2014 notable children’s poetry books · page 452 language arts, volume 92, number 6, july 2015...

Language Arts, Volume 92, Number 6, July 2015

Children’s literature Reviews

2014 Notable Children’s Poetry BooksJonda C. McNair, Deanna Day, Karla J. Möller, and Angie Zapata

This children’s literature review column focuses on outstanding books of poetry published in 2014. There are books by

notable authors of poetry such as Marilyn Nelson, Joyce Sidman, J. Patrick Lewis, Paul B. Janec-zko, and Ashley Bryan. A wide range of topics are touched on across these titles, including the March on Washington, the four seasons, water, Santa Claus, birds, and World War I. In addition, there are a range of forms including haiku, free verse, and concrete poetry. Winter Bees and Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman, in particular, features several lesser- known poetic forms (e.g., pantoums and triolets). A triolet, for example, has “eight lines and a strict rhyme scheme. The fi rst two lines are repeated as the last two, and the fi rst line also recurs as the fourth.” We hope that readers will enjoy these books of poetry and perhaps use some of the poems as writing models for creating their own.

Little Poems for Tiny EarsWritten by Lin OliverIllustrated by Tomie dePaolaNancy Paulsen, 2014, unpaged, ISBN 978- 0399- 16605- 1

Little Poems for Tiny Ears is a

collection of 23 original, fi rst- person poems for young children and their families. Reveling in the everyday goings- on that fascinate infants and toddlers, author Lin Oliver has crafted a whimsical collection of poems written from the perspective

of little ones. These poems capture the wonder of engaging with the world for the fi rst time and provide some unique insights into the charming and often humorous world of babies. Tender and playful verses explore the most important experiences among babies and preschoolers. Topics range from blankets to baths, daddy’s beard to the kitchen drawers, and the poems are perfect for reading aloud. In “Walking,” Oliver addresses the challenges of fi rst steps. “Hey, look at me, I’m walking tall/On two legs, no need to crawl./If I fall down, I don’t mind./Because I land on my behind.” The sweetness of a mother’s caress is delicately captured in “Hush”: “In her favorite rocking chair/My mama holds me tight./We rock and sway the hours away/Until we kiss good night.”

As each poem is read aloud, sweet and light- hearted exchanges between adult and child will be elicited. The pronounced rhythms and rhymes urge readers’ hands to clap and dramatize each poem. The rosy cheeks of dePaola’s cherub- faced children are artfully shaded with varying skin- colored acrylics, resulting in a truly multicultural palette within the illustrations. Oliver and dePaola’s coupling of delightful prose and diverse representations of families is reminiscent of All The World (2009), written by Liz Garton Scanlon and illustrated by Marla Frazee, and would pair well together for reading aloud. dePaola’s signature borders, rounded corners, and shapes further animate the poetry, bringing a touch of home and comfort to this delicately crafted collection. (AZ)

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Copyright © 2015 by the National Council of Teachers of English. All rights reserved.

ChiLdrEN’S LiTErATurE rEViEWS | 2014 Notable Children’s Poetry Books


On the WingWritten by David ElliottIllustrated by Becca StadtlanderCandlewick, 2014, unpaged, ISBN 978- 0- 7636- 5324- 8

Children of all ages, especially budding birders,

will find these poems informative and interesting. The featured feathered friends include common backyard birds such as the sparrow, oriole, and crow along with more exotic birds like the Caribbean flamingo, Japanese crane, and Australian pelican. In the two- page spread displaying the hummingbird, the ruby- throated bird flutters around succulent flowers looking for nectar. Each word in the poem reflects the bird’s movements: “Backward!/Forward!/Here/then/there!/Always/in a/tizzy!/Got/no/time/to/sit/or/sing!/Too/busy!/Busy!/Busy!” Readers will laugh out loud when they read the one- sentence poem, “Who/spilled/the/paint?” and notice the colorful macaw illustrated in vibrant reds, yellows, and blues. The gouache illustrations by Becca Stadtlander pay tribute to each poem beautifully. For example, the Andean Condor is illustrated flying over the ancient Inca ruins of Machu Picchu, Peru: “You watched the ancient empires/come, then go./How and why they vanished/a secret that you know./Is it your knowledge of this mystery/that we fear?/Or that one day we, too,/might disappear?” This celebration of birds will be perfect for read- alouds or independent reading. (DD)

Water Can Be . . . Written by Laura Purdie SalasIllustrated by Violeta DabijaMillbrook, 2014, unpaged, ISBN 978- 1- 4677- 0591- 2

Salas captures the reader from the start with her tantalizing partial- sentence title. One cannot help but think, “Water can be . . . what?” In deftly rhymed paired phrases, Salas informs that water can be many things— from a pond that is a “tadpole hatcher” to a puddle doubling as a reflective “picture catcher,” from a calm undersea world that is a “home maker” to the rough and tumble waves of a massive storm that transforms the sea’s surface into a “ship breaker.”

