New world poetry for Día 2012

In honor of El día de los niños/El día de los libros/ Children's day/Book Day today, I'd like to highlight three books from outside the U.S.

Argueta, Jorge. 2012. Guacamole; Un poema para cocinar/ A Cooking Poem. Ill. by Margarita Sada. Toronto: Groundwood.

From the publisher, Groundwood Books: "Jorge Argueta’s third book in our bilingual cooking poem series is — Guacamole — with very cute, imaginative illustrations by Margarita Sada.

Guacamole originated in Mexico with the Aztecs and has long been popular in North America, especially in recent years due to the many health benefits of avocados. This version of the recipe is easy to make, calling for just avocados, limes, cilantro and salt. A little girl dons her apron, singing and dancing around the kitchen as she shows us what to do. Poet Jorge Argueta sees beauty, magic and fun in everything around him — avocados are like green precious stones, salt falls like rain, cilantro looks like a little tree and the spoon that scoops the avocado from its skin is like a tractor.

As in the previous cooking poems, Guacamole conveys the pleasure of making something delicious and healthy to eat for people you really love. A great book for families to enjoy together."

Here is the cutest book trailer for Guacamole complete with a foot-tapping song to enjoy!



Be sure to check out his other bilingual "food" poetry collections:
Argueta, Jorge. 2009. Sopa de frijoles/ Bean Soup. Ill. by Rafael Yockteng. Toronto, ON: Groundwood.
Argueta, Jorge. 2010. Arroz con leche; Rice Pudding. Ill. by Fernando Vilela. Toronto, ON: Groundwood.


Luján, Jorge. 2012. Con el sol en los ojos/ With the Sun in My Eyes. Ill. by Morteza Zahedi. Toronto: Groundwood.

From Groundwood: "In this book of short poems in Spanish and English, a young boy and girl describe their world and their day-to-day experiences -- the boy's street is like the trunk of an almond tree and the newborn chicks are like tiny walking suns. The girl loves her dog Oliver, the wind hitting her in the face and laughter "that explodes for no reason." But the children also ponder mysteries, such as the loud silence the boy hears inside himself when he goes for a walk alone and the vast beauty of the sky, with its clouds and constellations.

Once again Jorge Luján brings young readers a lyrical and joyful collection of poems. Morteza Zahedi's powerful illustrations in densely saturated colors perfectly complement the poems' subtle explorations."


I Saw a Peacock with a Fiery Tail. Ill. by Ramsingh Urveti. 2012. London: Tara Books.

From Tara Books: "A well-known folk poem from 17th century England, 'I Saw a Peacock with a Fiery Tail' is a form of trick verse. The poem at first seems nonsensical, but given a break in the middle of each line begins to make perfect sense.

In this pioneering visual exploration of I Saw a Peacock, Gond tribal artist Ramsingh Urveti and book designer Jonathan Yamakami use art and design in the service of language. Working together, revealing and concealing, they brilliantly mirror the shifting ways in which poetry creates meaning."

This book is truly exquisite in art, design, and construction-- but it's also elegant and simple and kid-friendly. The lines of the poem curl this way and that through multiple pages across the blue-black-white palette of the die cut pages.

It begins:

I saw a peacock with a fiery tail
I saw a blazing comet drop down hail
I saw a cloud with ivy circled around
I saw a sturdy oak creep on the ground

Get it? The playful nature of the lines and how they are tucked into the art beg for repeated examination. The thick pages cut with holes and curves and stars offers a tactile experience that takes the simple poem to another level. It's hard to describe adequately, so I urge you to get your own copy, share it with a 10 year old you love, and see what happens. It's the best paper "app" you'll find this year-- read it multiple times, backwards and forwards, talking about the lines, the art, the pages, and making up your own imitation poems!


Happy El día de los niños/El día de los libros/ Children's day/Book Day one and all!


P.S.
And I've already highlighted the following collection in the 5Q interview series-- it also includes a global selection of poets:

Hoyte, Carol-Ann and Roemer, Heidi Bee. Eds. 2012. And the Crowd Goes Wild!: A Global Gathering of Sports Poems. Ill. by Kevin Sylvester. Neche, ND: Friesens Press.


Image credit: 

Groundwood, Tara Books

Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2012. All rights reserved.

Forget-Me-Not by Mary Ann Hoberman

Our 5Q Poet Interview series for National Poetry Month has ended and I hope you enjoyed our conversations with the 22 poets we featured along with their new poetry books for young people due out this year. A big cyber thank you to each of the poets who participated and also to my lovely graduate students who worked so hard and were so thrilled to have these connections with the poets they admire!

For the last two days of National Poetry Month, please allow me to discuss a few more new poetry books published in 2012. Today, I'd like to give a shout out to former Children's Poet Laureate, Mary Ann Hoberman, who has compiled a wonderful anthology with an ear to selecting the most musical memorizable works for children. It's:

Hoberman, Mary Ann. Ed. 2012. Forget-Me-Nots: Poems to Learn by Heart. Ill. by Michael Emberley. New York: Little, Brown.

