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.