HEAR MY PRAYER by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Poetry Tag continues with a book review of a new book of poetry connected to yesterday's book review.

Today’s tagline: Poetry that offers hope

Guest Reviewer: Cherilyn Loving

Featured Book: Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 2011. Hear my Prayer. Zonderkidz.

From Cherilyn: Here is the link to the booktrailer I created for Hear My Prayer.

Tomorrow’s tagline: Poetry about peace

[We’re now more than halfway through Poetry Month—still time to grab a copy of PoetryTagTime, an e-book with 30 poems, all connected, by 30 poets, all connected and downloadable right now at Amazon for your Kindle or Kindle app for your computer, iPad or phone. Just 99 cents.]

Image credit: Zonderkidz; PoetryTagTime

Posting (not poem) by Sylvia M. Vardell and students © 2011. All rights reserved.

REQUIEM by Paul B. Janeczko

Poetry Tag continues with a book review of a new book of poetry connected to yesterday's book review.

Today’s tagline: More poems about history

Guest Reviewer: Debbie Owen

Featured Book: Janeczko, Paul B. 2011. Requiem: Poems of the Terezin Ghetto. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 978-0-7636-4727-8.

Debbie writes: In this small, but powerful book, poet Paul B. Janeczko gives readers a haunting look into the lives of Jews imprisoned in the Terezin Concentration Camp. Terezin was proudly hailed by Hitler as a sanctuary for artistic Jews. As proof of this refuge, The Red Cross was allowed to tour the camp. Janeczko chronicles this visit in the poem titled “SS Lieutenant Theodor Lang” found below.

Though most of the characters in Janeczko's poems are fictional, the poems were informed by research and based on historical events and facts. Janeczko uses the “Author's Note” to inform readers on factual aspects of his book. Though not completed yet in this ARC, there is a section reserved at the back of the book for “English Translations of Foreign Words”. Janeczko also provides readers with additional resources such as books, websites, and DVD's. Artwork found at Terezin after the war is distributed throughout. These dramatic black and white drawings are a testament to the atrocities experienced by the Jews. In this advance copy, all artwork is not yet finalized.

Paul B. Janeczko provides readers with a moving, lyrical view into the hearts of the imprisoned men, women, and children of Terezin Ghetto as well as German soldiers. It's this look into the perspective of German soldiers that makes Janeczko's Requiem: Poems of the Terezin Ghetto one of the more unique books on Holocaust poetry.

Highlighted Poem (excerpt) from Requiem: Poems of the Terezin Ghetto

SS Lieutenant Theodor Lang
“Because of the meddlesome king of Denmark
we were forced
to allow
Red Cross inspectors to visit our town.
We had months to prepare
our show, a charade
to show them that there was no truth
to the pesky rumors about how
we treated our Jews.”

The poem details the preparations for the Red Cross visit, and yet, ends with the chilling truth:

“The inspectors
were in our town for a short time,
only long enough to see
what we wanted them to see.
No more.
They saw enough
to know that we were treating the Jews
in a civilized and humane manner.
We waited a few months
to resume the transports.
The town was getting crowded
and the ovens of Auschwitz waited.”

Connections
Teachers could use this poem in a study of the propaganda used during WWII and Hitler's use of it for the express purpose of covering up the systematic slaughter of millions of Jewish citizens.

Tomorrow’s tagline: Poetry that offers hope

[We’re now more than halfway through Poetry Month—still time to grab a copy of PoetryTagTime, an e-book with 30 poems, all connected, by 30 poets, all connected and downloadable right now at Amazon for your Kindle or Kindle app for your computer, iPad or phone. Just 99 cents.]

Image credit: Candlewick; PoetryTagTime

Posting (not poem) by Sylvia M. Vardell and students © 2011. All rights reserved.

THE GREAT MIGRATION by Eloise Greenfield

Poetry Tag continues with a book review of a new book of poetry connected to yesterday's book review.

Today’s tagline: More poems about African American history

Featured Book: Greenfield, Eloise. 2011. The Great Migration: Journey to the North. Ill. by Jan Spivey Gilchrist. Amistad/HarperCollins.

This new poetry picture book from NCTE Poetry Award winner, Eloise Greenfield, is a very personal work with a powerful, historic reach. She opens the book with a one-page narrative explaining the meaning of "the Great Migration," the mass movement of African Americans from the southern part of the U.S. to the North between 1915 and 1930. She situates her own family and her own "migration" in this context and the final poems weaves in details of her own family's story. Her frequent illustrator, Jan Spivey Gilchrist, has a similar story-- also noted-- and I wondered if some of the images of people (particularly their faces) were drawn from her or Greenfield's own family trees. Possibly!

This is an interesting use of poetry to convey a chronological history with key poems numbered and titled as follows:

I. The News
II. Goodbyes (Man; Girl and Boy; Woman; Very Young Woman)
III. The Trip (5 page stanzas)
IV. Question (Men and Women)
V. Up North

ending with:

My Family

Greenfield uses free verse, but sets up a structure that gives each poem reading a strong rhythm. Here's the opening poem as one example:

I. The News
by Eloise Greenfield

They read about it, heard
about it, in letters and newspapers
sent down from the North,
from visiting cousins and brothers
and aunts: there were jobs up there,
nice houses, no Ku Klux Klan
everywhere you turn, burning down
schools and homes and hope.
They thought about it, talked about it,
spread the word. "Did you hear the news?
Can it really be true? Well, I'm going
to see. How about you?"

Gilchrist's illustrations incorporate watercolor along with collage to blend scenes of landscape and personal portraits (often faces "lifted" from actual photographs), many set against a stark, black page. Thus, most of the poems appear in white text against a dark or black background for an even greater visual and symbolic impact. The combined effect of art that suggests real people along with a strong voice throughout the poem (often named) lends itself to reading aloud or dramatic performance.

