrated by Jim Burke, R. Gregory Christie, Tonya Engel, John Parra, and Meilo So (Chronicle, 2013) A Civil Rights Leader is anyone brave enough to stand up for equality. In this collection of poems you’ll find not only Coretta Scott King and Jackie Robinson, but Aung San Suu Kyi from Burma; Dennis James Banks, an Anishinabe political activist; and Harvey Milk, who stood up for gay rights. I love the notes at the end that give a bit more information about each freedom fighter.
For older readers:
Voices From the March on WashingtonbyJ. Patrick Lewis and George Ella Lyon(Wordsong, 2014) The Civil Rights March of 1963 is made immediate and personal when told in first-person poems. Children and elders, male and female, black and white, all telling how this day of standing for freedom and equality changed them and our country. Powerful – and may inspire students to ask how they can work for justice in meaningful, peaceful ways.
Over the past ten years, Paul Janeczko and Chris Raschka have collaborated on four poetry anthologies for young and not-so-young readers. Each collection has focused on a different aspect of poetry: A Poke in the I is a collection of concrete poems; A Kick in the Head explores different poetic forms, such as Haiku, Triolet, Limericks, and Villanelle; A Foot in the Mouth focuses on the read-aloud, “speak, sing, and shout” qualities of poetry.
The duo’s newest anthology, The Death of the Hat: A Brief History of Poetry in 50 Objects (Candlewick Press, 2015), traces the canon – from the Middle Ages to present day – through the lens of major literary periods and the objects and concerns of the poets of each era. Though the collection is merely a taste, readers are certain to be inspired to search out other poets and collections from among the more than 1000 years of poetry captured in these 50 poems.
Readers will have their own favorites. Here are several of mine – “A Solitary Wildgoose” by Cui Tu, translated by Witter Bynner; “So Breaks the Sun,” by Ben Jonson; “Mushrooms,” by Sylvia Plath; and the very familiar and lovely, “The Summer Day,” by Mary Oliver.
If you’ve somehow missed or misunderstood all the goodness that is poetry, don’t wait a moment longer! Discover again, or perhaps for the first time, the lyrical language and rhythm of poetry rhymes. Start by introducing yourself and the young ones in your life to the wonderful world of words found in the following books for the youngest readers:
This collection of poems for babies and toddlers selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins – perhaps this generation’s most esteemed anthologist of children’s poetry – is a delight! 30 short poems, organized into five themes – Family, Food, Firsts, Play, and Bedtime – are casebound in a gorgeous, keepsake-worthy board book. A wonderful gift for new parents, Lullaby & Kisses Sweet can also be read and enjoyed with baby’s preschool and early elementary siblings.
This collection of more than 60 poems from poets such as A.A. Milne (“Halfway Down”), Langston Hughes (“Piggy Back”), and Margaret Wise Brown (“Bumble Bee”) covers a day’s adventures from dawn to dusk. Exuberant illustrations convey all the joy and delight of a young child’s world.
60 poems fill the pages of this exquisite collection – familiar ones such as “The Star” by Jane Taylor (more widely known as the song, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”) and “The Man in the Moon” by Mother Goose, to others about bubble baths, and teeth brushing, snuggles, and stuffed toys; old favorites such as “Sweet and Low” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson and others from contemporary poets such as an excerpt from The Cozy Book, by former American Children’s Poet Laureate, Mary Ann Hoberman.
This collection is the perfect way to end an evening and ensure a nighttime of sweetest dreams.
Mission Statement
To provide teachers, librarians, and parents with the resources and inspiration to foster a love of reading in kids, K-5.