Salas describes water in many forms, including still and free- flowing surface water, precipitation (rain, snow) and condensation (fog, frost, clouds), and water used for animal (including human) needs and human recreational activities. Water can be a “Salmon highway/Eagle flyway,” “Cloud fluffer/Fire snuffer,” “Thirst quencher/Kid drencher,” “Garden soaker/Valley cloaker,” and much more. Important scientific concepts such as seasons, hibernation, and animal migration are introduced through combined word and image.

Dabija’s jacket blurb captures perfectly the feel of her art as “combining traditional and digital techniques to create delicate and atmospheric illustrations.” Throughout, emotionally expressive images intensify the engagingly sing- song rhymes about water’s manifestations. For example, snow sparkles and covers the ground as a “woodchuck warmer,” sealing the woodchuck’s den as the animal sleeps cozily in a pile of luminously orange leaves. Four pages of cogent endnotes extend concepts introduced through the book’s simple poetic phrases. Each time this fabulous read- aloud is shared, a few of the explanations can be pondered in more depth, accompanied by a return to the text passages. A concise glossary and a list of further recommended readings further enrich. Pair with another lyrical celebration of water: George Ella Lyon’s All the Water in the World (2011), illustrated by Katherine Tillotson. Recommended also is Salas and Dabija’s similarly impressive and informative book: A Leaf Can Be . . . (2012). (KJM)

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Hi, Koo! A Year of SeasonsWritten and illustrated by Jon J. MuthScholastic, 2014, unpaged, ISBN 978- 0- 545- 16668- 3

Hi Koo! features 26 haiku poems

exploring the four seasons. One autumn poem reads, “Eating warm cookies/on a cold day/is easy” while another reads “These leaves/fall forever/my Broom awaits.” My favorite summer poem reads, “Tiny lights/garden full of blinking stars/fireflies.” Topics explored in the poems focus on experiences that may resonate with many young children, such as dancing in the rain, playing in the snow, and flying kites. The illustrations, created with watercolor and ink, complement the four seasons. For example, the poems about autumn feature plenty of white space with objects such as leaves and rain in the background; poems about winter have mostly white space and snow— signifying the shift in the weather. Spring poems have mostly green in the background. This collection is one that can expose children to relatable haiku poems and perhaps serve as a writing model when they create their own. (JCM)

Firefly July: A Year of Very Short PoemsSelected by Paul B. JaneczkoIllustrated by Melissa SweetCandlewick, 2014, 47 pp., ISBN 978- 0- 7636- 4842- 8

Paul Janeczko takes us through an

entire year with 36 short poems by poets such as Joyce Sidman, April Halprin Waylands, Langston Hughes, and Richard Wright. The captivating poems, organized around the four seasons, are paired with Melissa Sweet’s stunning watercolor, gouache, and mixed- media illustrations. Block

letters “FALL” diagonally down a page in autumn colors announcing a new section. Playful curls and swirls show the movement of one leaf as it moves across the page. The accompanying poem by Jim Harrison and Ted Kooser says, “What is it the wind has lost/that she keeps looking for/under each leaf?” (p. 24). Another poem titled “Fog” by Carl Sandburg presents a large white feline looming over some skyscrapers. “The fog comes/on little cat feet./It sits looking/over harbor and city/on silent haunches/and then moves on” (p. 36). Anne Porter’s “Winter Twilight” is displayed in the evening sky with a golden crescent moon surrounding it: “On a clear winter’s evening/The crescent moon/And the round squirrels’ nest/in the bare oak/Are equal planets” (p. 43). Together the words and the illustrations deliver a wonderful reading experience. (DD)

Ode to a Commode: Concrete PoemsWritten by Brian P. ClearyIllustrated by Andy RowlandMillbrook, 2014, 32 pp., ISBN 978- 1- 4677- 2045- 8