Connections
Greenfield provides a "Selected Bibliography" at the conclusion of her book listing other books about this subject that you may want to consult. Kids may want to conduct community interviews to investigate the experiences of "migrating" families in their area. Discuss the similarities and differences between "migrants" and "immigrants" then and now.

Tomorrow’s tagline: More poems about history

[We’re halfway through Poetry Month—still time to grab a copy of PoetryTagTime, an e-book with 30 poems, all connected, by 30 poets, all connected and downloadable right now at Amazon for your Kindle or Kindle app for your computer, iPad or phone. Just 99 cents.]

Image credit: HarperCollins; PoetryTagTime

Posting (not poem) by Sylvia M. Vardell and students © 2011. All rights reserved.

ROOTS AND BLUES by Arnold Adoff

Poetry Tag continues with a book review of a new book of poetry connected to yesterday's book review.

Today’s tagline: Poems about another pair

Guest Reviewer: Deanne May

Featured Book: Adoff, Arnold. 2011. Roots and Blues; A Celebration. Clarion. ISBN: 978-0-547-23554-7

Deanne writes: In Roots and Blues: A Celebration, Arnold Adoff explores the evolution of blues music in African American culture as well as its impact on singers and listeners. Beginning with the songs of those being transported from Africa across the ocean during the slave trade and ending with blues music in modern times, Adoff uses lyrical poetry to engulf readers with the pure emotion of this genre of music.

Adding visual beauty to Adoff’s words are R. Gregory Christie’s enchanting acrylic paintings. The rhythm and flow of the poems in Roots and Blues allows for a smooth reading while evoking sensory images through the use of rich vocabulary. Perhaps the most interesting element of this book is the unique layout in which special attention was paid to spacing, line breaks, and the placement of the poems on the page. Readers will enjoy this historically rich exploration of how blues music came to be.

Connections
Due to its complex vocabulary and, at times, abstract nature, Roots and Blues: A Celebration would be best suited for use with high school aged students and beyond. Though one usually associates use of poetry with Language Arts curriculum, Roots and Blues would make for an excellent teaching tool in any music or music history class. This book represents the history of blues music in a historically accurate, yet emotionally riveting manner. Roots and Blues could provide an engaging alternative to reading a traditional textbook about the same topic. To explore the use of blues music in African American culture during various points in history, educators can select poems that represent each time frame being studied. For example:

Slave Trade (taken from p. 10)

Chained
in rags in blood in dark death of daylight.
To survive the passage across the ocean from
life to living hell to life in hell means
silent
singing
of old
songs.
Behind the eyes
the fingers strum
homeland strings and memory of my history
remains as strong as steel.
Always: this melody of words is journey home.

Tomorrow’s tagline: More poems about African American history

[You can still purchase your own copy of PoetryTagTime, an e-book with 30 poems, all connected, by 30 poets, all connected and downloadable right now at Amazon for your Kindle or Kindle app for your computer, iPad or phone. Just 99 cents. Don’t miss it.]

Image credit: Clarion; PoetryTagTime

Posting (not poem) by Sylvia M. Vardell and students © 2011. All rights reserved.

EMMA DILEMMA by Kristine O’Connell George

Poetry Tag continues with a book review of a new book of poetry connected to yesterday's book review.

Today’s tagline: Poems about a pair of sisters

Guest Reviewer: Karla Phipps

Featured Book: George, Kristine O’Connell. 2011. Emma Dilemma: Big Sister Poems. Ill. by Nancy Carpenter. Clarion. ISBN 978-0-618-42842-7

Karla begins:

“Mom, she is bothering me!”
“No, I’m not!”
“Are too!”
“Are not!”

This has been an argument heard at many houses all around the world and will continue as long as siblings strive to build relationships with each other. The relationship between sisters is a very special one. Many of us have at one time viewed our little sisters as pests and would like for them to leave us alone, instead of constantly interrupting us. The poems in this award-winning book do an amazing job of introducing the reader to the unique and often hard to understand relationship between sisters. The author, Kristine O’Connell George, uses her experience as a big sister to give a unique perspective in her writing.

The author uses the connection between Jessica and Emma to appeal to the emotions of the reader. Each person at one point in their life has seen their younger sibling as an ally, a playmate, but also as the enemy. Each of the poems has a natural cadence and rhythm, and is not written in rhyming format. This format would be excellent for choral reading. The language used by the poet can be easily understood by the reader and each of the poems, along with the illustrations by Nancy Carpenter, stimulates the imagination of the reader.

In the following poem, “Emma Dilemma,” the poet presents an interesting description of dealing with the frustrations of having a pesky younger sister.

“Emma Dilemma”
by Kristine O'Connell George

Sometimes Dad calls my little sister Emma Dilemma.
Dad says a dilemma is an interesting problem.
I know Dad’s joking but sometimes Emma is my dilemma.

Each of the poems included in this book shares different facets of the relationship between two sisters and helps to reinforce the purpose of this book, which is to show the love and sometimes intense dislike between two siblings. As much as our siblings do things to drive us crazy, such as trying to copy each thing that we do or embarrass us in front of our friends, we still love them. The reader will feel many different emotions throughout the reading of this book, as the poems share Jessica’s daily struggles with her little sister, ranging from pride to intense sadness.

Connections
As a way of sharing this book, I would use this book as a way of introducing a study of family relationships. I would begin with the question, “How do you feel when your sibling does something to bother you?” Depending on the grade level, students may need to know what the word “sibling” means. After allowing students to verbally share how they would feel and writing these down on chart paper, I would share the poem, “Trespass” from the book. Students could then complete a journal entry about their siblings. An example could be:

When my little sister (or brother) takes something of mine, I feel _______.

To extend this activity, I would have the students complete a home project sharing information about their families with different questions, such as what type of activities does your family like to do together, how many siblings do you have, and what makes your family special. This is an activity that my first grade students complete each year. Older students could write their relationship with a sibling.