From the bookflap: "From the creators of the bestselling You Read to Me, I'll Read to You series comes this new collection of poems especially suitable for learning by heart and saying aloud.... [It includes] her own time-tested tips and tools for memorization and recitation -- and vivid illustrations by Michael Emberley featuring his trademark wit and lively characters, Forget-Me-Nots includes more than 120 works from both classic and contemporary poets, from childhood favorites to lesser-known treasures."

The book is organized into thematic categories including "The Short of It," "One and All," "Beautiful Beasts," "Delicious Dishes," "It's About Time," Happiness Is," "Weather and Seasons," "Sad and Sorrowful," "Strange and Mysterious," "Poems from Storybooks," and "The Long of It." The range of poets is truly impressive with many classic works by the "greats" such as Stevenson, Frost, Sandburg, Rossetti, Milne, and many more-- including poets known primarily as writers for adults. There are also many, many contemporary names represented including Gary Soto, Eloise Greenfield, Bobbi Katz, Judith Viorst, Valerie Worth, Marilyn Singer, Douglas Florian, JonArno Lawson, and Walter Dean Myers, among others.

An ending section entitled, "Some Suggestions for Learning Poetry By Heart" takes the "game" of memorization and breaks it down into manageable and meaningful "chunks." A handy index of first lines completes the whole package. A definite "must-have" resource of poetry gems in a very child-friendly and inviting format.

And the critics call it:
* "A multidimensional and thoughtful cross section of verse with keepers on nearly every page." (Publishers Weekly, starred review )

*"[A] joyous collection." (The New York Times Book Review )

*"Emberley's appealing illustrations brighten every page of this large-format book. A handsome anthology of poems that children can learn by heart." (Booklist )

The opening poem by Hoberman herself is a gem that sets the stage and is worthy of learning by heart itself:

"A Poem for the Reader"
by Mary Ann Hoberman

You're on an adventure
About to start,
You're going to learn
Some poems by heart!
Short ones and long ones,
Old ones and new,
Happy ones, sad ones,
Some silly ones, too.
You'll pick out your favorites
From those that you've read
And invite them to live in
The house in your head.
This house is called Memory,
Everyone knows,
And the more you put in it,
The larger it grows.
The more that you give it,
The more it will give,
And your poems will live with you
As long as you live.

Quite honestly, I am not a big fan of required or "forced" memorization of poetry-- having agonizing memories of reciting "The Village Blacksmith" for Mrs. Brooks in sixth grade. I'm a good memorizer, but shy (which no one believes nowadays!), so the recitation was worse than the memorization for me. That said, I am a HUGE fan of repeatedly sharing favorite poems over and over-- and kids love repetition too. When you share favorite poems over and over what happens? You memorize them naturally!

Plus, I raised a daughter who LOVED drama and theater and memorization and performance, so I became familiar with UIL competitions and other similar events through her. For some young people, these are times to shine and poetry is the perfect fit. The Poetry Out Loud competition for high school students is built upon this notion and I have been WOWED by each winner I have heard and seen perform. Hearing a poem recited/performed aloud from memory is a wonderful experience-- almost like attending a theatrical performance or musical concert. And why not make this opportunity available for children. Hoberman's book shows us-- ever so gently-- just how to go about doing that. Check it out!


P.S.
Previously, I had also planned to discuss Caroline Kennedy's new collection with a similar emphasis, Poems to Learn by Heart to feature illustrations by John Muth. But I have since found out that this title has been pushed back a bit and will be published next year instead. Something to look forward to!


Image credit: 



Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2012. All rights reserved.

5Q Poet Interview Series: Jane Yolen

Our 5Q Poet Interview series for National Poetry Month concludes with this interview with Jane Yolen about her new book, Bug Off Creepy, Crawly Poems. Graduate student Lisa Cockrell offers this interview (plus) with Jane.



Jane Yolen
Jane Yolen is a poet and author of many great books. She has been writing poetry since she was in preschool, although she recites her first poem stating that it was not good. But she could rhyme! Her experience in writing includes newspaper work, music lyrics, novels, and of course, poetry. Currently the number of books she has authored is more than 300. She has obviously influenced her children as well - two of the three are also authors. Her third child, her son Jason, has illustrated many books with his magnificent photography, including some of Jane’s books. This incredibly talented author is a positive model of how writing can be learned and honed by anyone who is willing to practice and put in the time. Ms. Yolen has authored books, such as Owl Moon, that are in children’s collections nation-wide. Most of us are probably familiar with her work, but may not be aware that this author has written so many good works in a variety of formats and for so many audiences.