In this accessible introduction to concrete poetry,

Cleary concisely lays out the basics of this word- art form, noting that concrete poems need not rhyme (though those in this collection generally do), and invites readers to become authors themselves. Bright cartoon illustrations extend the hand- lettered, colorful text charmingly. For “Ode to a Commode,” children snorkel, boogie board, and kayak on the edges of the swirling blue water of words. In “Going Up,” three characters clamor to stop a fourth from being lifted aloft by balloon words “full of helium, floating up to reach the ceili- um” (p. 13). While the title seems to promise a delightfully disgusting collection, only the title poem deals with the disappearance of toilet water “with everything in

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it” (p. 6). As a whole, the book offers an engaging variation in tenor. “The Boa Constrictor”— green words forming a variegated slithering serpent, including a bump for a recently eaten meal— describes things boas actually eat, along with images of frightened children leaping away as the snake hisses “I’m late for lunch” (p. 23).

In “The Last Piece of Halloween Candy,” humor is tinged with introspectiveness as a forsaken treat laments “no one wants a candy bar that’s ‘Tuna Salad’ flavored” (p. 8). “The Plan” is more acutely poignant. Its message of aiming for and sticking to one’s goals is accompanied by images of children climbing the poem’s stair- step shape and helping each other along. The purposeful language play in “Stop” offers personalized rhyming messages of ways to halt, such as “Suspend your action, Jackson” (p. 15). Though the author claims concrete poetry is always about “an object (instead of a feeling or idea),” this slight misconception does not detract from the book’s overall appeal. Books and websites to extend the concrete poetry experience are suggested. Use this fun and informative book with Cleary’s If It Rains Pancakes: Haiku and Lantern Poems (2014). (KJM)

Winter Bees and Other Poems of the ColdWritten by Joyce SidmanIllustrated by Rick AllenHarcourt Houghton Mifflin, 2014, 32 pp., ISBN 978- 0- 547- 90650- 8

This distinguished collection features 12 poems about cold weather. There are poems about animals (e.g., snake, chickadee, and moose) and how they are affected by winter weather as well as poems about snowflakes and trees. Accompanying each poem is informational text related to the subject. One of my favorite poems is titled “What Do the Trees Know?” and it reads, “What do the trees

know?/To bend when all the wild winds blow. Roots are deep and time is slow./All we grasp we must let go./What do the trees know?/Buds can weather ice and snow./Dark gives way to sunlight’s glow./Strength and stillness help us grow” (pp. 22– 23). The informational text accompanying this poem describes the different ways that coniferous (evergreen) and deciduous (leafy) trees “know” how to deal with freezing temperatures. For example, “Deciduous trees grow like mad while the weather is warm, but in winter they essentially shut down. They shed their luxuriant leaves, which would freeze anyway and suck much- needed water from the tree” (p. 23). The illustrations feature double- page spreads and were cut, inked, and printed using hand- painted linoleum blocks. They complement the text by conveying the magic and beauty of winter with detailed close- ups of animals, snowflakes, etc. The book concludes with a glossary featuring topical vocabulary (e.g., subnivean, bromate, etc.). (JCM)

Santa Clauses: Short Poems from the North PoleWritten by Bob RaczkaIllustrated by Chuck GroeninkCarolrhoda, 2014, unpaged, ISBN 978- 1- 4677- 1805- 9

“Santa is a man of many talents.

He’s a toymaker, a reindeer trainer, a sleigh pilot, and a world traveler. But did you know he is also a poet? Years ago, Mrs. Claus gave him a book of haiku . . . . Santa loved these poems. He was even inspired to write his own. Now you can peek at Santa’s haiku, one for each day from December 1 to December 25, and catch a glimpse of life at the North Pole.” This note to readers opens the book and is placed on a sheet of paper above an image of an old typewriter. Each poem has a title for the day in December (e.g., December 1st and December 2nd). The poem titled “December 1st” reads,

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“Wishes blowing in/from my overfilled mailbox— /December’s first storm.” Another, “December 9th” reads, “Elves pounding, sawing/and sanding, a holiday/concert performance.” Other poems focus on Mrs. Claus making snow angels, Santa decorating his Christmas tree, and baking cookies. The poems are written in a typewriter- like font, while the double- page spreads feature a variety of scenes, such as the inside of Santa’s home, the elves’ room, and the outdoors of the North Pole. The author dedicates the book to “every child who finds it hard to sleep on Christmas Eve.” (JCM)