Tomorrow’s tagline: Poems about another pair

[You can still purchase your own copy of PoetryTagTime, an e-book with 30 poems, all connected, by 30 poets, all connected and downloadable right now at Amazon for your Kindle or Kindle app for your computer, iPad or phone. Just 99 cents. Don’t miss it.]

Image credit: Clarion; PoetryTagTime

Posting (not poem) by Sylvia M. Vardell and students © 2011. All rights reserved.

TWOSOMES by Marilyn Singer

Poetry Tag continues with a book review of a new book of poetry connected to yesterday's book review.

Today’s tagline: Poems about animals in pairs

Guest Reviewer: Sarah Razer

Featured Book: Singer, Marilyn. Ills. by Lee Wildish. Twosomes. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN: 9780375867101

Sarah writes: These fifteen poems may be only two lines long each, but they are sweet and specific to the animal the poem describes. Whether adding an animal trait, such as chameleons changing color, or a word pun ("Come leap with me and be my wife. You're the porpoise of my life" in "Dolphins"), these short poems are fun for children and adults alike, so the book appeals to all ages. While younger audiences will enjoy the funny rhymes that focus on love, the adults will catch the wittiness and puns. Poems have a natural flow with short, simple rhymes that are still clever. It evokes silliness and happiness in what appears as childlike rhymes, but are actually clever and knowledgeable rhymes. These love poems are consistent for each animal from around the animal kingdom and it will certainly put anyone in a loving mood, and possibly lead someone to spend some extra time with a pet.



The illustrations are cute and colorful, small and comical. It's a sweet little book that could be given to anyone of any age as a Valentine's present or simply for the love of poetry. 



Sample Poem
 


Porcupines

by Marilyn Singer

"Hugging you takes some practice.

So I'll start out with a cactus."



Connections

The poems are only two lines long which provides young children an example of poetry on a level that they can grasp. It also offers examples a child could mimic. Five year olds can think of rhyming words and would possibly be able to take a trait from an animal they like and create a brief poem. It centers on the emotion of love, but also on the popular topic of animals. Both of these are elements a child can understand. Sometimes the explanations can be short and direct and the poems in Twosomes are short and clear examples of a type of poetry that all ages can understand.

Tomorrow’s tagline: Poems about a pair of sisters

[You can still purchase your own copy of PoetryTagTime, an e-book with 30 poems, all connected, by 30 poets, all connected and downloadable right now at Amazon for your Kindle or Kindle app for your computer, iPad or phone. Just 99 cents. Don’t miss it.]

Image credit: Knopf, PoetryTagTime

Posting (not poem) by Sylvia M. Vardell and students © 2011. All rights reserved.

COUSINS OF CLOUDS by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer

Poetry Tag continues with a book review of a new book of poetry connected to yesterday's book review.

Today’s tagline: Poems about gigantic animals

Featured Book: Zimmer, Tracie Vaughn. 2011. Cousins of Clouds; Elephant Poems. Houghton Mifflin.

Zimmer's new collection is another that did not reach my class in time for students to participate, so I am reviewing this one. Lucky me!

This collection is already one of my favorites this year! It's a fairly unusual theme for a picture book poetry collection: ELEPHANTS-- and the combined poetry, informative paragraphs, and evocative illustrations create a wonderful package. It's fascinating and absorbing with a wonderful variety of poem forms (haiku, free verse, rhyming quatrain, shape poem, mask poem, blues, letter, sonnet, riddle, and even a "this is just to say" poem). For form alone, this books is an excellent teaching tool. But Zimmer has also done her homework on elephant facts and the poetry (and factual boxes) hone in on fascinating details about elephants (both African and Asian and clear distinctions are made) that take us well beyond the usual.

For example, I didn't know homeless elephants were a growing problem, that elephants' memories were so strong they could plan revenge on a cruel trainer, that scientists are studying elephant communication (through "infrasound" and sensitive feet) or that elephants naturally migrate 30-50 miles per day in the wild. Cool! Kids will love the many images of elephants -- their size, their fascinating trunks-- that are revealed through elegant poetry and full color illustrations. With 25 poems, many in double-page spreads, this is a book kids will pore over and nudge each other to read, share, discuss-- and dramatize!

Here's just one sample-- the poem that concludes the anthology and offers a nod to the many cultures that have acknowledged the power and myth of the world's largest land animal:

Inspiration
by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer

An elephant's image,

carved on tombs
interred with pharaohs,

hewn in stone,
guarding India's palaces,

laid in tile
for Istanbul's king,

sculpted to size
on China's Avenue of Spirits,

illustrated in texts
for medieval scholars,

woven into masks
for Africa's secret societies,

etched in the imagination
of all mankind,

a behemoth of hope.

p. 30

And the brief accompanying prose paragraph offers this nugget:

No matter where you might travel in the world, you're likely to encounter art that features elephants. Even where they have never been native to the landscape, they have inspired artists and poets for millennia.

p. 30

Isn't that a beautiful use of language in both instances? Truly builds in momentum and doesn't shy away from using the right word or reference-- even when the vocabulary may be challenging:

"a behemoth of hope" indeed-- kids will LOVE that line. I know I do!

Connections
Certainly kids will want to read more about elephants after sharing this book. Gather nonfiction or informational titles, search the web, investigate area zoos that may house elephants (and study those conditions). Look for ways to contribute to elephant survival, including procuring a painting BY an elephant. And of course many of these poems will lend themselves to dramatization or pantomime. For example, "Trunk" can involve multiple volunteers acting out each of the metaphorical objects cited in the poem (finger, fork, arm, nose, straw, megaphone, telescope, rope) as the rest of the class reads the poem out loud.