There are many online sources for reading or watching interviews and biographies about Jane Yolen including:
Biographies
http://janeyolen.com/
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/jane-yolen
http://www.bookrags.com/biography/jane-yolen-aya/
http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Jane-Yolen/1294707/biography

Video interviews
http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/yolen/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRoCh-bSVnM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0utGKwbRbA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng_o7XTGM68

Reviews
Jane Yolen has a new poetry book that will be published this spring. Bug Off Creepy, Crawly Poems is a delightful book with fantastic photographs as illustrations. Poem subjects include flies, the praying mantis, butterflies, ants, honey bees, love bugs, spiders, and even tics! Many more insects and bugs are included in this great collection of poems that are geared toward children. Two professional reviews praise this new collection to Yolen’s work.

Kirkus Reviews (March 15, 2012) said, “Mother and son collaborate once more (Birds of a Feather, 2011, etc.), creating a group of poems and photographs that celebrate some well-known creepy crawlies. Fly, praying mantis, butterfly, ants, honey bee, love bug, daddy longlegs, spider, dragonfly, tick, ladybug and grasshopper each take a spread, the photo opposite a page of text that includes the poem and a paragraph of facts. Most of Yolen's poems rhyme, and an author's note encourages readers to create their own poems, with a caution that they choose their words wisely, using the lightning-versus--lightning bug quote from Mark Twain to support this. Stemple's photographs are the true stars of this book. His macro views show such details as the rainbow colorations on a fly's wings, the serrations on a grasshopper's rear legs and the many units that make up the love bug's compound eyes. A bug-themed companion to their previous collaborations.”

Publishers Weekly (Feb 27, 2012) states, “The team behind A Mirror to Nature and Wild Wings offers another striking pairing of poems and photographs about the natural world, in this case the mysterious lives of insects. Each poem (and photograph) is a careful observation of its subject, whether a graceful butterfly ("A tutu-clad dancer,/ I move with lightness") or a tick ("The tick is mostly mouth,/ and if he lands on you/ he'll try to suck your blood,/ 'cause that's what all ticks do"). Each spread also includes a short prose passage with additional information and observations. Regarding a swarm of insects, Yolen writes, "Jason and I don't actually know which bugs are swarming or why.... Sometimes nature is like that."


Interview
I conducted a brief, five question interview via email with Ms. Yolen. The questions and answers are below.


1. Why/how did you choose the subject matter of this new book - insects? Are all of the poems related to bugs or nature in general?

I was looking through Jason's photographs (he's my youngest child and a professional photographer) and saw he had a number of photos of insects. So it was a natural to think there could be a book there.



2. What do you think kids will like most about this collection?

The eeeeeeeuu factor of the insects’ photos and the humor in the poems. Kids tend to like humor in their poetry more than the quieter, more introspective poems, but by mixing the kinds of poems up, I hope to introduce them to some more serious poems as well.



3. Are the poems in this book best read by children, to children, or with children?
Short answer: YES. All of the above.

4. I know you have written many books that children, do you anticipate children will embrace this one as well as some of your previous works?

It is a hope devoutly to be wished!



5. Which to you find more interesting (or fulfilling), writing poetry or other forms of fiction (picture books, novels, etc.)? 

I prefer writing short form things--picture books, poetry short stories. But these days, in order to sell books, it is mostly novels that are being bought. So that's what I am currently writing.


Sample Poem
Although I enjoyed each poem in the collection, I really enjoyed the first one, “Oh, Fly.” Perhaps it spoke to me because I can relate - at least about being relieved that it did not land on my food! Jane Yolen purposefully uses words that clearly and succinctly share her ideas and in doing so, she uses words that will stretch children’s vocabularies. This poem uses the phrase, “a vector of disease” which gives teachers a great opportunity to help learners find meanings for unfamiliar words. Children everywhere have seen flies and can relate to the theme of this poem.


Oh, Fly
by Jane Yolen

Oh, fly,
You flew
Onto
My leaf
And not
My food.
What a relief!
For on my food
You’d bring me grief
As you’re
A vector of
Disease.
But you on leaf?
My mind’s at ease.
And there is much
To please
My eye.
For oh, you are
A lovely fly.
Just
Do not go
And multiply.

Sharing the poem
There are many great ways to share and extend this poem with children. The teacher could write the word “multiply” on a paper or the board and lead a discussion about the possible uses and meanings for the word. This could be the lead-in to a discussion about a picnic or a barbeque and how flies are often attracted to our food. Allow students to share about their experiences with such situations. Talk about how they feel when they see a fly, maybe hoping it will not land on them or their food. When a discussion has taken place, share the poem with the students. After sharing the poem, children could draw a picture of a fly or a scene where people are eating and flies are around and how they seem to multiply, seemingly bringing their “friends” with them to share the feast.

Further literature connections could be made by sharing familiar stories such as There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly or other poems about flies. Of course, the lesson could be extended and expanded to include other insects included in this new collection, Bug Off Creepy, Crawly Poems.



References:
Cover image: http://www.karinsbooknook.com/wp-content/uploads/bug-off.jpg located through google images
Biographical information: http://janeyolen.com/


Image credit: penguinpr.co.uk;blogidrive.com




Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2012. All rights reserved.