Ashley Bryan’s PuppetsWritten by Ashley BryanPhotographs edited by Rich EntelAtheneum, 2014, unpaged, ISBN 978- 1- 4424- 8728- 4

When Ashley Bryan was a child, he walked the

sidewalks of New York City with his sister, and they found cast- off items they re- created into new objects. As an adult, Bryan has continued this tradition, roaming the shoreline of Cranberry Isles (off the coast of Maine), picking up shells, bones, driftwood, fabric, or sea glass. He uses glue and thread, a sprinkling of African folklore, plus a lot of imagination, to turn the discarded treasures into hand puppets with complementary poems. All 30 puppets are unique and full of character. One titled “Jojo” has a head made out of an abandoned glove with five ponytails or extended fingers. Dark button eyes and a circular bone mouth indicate Jojo is telling a story: “In every finger of my glove/I tap tall tales of peace and love./The fingers of my well- gloved hands/Store stories told in foreign lands.” The poem continues, “In every patch of my quilt gown/Are myths and fables,/Long passed down./I honor sources and make clear/The origin of tales I share.” Some of the other puppets include “Kwesi,” an elephant who conquers strength, and

“Cazembe,” a wise night owl who feasts on insects and words. Children are natural collectors, so they will delight in the opportunity to collect objects, use their imaginations to create a puppet, and then write a poem. (DD)

Hello, I’m Johnny Cash Written by G. NeriIllustrated by A. G. FordCandlewick, 2014, unpaged, ISBN 978- 0- 7636- 6245- 5

In a profoundly meaningful tribute, Neri captures the humanity of

Johnny Cash in a series of intensely gripping, but easily accessible, free- verse poems, starting with Cash’s economically impoverished, music- rich childhood and ending with his amazing musical legacy. Ford’s emotionally revealing oil paintings— alternating between single- page images of photograph- like clarity and double- paged, richly realistic mural backdrops— highlight pivotal moments. The reality of family hardship and conflict— including his family’s poverty, his father’s drinking and abuse, the death of his closest brother— is juxtaposed with his mother’s never- wavering support for his singing and the importance of religion for Cash. Music was Cash’s saving grace, and Neri’s well- researched attention to multifaceted influences enriches the complex picture of Cash’s life and music. Included are interesting tidbits, such as how Cash ended up wearing only black and how Cash finally got his break into the music business.

Neri incorporates quotes from Cash’s life and describes how he filled in gaps authentically. He extends his poetic depiction with additional biographical information and a two- page spread connecting sociopolitical historical events to what was going on in Cash’s life and to how his music developed. Neri contextualizes events, such as the “birth of rock ’n’ roll” at Sun records, the

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“combining of rhythm and blues with country and hillbilly music,” and the decision by music producer Sam Phillips to “transform black sound for white folks” through artists such as Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. This absorbing book will make any reader, even those who would never consider themselves Johnny Cash music fans, to want to hear his music. Neri suggests places to start. Consider also Cash’s 1970 album Hello, I’m Johnny Cash. Neri writes, “The gift of his voice and the love he spread through his singing will live forever.” Neri’s gift for riveting, informative storytelling should, too. (KJM)

How I Discovered PoetryWritten by Marilyn NelsonIllustrated by Hadley HooperDial, 2014, 103 pp., ISBN 978- 0- 8037- 3304- 6

“I’m the new girl in Dick and Jane country,/the other children faceless as grown- ups” (p. 10). Marilyn Nelson crafts a compelling and

rousing civil- rights- era memoir in a collection of 50 poems that reexamines her life from age 4 to 14. The verses, unrhymed sonnets, are written through the lens of a younger self— a young girl from a military family— and detail her emerging consciousness to the changing world around her and her self- discovery as a poet. Newbery Honor winner and National Book Award finalist Nelson chronicles an everyday 1950s experience within each poem. Readers will discover firsthand accounts of self- awareness and artistic awakening situated within a larger sociopolitical context of racial tensions, the Cold War, and the launching of the civil rights movement. Among the final poems in the collection, Nelson writes, “She smiled when she told me to read it, smiled harder,/said oh yes I could. She smiled harder and harder/until I stood and opened my mouth to banjo- playing darkies, pickaninnies, disses and dats. When I finished,/my

classmates stared at the floor. We walked silent/to the buses, awed by the power of words” (p. 97).