Tomorrow’s tagline: Poems about animals in pairs

[You can still purchase your own copy of PoetryTagTime, an e-book with 30 poems, all connected, by 30 poets, all connected and downloadable right now at Amazon for your Kindle or Kindle app for your computer, iPad or phone. Just 99 cents. Don’t miss it.]

Image credit: Houghton Mifflin; PoetryTagTime

Posting (not poem) by Sylvia M. Vardell and students © 2011. All rights reserved.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER by Jane Yolen

Poetry Tag continues with a book review of a new book of poetry connected to yesterday's book review.

Today’s tagline: Poems about animals of the air

Featured Book: Yolen, Jane. 2011. Birds of a Feather. Ill. by Jason Stemple. Boyds Mills Press.

FYI: I'm reviewing this one myself, since we did not obtain a copy in time to share it with my students.

It's another in the developing collection of photo-nature-poetry picture books that Yolen has created, particularly focusing on BIRDS:

• Wild Wings: Poems for Young People (2002)
• Fine Feathered Friends: Poems for Young People (2004)
• An Egret’s Day (2010)

In her new anthology, she features 14 different birds including the eagle, chickadee, kingfisher, wood duck, great horned owl, tern, northern mockingbird, oystercatcher, eastern kingbird, hooded merganser, cedar waxwing, sandpiper, rufous-sided towhee, and marbled godwit-- what great names, right? These are almost as fun to say as dinosaur names! And Yolen's poems make good use of the sounds of the bird names, their unique attributes, and key vocabulary. In addition, she includes brief prose passages to accompany and parallel each poem. Plus, she includes several different poetic forms including haiku, free verse, rhyming quatrains, and even a question poem-- a nice variety to model poetry writing, too. Let's look at one poem and prose pair example:

Cedar Waxings Unmasked
by Jane Yolen

Who are these masked birds?
Not Robin Hoods,
for they live in
the open woods.
They only deal
in stolen goods
like berry futures,
cedar cones,
and sweet, sweet fruit
(but leave the stones).
Insects they catch
on the fly
when swarms of them
go buzzing by.
No need to worry,
moan, or fret.
Your valuables
they will
not
get.

(p. 26)

And the accompanying prose passage:

Cedar waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum), with their rakish black masks, gather in large flocks to eat insects in the spring and berries and other fruit in the fall. They do not live in the deep woods, like Robin Hood but in the more open woodlands and nearby farms and orchards. (p. 27)

See how the two (poem and prose) work together? I like that!

And I must mention the photographs by Yolen's son, Jason Stemple, gorgeous in their close up capture of the birds in the wild (to scale in most instances, I'm guessing) and placed strategically against color blocks featuring the poem and prose paragraph. Well designed, accessible, and browse-worthy!

Connections
Sharing this book absolutely must include some birdwatching! Do a bit of group research about this worldwide hobby and about what kinds of birds might be present in your community at this time of year. Invite a "birder" to come talk to the kids. Learn a few bird calls, too!

Tomorrow’s tagline: Poems about gigantic animals

[You can still purchase your own copy of PoetryTagTime, an e-book with 30 poems, all connected, by 30 poets, all connected and downloadable right now at Amazon for your Kindle or Kindle app for your computer, iPad or phone. Just 99 cents. Don’t miss it.]

Image credit: BoydsMills Press;PoetryTagTime

Posting (not poem) by Sylvia M. Vardell and students © 2011. All rights reserved.

AT THE SEA FLOOR CAFE by Leslie Bulion

Poetry Tag continues with a book review of a new book of poetry connected to yesterday's book review.

Today’s tagline: Poems about animals of the sea

Guest Reviewer: Laura Jackson

Featured Book: Bulion, Leslie. 2011. At the Sea Floor Café; Odd Ocean Critter Poems. Atlanta: Peachtree. ISBN: 978-1- 56145-5652.

Laura writes: The ocean and its creatures have always been a fascination for humans. Explorers have only investigated a small per cent of the oceans, and human curiosity begs for more information. This compilation of poems by Leslie Bulion takes a look at the odd creatures that live under the sea. The eighteen poems explore fish, octopus, squid and other animals, focusing on the obscure and the different like the sea spiders and the coconut octopus. Next to each poem there is a paragraph or two giving interesting information about the creature in the poem. Some of the paragraphs include the pronunciation of the more scientific words which is helpful. The glossary in the back also helps readers understand words they may not have read before. The illustrations support the theme of ocean life, but they do little to reinforce the idea of the odd creatures. The typical drawings do support the idea of the critters described as being different or unique.

What makes this book special is its eclectic style. Each poem is told in a different way: a triolet (eight-lined poem with just two rhyming sounds), free verse, lyrics, and a cinquain. The different rhythms and designs give the reader a broad range of poetry to read and, in the case of beginner writers, to imitate. In the back of the book each poem’s style is explained which gives a young writer an idea of how to write a similar poem.

One of the poems that embodies the idea of the book (odd critters) with diverse poetry is “Dolphin Fashion,” a limerick.

A bottlenose counseled her daughter:
“Put this sponge on your beak underwater.
You can scare out more fish,
Poke sharp stones as you wish,
And your skin’ll stay smooth like it oughter”
(Bulion 19).

The additional paragraph explains how some dolphins near Australia have sponges on their noses. Researchers believe one mother started using the sponge to protect her nose while feeding on the ocean floor. Her babies imitated her, and a tradition began. The unique behavior of these dolphins is told lightheartedly in this limerick while exposing children to a new format for a poem.

Connections
To demonstrate how poetry can be fun, a teacher or librarian can use the poem “Upside Down and All-Around” which is about a snail. The words curve around in a circle, creating the image of a snail. After reading the poem and discussing how the set-up adds to the feel of the poem, students can pair up to write a poem about a favorite animal, twisting the words into the shape of the animal. Students who may not enjoy poetry may like putting the words into a shape, thus engaging them in poetry.



FYI: The publishers have launched a contest to promote this book. Here’s the deal:

***Poetry Drawing!***
Teachers: From March 21st to April 30th
Post your students' best springtime, ocean critter or your class's best poems this year on our Facebook page at Facebook. (You must have a Facebook account in order to post on our wall.)

Step 1: Look for Peachtree Publishers on Facebook
Step 2: Like us on Facebook.
Step 3: Find the Wall and look for the box to Share.
Step 4: Type your student's poem in the Share box and hit Enter to Post.

All poems should have a title and the type of poem in parenthesis. Ex: (cinquain, haiku, free verse...)

Also, please give the student's first name and grade level at the end of each poem. Ex: -John (3rd Grade).

All winners will be randomly drawn from all posted poems. Good Luck!
Tomorrow’s tagline: Poems about animals of the air

[You can still purchase your own copy of PoetryTagTime, an e-book with 30 poems, all connected, by 30 poets, all connected and downloadable right now at Amazon for your Kindle or Kindle app for your computer, iPad or phone. Just 99 cents. Don’t miss it.]

Image credit: Peachtree; PoetryTagTime

Posting (not poem) by Sylvia M. Vardell and students © 2011. All rights reserved.

WHAT’S FOR DINNER by Katherine Hauth

Poetry Tag continues with a book review of a new book of poetry connected to yesterday's book review.

Today’s tagline: Poems about animals and what they eat

Guest Reviewer: Latoya Williams

Featured Book: Hauth, Katherine B. 2011. What's for Dinner?: Quirky, Squirmy Poems from the Animal World. Ill. by David Clark. Massachusetts: Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc. ISBN-13: 978-1570914713.

We have a new digital trailer for this book (and I reviewed it previously on Feb. 4, 2011)

Here’s Latoya’s book trailer.

Tomorrow’s tagline: Poems about animals of the sea

PoetryTagTime
I hope you'll also allow me to plug my new book again, PoetryTagTime, an e-book with 30 poems, by 30 poets, all connected and downloadable right now at Amazon for your Kindle or Kindle app for your computer, iPad or phone. Just 99 cents. Don’t miss it.

This collection of 30 new, unpublished connected poems range from the humorous to serious, about tongues, turtles and toenails, in acrostics, quatrains, and free verse written by 30 of our best children's poets. And the “connections” between poems as the poets voice how their poems are interconnected in this game of poetry tag adds another layer of fun and meaning. You'll be able to share brand-new poems and poetry tips with children all month long for pennies a day!

Even if you don’t own a Kindle, you can download the free Kindle app for a number of devices, including your Windows or Apple computer, iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, or Android-powered phone. Put the poems on your cell phone and you're ready with a "poem in your pocket," too!

Also, be sure to check out our web site (PoetryTagTime.com) and companion blog (PoetryTagTime.Blogspot) for strategies for sharing each of the 30 poems in the book, rolling out one per day throughout the month of April.

Poetry Friday
And don't forget to join the fun at the Poetry Friday gathering at Madigan Reads!


Image credit: PoetryTagTime;Charlesbridge


Posting (not poem) by Sylvia M. Vardell and students © 2011. All rights reserved.

AROUND THE WORLD ON 80 LEGS by Amy Gibson

Poetry Tag continues with a book review of a new book of poetry connected to yesterday's book review.

Today’s tagline: More poems about all kinds of animals

Guest Reviewers: Mary Pharaoh and Melisa O’Rear

Featured Book: Gibson, Amy. 2011. Around the world on eighty legs: Animal poems. Ill. by Daniel Salmieri. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 9780439587556

Mary writes: Finally, after much technical difficulty...recorded and edited, added the images and loaded it to a faulty flash drive... twice... the camera battery died on me... this was a challenging assignment. I hope you like it. I am pretty proud of it. Here's my digital trailer.

Melisa writes: In Amy Gibson’s first book of poetry, she takes us skipping across the continents to explore five regions as we learn of the animal inhabitants, when added together, have a total of eighty legs. Gibson’s witty use of wordplay is impressive as she weaves bits of information about each animal throughout the short verses. The watercolor, gouache and colored-pencil illustrations by Daniel Salmieri continue the humor found throughout the brightly colored pages. In addition to the sixty poems featuring popular and lesser-known animals, there is a fantastic “Menagerie of Facts” located in the back. Here readers will find a list of animals in alphabetical order, a small picture of each animal along with one or two interesting facts. This would be a fun and entertaining book for young elementary age children. Here’s a sample poem:

Macaque
(muh-KAK)
by Amy Gibson

Most monkeys
like it hot, but not
the Japanese
macaque.
He lives in snow
where cold winds blow,
for fur runs
down his back.
But coats of fluff
are not enough
when winter is
a doozy.
And so he hurries
when it flurries
into the
Jacuzzi.

Connections
This 2011 poetry book is a great one for cross-curricular connections. I would use this book as an introduction for a science lesson on animals. Prior to beginning the research process on specific animals, this would allow students to see where many animals live as it cleverly categorizes the animals in their native habitats within geographic regions shown on the maps on the end pages. Sharing poems from the book might entice students to research animals that are lesser known. What a fun and fabulous way to broaden students’ learning. After students complete their research, have them write a poem about the animal they studied and display their poems in the library.

Tomorrow’s tagline: Poems about animals and what they eat

[And don’t forget to get your own copy of PoetryTagTime, an e-book with 30 poems, all connected, by 30 poets, and downloadable right now at Amazon for your Kindle or Kindle app for your computer, iPad or phone. Just 99 cents. Spread the word.]

Image credit: PoetryTagTime;AmyGibson

Posting (not poem) by Sylvia M. Vardell and students © 2011. All rights reserved.

DIZZY DINOSAURS by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Poetry Tag continues with a book review of a new book of poetry connected to yesterday's book review.