Each poem has a title, a geographical setting, and a year, and each simultaneously captures the lived realities of the era as it expresses a blossoming awareness of the power of the word to elicit awe, silence, humiliation, and prejudice. Hadley Hooper’s illustrations selectively fill the pages and evoke a 1950s era of block coloring design. The hand- drawn illustrations, mostly in a soft blue with black lines, float in the white space surrounding the poems. This is a powerful and thought- provoking personal history that would pair well with Jacqueline Woodson’s memoir in verse, Brown Girl Dreaming (2014), as they both open readers to firsthand accounts of growing up as young girls of color in the remnants of Jim Crow and the civil rights movement over time. (AZ)

Above the Dreamless Dead: World War I in Poetry and ComicsEdited by Chris DuffyFirst Second, 2014, 144 pp., ISBN 978- 1- 62672- 065- 7

This poetry anthology shows the horrible, yet honest side of the Great War— World War I. In

a combination of comics, poetry, and history this novel is divided into three sections— The Call to War, In the Trenches, and Aftermath. One poem titled “The Coward” by Rudyard Kipling and adapted by Stephen R. Bissette is brief, “I/could/not look on/Death,/which/being known,/Men led me/to him,/blindfold/and/alone” (p. 83). The illustration shows soldiers fighting in the distance with one wounded soldier about to fall down a ravine. The poem, in black font, cascades down the page following a barbwire fence to a pond below where soldiers’ bodies are scattered around the bank. Isaac Rosenberg’s poem “The Immortals,” adapted by Peter Kuper, confirms the miserable life the soldiers experienced in the trenches. The

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beginning says, “I killed them,/but they would not die./Yea!/all the/day/and/all the/night/For them/I could/not rest/or sleep,/Nor guard/from them/nor hide in flight” (p. 43). Readers might think this soldier is talking about the German enemies, but the final stanzas reveal a pestilence that was just as cruel. The back matter includes a notes section, biographical information about the WW I poets, information about the artists who created the comics, and further reading resources. This poetry collection shares a historical time period in a way that is expressive and engaging. (DD)

Voices from the March on WashingtonWritten by J. Patrick Lewis and George Ella LyonWordsong, 2014, 114 pp., ISBN 978- 1- 62091- 785- 5

Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis and renowned poet George Ella Lyon collaborate for a fictionalized account

of one of the pivotal moments in US civil rights history. Situated in the epic March on Washington of 1963, Lewis and Lyon uniquely weave together a variety of voices, both real and imagined— not from the podium, but from those marching in the crowd

that day. In over 70 largely first- person poems, the poets evoke the call for racial equality in America and reflect the diversity of those participating in the march, those young and old, black and white, educated and underprivileged, supporters and those who are against the March. Many poems have a speaker’s name, age, occupation, and hometown noted underneath the title.

Together, the diverse voices emphasize the importance of the call to reclaim a more equally just community and how the March transformed their lives on this important day. From a 16- year- old boy reflecting on his own families’ prejudices, to a 46- year- old, Japanese printer joining the March in solidarity, each poem, each voice offers fresh insight into the day, making the March completely accessible to even our youngest readers. In the poem titled, “Turn,” Aki Kimura, the Japanese printer, explains, “Listen. Our country/takes very wrong turns/and counts on you and me/to set it right. In most countries/citizens can’t do that, but here it’s/our job— to steer toward justice together” (p. 73). Drawing on their extensive research (note their resources in the back of the book), Lewis and Lyon have composed an important and compelling tribute to this important moment in our history. With their candid, simple text and real emotions, Lewis and Lyons invite us into the past and compel us to action so as to keep the dream alive today. (AZ)

Jonda C. mcNair is an associate professor of Literacy Education at Clemson University in South Carolina. deanna day is an associate professor of Literacy and Children’s Literature at Washington State

University in Vancouver, Washington. Karla J. möller is an associate professor in the Curriculum and Instruction Department at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign. Angie Zapata is an assistant

professor of Literacy Education at the University of Missouri- Columbia.

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2014 notable children’s poetry books · page 452 language arts, volume 92, number 6, july 2015...

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