Today’s tagline: More poems about more animals

Guest Reviewer: Heather Garavaglia

Featured Book: Hopkins, Lee Bennett. Dizzy Dinosaurs – Silly Dino Poems. Barry Gott. New York: HarperCollins, 2011. ISBN 978-0-06-135841-8.

Heather writes: Dizzy Dinosaurs is a collection of 19 poems all about dinosaurs. It is part of the I Can Read Book series. According to the book, it is a Level 2 reader. This means that a young child should be able to read it with some help (first/second grade). For most of the poems, Level 2 is an accurate representation. 
 


The collection of poems begins with a table of contents listing the names of the poems and their authors. While many of the names may not be familiar to the readers, there are some familiar authors listed as well. After the table of contents, there is a pronunciation guide. Most books have the pronunciation guide at the end of the book, but because this is a beginning reader, it is important that they have listed the guide in the beginning of the book. This gives the reader, and the adult reading with them, time to practice the dinosaur names before reading them in the poem. Being able to practice the names of the dinosaurs will help with the flow of the poem when it is being read. 
 


Each poem is written in a different way. Some poems are written in rhyming couplets, others are written in stanzas where every other word rhymes. There are poems that combine the two, and there are some in which only a few words in the poem rhyme. While not all poetry involves rhyming, having poems that rhyme is essential in this book. Since it is in the I Can Read Book series, having the pattern and rhythm of the words make it easier for the young reader. 
 


Most of the poems in this collection have a pattern or rhythm, making it a good Level 2 book. When there is a flow or rhythm to what is being read, it is usually easier to read. “Dino School Bus” and “Picky Eater” are two examples of poems that could be easily read because of their rhyming pattern. However, there are a few poems that beginning readers might struggle with. The poems that repeat the dinosaur’s name could be difficult unless the child is very familiar with the pronunciation of it. Having to read the name of the dinosaur over and over may slow down the reader’s rhythm. A few poems have one-word lines. While those words are placed there purposely, they may confuse the beginning reader. 
 


If this book is going to be read out loud or if older readers are reading it, Dizzy Dinosaurs is a great choice. These poems take everyday occurrences such as riding a bus, lunch, and recess, and place dinosaurs as the main characters. The words that are used create visual images that will have the readers laughing out loud. Poems such as “Bathtime” and “Pterodactyl Pilot” use similes to help create those pictures. Combined with the illustrations, students are able to get a clear picture of what the poem depicts. Each illustration uses vibrant colors and accurately portrays the action in the poem. 
 
Even though this collection of poems is geared toward beginning readers, the poems are for all ages. Some poems have a other meanings than the beginning readers might catch. The last poem in the collection, “Dinosaur History,” is an example of this.

Dinosaur History
By Kristy Dempsy

When dinosaurs were little tikes,
they rode their tiny dino bikes
without a helmet down the street
standing up atop the seat.
They played in dino swimming pools
but never followed water rules.
They would not go to bed on time
Or take a bath to wash off grime.
They always disobeyed their mothers,
rudely crossed their eyes at others.
In the end, their luck went bust…
those carefree dinos
BIT
THE
DUST!

The illustration for this poem has dinosaurs falling off a cliff on their bikes, but adults will laugh knowing that term, “bit the dust,” means "became instinct." 
 


Connections
Read the poem to the class without showing the illustrations. Have students either illustrate the poem or discuss the meaning of the poem. The answers should vary by ages of students.

Tomorrow’s tagline: More poems about all kinds of animals

[And don’t forget to get your own copy of PoetryTagTime, an e-book with 30 poems, all connected, by 30 poets, and downloadable right now at Amazon for your Kindle or Kindle app for your computer, iPad or phone. Just 99 cents. Spread the word.]

Image credit: HarperCollins; PoetryTagTime

Posting (not poem) by Sylvia M. Vardell and students © 2011. All rights reserved.

A DAZZLING DISPLAY OF DOGS by Betsy Franco

Poetry Tag continues with a book review of a new book of poetry connected to yesterday's book review.

Today’s tagline: More poems about animals

Guest Reviewers: Traci Kirkland and Jennifer Singleton

Featured Book: Betsy Franco. 2011. A Dazzling Display of Dogs. Ill. by Michael Wertz. Tricycle Press. ISBN 9781582463438

Traci writes: As promised, my 2011 poetry book trailer for A DAZZLING DISPLAY OF DOGS, is finished. Here is the link to the video.

PLUS, Jennifer writes: This hot new book of 2011 is a feast for the eyes as well as the ears. Rhyming poems, hand-clapping poems, and even a haiku is represented in this collection of poems. The pictures are as important as the words and without either one, it would not be the same book. Dogs are the focus here. Dogs farting, dogs escaping, lost and found dogs, and garbage eating dogs. The colors of the illustrations pop out at the reader and the reader can escape into the world of dogs as each poem is read over and over. The reader literally has to turn the book this way and that, upside down, and to the side to read the poems. Children will love this book for the irreverent use of words and the fact that it is about one of children’s favorite subjects, animals, and a well-known animal such as dogs. The poems beg to be feasted on, and they don’t disappoint in words or pictures. With these concrete poems and pictures, the imagination is on display here so children don’t have to guess what the poems are about. Dogs! And more dogs! Doggone it!

Connections
Introducing this form of poetry, concrete poetry, could be lots of fun. A teacher or librarian could compose her own concrete poetry on poster board in swirls that the students have to turn around and around to read. The text could read “Guess what we are reading today? Concrete poems are fun you see. Just like a dog that is barking at a cat up in a tree!” The librarian could introduce several poems by reading them out loud without showing the pictures and asking the children to use their imaginations to visualize what the poem looks like. Than (ah ha!) show the picture moving the book this way and that and ask if the poem matched up with the illustration in their heads.

A follow-up activity could be introducing other concrete poems by the same author and illustrator in A CURIOUS COLLECTION OF CATS. The students can make their own poem about cats and swirl and fiddle their poems around and then be introduced to this prequel to A DAZZLING DISPLAY OF DOGS.

Here is a rockin’, funny poem about farting from DAZZLING DISPLAY that will surely get the kids giggling.

Cassandra Riding in the Car
by Betsy Franco

Without a doubt
The very worst part
Is when Cassandra
Makes a fart.

The librarian could hold her nose, and so could the children, and say “Pee-eww.”

Tomorrow’s tagline: More poems about more animals

[And don’t forget to get your own copy of PoetryTagTime, an e-book with 30 poems, all connected, by 30 poets, and downloadable right now at Amazon for your Kindle or Kindle app for your computer, iPad or phone. Just 99 cents. Spread the word.]

Image credit: TricyclePress

Posting (not poem) by Sylvia M. Vardell and students © 2011. All rights reserved.

WON TON by Lee Wardlaw

Poetry Tag continues with a book review of a new book of poetry connected to yesterday's book review.


Today’s tagline: Another twist on poetic form

Guest Reviewers: Kellie Latson and Dana O’Neil

Featured Book: Wardlaw, Lee. Won-Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku. Ill by Eugene Yelchin. New York: Henry Holt, 2011. Print. ISBN: 9780805089950

Dana has created a very clever story-like book trailer for Won-Ton. Check it out.

Kellie writes: Won-Ton is the sweet story of a shelter cat as he settles into his new home. Told in senryu, a form of Japanese poetry, Lee Wardlaw captures the fickle essence of the feline soul: "Scrat-ching-post? /Haven't heard of it./ Besides, the couch/ is so much closer." and "I explained it loud /and clear. What part of "meow"/ don't you understand? Won-Ton narrates his story beginning in the shelter and has an opinion about many things encountered in his new home. As he settles in, he begins to form a bond with his boy and by the end of the story even shares his "real" name with him. Perhaps one of the sweetest verses in this book describes nap time with his boy:

"Your tummy, soft as
warm dough. I knead and knead, then
bake it with a nap."

Won-Ton is beautifully written and conveys the feelings of love and hope for a second chance in life. The illustrations for this book were done by Eugene Yelchin in graphite and gouache on watercolor paper. Yelchin expertly captures Won-Ton's feline nature, adding richness to the telling of the story. Senryu is a poetic form actually derived from haiku which consists of three lines of 5-7-5 syllables. The difference between haiku and senryu is that haiku describes the natural world while senryu is about human nature or in this case, feline nature.

Connections
Activities for sharing Won-Ton might include having kids expand on Won-Ton's adventure with his boy by writing and illustrating a senryu verse about something that could have happened in the story. The verses could be collected and bound into a class book about Won-Ton. Perhaps students might also want to find more information about cat behavior or shelter adoptions in their community. Of course, students are also eager to tell their own stories about pets in their lives. This book is a definite must read and will leave you with a smile.

Tomorrow’s tagline: More poems about animals

[And don’t forget to get your own copy of PoetryTagTime, an e-book with 30 poems, all connected, by 30 poets, and downloadable right now at Amazon for your Kindle or Kindle app for your computer, iPad or phone. Just 99 cents. Spread the word. Check out the book blog for teaching ideas, too, at PoetryTagTime.blogspot]

Image credit: Macmillan

Posting (not poem) by Sylvia M. Vardell and students © 2011. All rights reserved.

LEMONADE by Bob Raczka

Poetry Tag continues with a book review of a new book of poetry connected to yesterday's book review.

Today’s tagline: Works that focus on poetic form

Guest Reviewer: Stacy Ann Lambert

Featured Book: Raczka, Bob. 2011. Lemonade and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word. Ill. by Nancy Doniger. Roaring Brook. ISBN: 978-1-59643-541-4
 


Stacy writes: This little diddy of poems is a thinking book filled with anagrams and rebus word puzzles. I chose this book because of the main title containing the word "lemonade" and the thoughts and feeling that come to mind when this word comes to mind: summertime, play-time, free-time, cool drink on a hot day, those things I did as a child growing up. And this does not disapoint as many of the themes are childlike in nature.

However, this book is a thinking book, and one must first solve the word patterns in order to enjoy the simplistic nature of the idea conveyed. Once the reader solves the puzzle patterns, you find that you reread the poems and a smile begins to appear on your face. This might be due to the fact that you solved the riddled pattern or perhaps you find yourself relating to the theme and the words that describe the themed singled word. A return to simple and easier times in life; childhood. Here’s one poem example

"Chocolate"
by Bob Raczka


Chocolate

h at

co at

h o t

c oco a



Connections
This series of poems takes quite a bit of "thinking" and "imagination." After showing it to our Gifted and Talented teacher, she is quite eager to get her hands on this book to present to her 5th graders as these students spend a unit on poetry. We were brainstorming ideas of an activity, and the best way to present this styling of poetry would be to explain how and what anagrams, rebus word puzzles are and look like. Start out with the more simple poems to check for understanding. Give each student a section of the book to look over (not showing them the "answers” on the following page) and discuss with a partner how the poem is constructed. Discuss as a group their poem. Then if there is a struggle, show the students the "correct" poem construction. Next students will construct a poem anagram of their own (or with a partner). But before having them disperse, discuss themes they could write about.

Tomorrow’s tagline: Another twist on poetic form

[And don’t forget to get your own copy of PoetryTagTime, an e-book with 30 poems, all connected, by 30 poets, and downloadable right now at Amazon for your Kindle or Kindle app for your computer, iPad or phone. Just 99 cents. Spread the word.]

Image credit: PoetryTagTime; RoaringBrook

Posting (not poem) by Sylvia M. Vardell and students © 2011. All rights reserved.

BOOKSPEAK! by Laura Purdie Salas

Poetry Tag continues with a book review of a new book of poetry connected to yesterday's book review.

Today’s tagline: More poems about books

Guest Reviewer: Kendra Duckworth

Featured Book: Salas, Laura Purdie. 2011. BookSpeak!. Ill. by Josee Bisaillon. Clarion.


Kendra writes: In lieu of a traditional review, I am including a book trailer as an advertisement for this new and exciting poetry book. The rhyme, rhythm, voice of each poem, from the point of view of the book, makes this a must read! Hopefully, not only will this inspire children to read this book, but it will inspire them to read!



Connections
"Calling All Readers" would be a great introduction into a story time! What a fabulous way to demonstrate the wonderful things that can be found in a book (time travel, adventure, a friend!). This leading poem can inspire people to read and to write about their own adventures in books. Have students select a book about an adventure or tell a story about an adventure. Make connections with this poem through other books shared. 


Calling All Readers


by Laura Purdie Salas

I'll tell you a story.

I'll spin you a rhyme.

I'll spill some ideas - 

and we'll travel through time.



Put down the controller.

Switch off the TV.

Abandon the mouse and

just hang out with me.



I promise adventure.

Come on, take a look!

On a day like today,

there's no friend like a book.



Another poem in this book, "I've Got This Covered," talks about the appeal of the book jacket and how it is the first attraction to a book. Have students make a new jacket to a book they love and want other students to be attracted to.
The ideas are boundless to share poem and book and get students enthralled in reading.

Tomorrow’s tagline: This book has an acrostic poem, among many others. Let’s look at other works that focus on poetic form next.

[And don’t forget to get your own copy of PoetryTagTime, 30 poems by 30 poets, all connected and downloadable right now at Amazon for your Kindle or Kindle app for your computer, iPad or phone. Just 99 cents. Spread the word.]

Image credit

Posting (not poem) by Sylvia M. Vardell and students © 2011. All rights reserved.

I AM THE BOOK by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Last year, I launched a game of Poetry Tag in celebration of National Poetry Month (where poets shared original poems, tagged another poet who shared a poem connected with the previous poem, and on and on). It was so much fun it has spawned a whole book of poetry tag for kids—which I’m promoting like a wild woman here, at PoetryTagTime, and at the PoetryTagTime blog. And I’m sticking with my “tag” theme this year, too, as we pause to promote poetry far and wide. However, this time, I’m featuring reviews of poetry books out this year (2011), connected in that same “tag” fashion, from one to another. Plus, I’ve involved my students enrolled in my graduate course in poetry for children as guest reviewers. Some of them even tried creating digital trailers for their selected books. So, here we go: one review a day for the next 30 days, your mini intro to the latest poetry for young people.

Guest Reviewer: Nancy Molina

Featured Book: Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 2011. I Am the Book. Ill. by Yayo. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 9780823421190.

Nancy writes: Hopkins assembles a collection of thirteen poems written by various poets all on the subject of books that celebrate reading. All of the poems are by well-known poets like Naomi Shihab Nye, Beverly McLoughland, and Kristine O’Connell George to name a few. Hopkins includes a table of contents that lists the poem title and poet which is extremely helpful in finding a particular poem. Also, in the back is an “About the Poets” section that gives brief yet interesting information about each poet that contributed to this anthology. While most of the text of the poems is in a bold black font, the titles along with the table of contents and headers of the “About the Poets” section alternate in various classic colors like red, blue, and green. All of these text features makes the collection easy to read and easy to navigate.

Likewise, the illustrations are in bright basic colors inviting the reader to carefully peruse each detail. Using colorful acrylics, Yayo elaborates on each poem to not only add to the meaning, but to prompt wondering as well. It is a fascinating combination. For example, the illustration for the poem entitled, “A Poem Is,” Yayo creates an amusement park out of musical instruments. It is a clever illustration for the poem in that the poem uses the simile “like bumper cars/at a fair” and the metaphor “an orchestra/of sounds.” The reader will find it entertaining to try to name the various instruments and what they represent in the amusement park.

All the poems are simple enough for young children to understand yet meaningful enough for older children to explore. In the poem, “Quiet Morning” by Karen B. Winnick, young children can enjoy the simplicity of a boy, a book, and a dog having something to do on a rainy day, whereas, older children can speculate on why the boy and the dog are in the book. This is just one example of how the poems and illustrations work perfectly together. Some of the poems rhyme while others are free verse, and all can be used for one literary element study or another, such as, alliteration, onomatopoeia, simile, metaphor, etc. “Poetry Time” by Lee Bennett Hopkins uses onomatopoeia to craft an amusing rhythmic rhyme, “It’s poem o’clock/Time for a rhyme- /tick-tock/ding-dong/bing-bong/or/chime.” Children will love reading this one out loud. Below is a sample poem from this collection.

Quiet Morning
by Karen B. Winnick

Early in the morning
dog, book and me
spend quiet moments
just we three.
Snuggled by the window,
chin on my knee
close to the raindrops,
dog, book and me.

Connections
To introduce the poem, ask the children to share what kind of things they like to do on a rainy day. Then ask them how many of those things they could do if their electricity goes out on a rainy day. Display the poem so all the children can see it as the teacher/librarian reads it. Then, have the children read it out loud in chorus. Next, divide the children into two groups and have one group read the first stanza, and the other group read the second stanza. As a follow-up activity, have the children draw pictures of their rainy day activities.

More news: Check out Lee Bennett Hopkins's new web site, an excellent resource on his life, books, awards, and more.

Tomorrow’s tagline: More poems about books

[And don’t forget to get your own copy of PoetryTagTime, an e-book with 30 poems, all connected, by 30 poets, and downloadable right now at Amazon for your Kindle or Kindle app for your computer, iPad or phone. Just 99 cents. Spread the word.]

Image credit: Holiday House; Rich Arnold

Posting (not poem) by Sylvia M. Vardell and students © 2011. All rights reserved.