Poetry    April is National Poetry Month. It was first inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996. National Poetry Month brings together teachers, students, community memebers, and others around the country to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture. Enjoy some of the recently published books of poems, or read about the power of writing poetry or the poets that create them. (http://www.ncte.org/solutions/poetry.shtml)    Visit the Academy of American Poets at http://www.poets.org to find a poem or a poet or for teaching ideas, journal articles, and other resources and suggestions for how to celebrate National Poetry Month.    One of the best known kid's poetry awards is that initiated by Lee Bennett Hopkins. Presented annually by Penn State University, the Lee Bennet Hopkins Poetry Award recognizes excellence in poetry. It is given to an American poet or compiler for a work published in the previous year. This year's winner is Constance Levy for Splash! Poems of Our Watery World, illustrated by David Soman. The award and a $500 prize will be presented to Levy on April 11, 2003, at the Children's Literature Matters Conference at Penn State.    Additionally, judges gave honor awards to April Halprin Wayland, Girl Coming in for a Landing-A Novel in Poems with illustrations by Elaine Clayton, Maria Testa for Becoming Joe DiMaggio, and Jaime Adoff for The Song Shoots Out of My Mouth which was illustrated by Martin French. The first two were reviewed by Children's Literature and are included in this list. Follow this link for more infomation about the Lee Bennet Hopkins Award Parenthood.com Promotes the Power of Poetry NCTE members Georgia Heard, Jim Brewbaker, Mary Kenner Glover, Gloria Pipkin, and Regie Routman profess the perks of poetry. This article also includes tips for encouraging children to write poetry and suggests kid-friendly poetry books and Web sites. http://topics_a-z.parenthood.com/articles.html?article_id=3827 Poetry as a Second Language Join New York City teacher Christopher Walsh as he uses poetry to help English language learners find their voices and learn a new language. See his Voices from the Middle article at http://www.ncte.org/pdfs/members-only/vm/0051-feb98/VM0051PSL.pdf Poetry Corner Check out the poetry page at NCTE for books and ideas on teaching poetry to young people http://www.ncte.org/notesplus/subscribers_only/poetry_page.shtml Reviews The Alligator in the Closet: And Other Poems Around the House David L. Harrison Illustrated by Jane Kendall     Harrison has taken his inspiration from objects that one typically finds around the house. The opening poem, "The Guest in the Pantry," gives us a peek into the life of a little mouse who lives in a tissue box on the shelf. Believe it or not, I too had a little mouse that decided to make a nest using the tissues in a box in one of my cupboards -- so I know just how it goes. However, I as not quite so sanguine and did not consider it as just a little friend or pet, but rather something that I wanted quickly removed from my house. Soft pen and ink and watercolor illustrations are spread across the pages of this book, and the one accompanying this particular poem is really a delight. The little mouse looks quite happy under his little tissue blanket. Some of the poems will lend themselves to performance calling for two voices, particularly "Tock Talk," "The Thermostat Wars," "Who Was That? I Don't Know," and "The Alligator in the Closet" which is the title for the collection. Others can be read aloud or just savored alone. This collection will amuse young readers and bring smiles to adults. "Company's Coming" and "The Dust Man" are definitely ones that would appeal more to adults. However, kids will laugh because they too are frequently involved in the mad scurry to clean up things when company is due to arrive. This is a collection that will work in any library. It also can lend itself to supporting potential lessons for kids to try their hand at writing a poem about something as commonplace as their bed, chair, favorite place to read, and the like. 2003, Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press, Ages 6 to 10, $16.95. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot ISBN: 1-56397-994-2 Alphathoughts: Alphabet Poems Lee Bennett Hopkins Illustrated by Marla Baggetta     In a world of alphabet books, it takes something special to make one stand out. Hopkins has undertaken just that in this eclectic gathering of short poems that run from A to Z. Each poem begins with a word representing the letter in the alphabet and, within the short stanza that follows, there are one or more words that also start with the same letter. This may not be obvious upon first reading a couple of the poems, but then it becomes clearer. New readers will be challenged by the vocabulary and the task of finding the additional words. The illustrations are big and bold and add to the fun. 2003, Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press, Ages 6 to 8, $15.95. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot ISBN: 1-56397-979-9 The Ancestors Are Singing Tony Johnston Pictures by Karen Barbour To really enjoy and understand these poems, the reader needs to know something about Mexico--its history and culture. There is a glossary that defines the names of ancient gods, places, and Spanish words, which provides some help, but I still feel that a better grounding is necessary. Some of the poems focus on modern Mexico, and include the hustle and bustle of Mexico City--"Rainy Season, Mexico City" "Chapultepec Park" and "A Boy Named José"--while others look to the past and especially to the ancient gods--"Quetzalcótl" the serpent god who supposedly gave the people maize (corn), Ixta the volcano that is a sleeping princess whose eruptions produced obsidian, and "Quetzlcóatl Lies Sleeping" whose second coming is supposed to save the Mexican people. A couple of poems lament the changes brought when the Europeans landed and life in Mexico changed forever and another one laments a problem that is not unique to Mexico--the destruction of the forests and jungles. In the poem "In Chipas," Johnston asks "Where will the monkeys, / the jaguars / go?" The black-and-white illustrations are bold and have a folk art feel. They aptly depict both the past and present and fill the pages that contain Johnston's sometimes sparse but lyrical poems. 2003, Farrar Straus Giroux, Ages 10 up, $16.00. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot ISBN: 0-374-30347-9 Animal Sense Diane Ackerman Illustrated by Peter Sis     As one would expect from the title, this collection of 15 poems (including the introductory one) all relate to the senses (touch, hearing, vision, smell, and taste), which for animals and humans are pretty much the same. The book design is interesting-Sis has drawn a very simple human face on the left-hand page with a solid color page opposing. On this page, one word that names the sense appears to introduce the poems by Ackerman that follow. Sis has also developed other more complex illustrations for Ackerman's poems. Among those that kids will find amusing is the one about owls in the section concerning vision. "Consider the owl: a pair of binoculars with wings, / all eyes, giant eyes that swivel and swing / to spy tasty morsels…" I enjoyed the one about the skunk in the section relating to smell. "'Oh yeah' / says the skunk. / 'You, just keep provoking / me, and I'll spray you with a smell / that's rotten and rancid / and scummy and beastly…' " The poems are printed in different colors - a plus and a minus, because sometimes the small type is hard to read, which is unfortunate because most of these do have kid appeal. 2003, Knopf, Ages 8 up, $14.95. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot ISBN: 0-375-82384-0 ISBN: 0-375-92384-5 At the End of Words: A Daughter's Memoir Miriam Stone     Losing a parent, especially your mother, is difficult no matter what your age. For Miriam Stone, it was particularly difficult because her mother had spent years fighting and ultimately dying of breast cancer while Miriam was still a teen. This book, which is dedicated to her mother's memory, is a combination of prose and poetry. It reveals how Miriam felt at different times during the progression of the disease -- how sometimes she, like others in the family, would pretend it wasn't happening -- or how she felt that she shouldn't do anything special to make her mother think that they knew she wasn't going to survive. It gets still more difficult when her mother enters hospice care, but in many ways it finally draws the family closer. The book also goes beyond the loss of her mother -- it deals with life after her mother has died and her reaction at leaving the family for college, reading a poignant letter that her mother wrote to her on her first birthday and that was given to her on her eighteenth birthday, and a realization that life goes on. By the end of the book, Miriam is starting a new life as a college student and her dad is dating. It is moving and thought provoking. The poems, which speak so much from the heart, will be appreciated by anyone who has or is going through a similar situation. It may offer solace to kids from families who are not as close as were the Stones. It will let them know that the highs/lows and other changes can be weathered, and that the happy memories of a mother live on as one's life continues and changes. 2003, Candlewick Press Ages 10 up, $14.00. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot ISBN: 0-7636-1854-3 Becoming Joe DiMaggio Maria Testa Illustrations by Scott Hunt    Maria Testa's Becoming Joe DiMaggio is a deceptive book. This fifty-one page novella, apparently simple in form and style, has a complexity that requires a sophisticated reader. Joltin' Joe is the book's central image, but it is really the story of young Joseph Paul and Papa-Angelo, the grandfather who has nurtured him from birth. Joseph Paul is born the year Joe DiMaggio joins the Yankees. This center fielder "whose name sounded like music" becomes a hero and a connection for the grandfather and grandson who listen to the games and finally, "Papa-Angelo had dreams/to go with his nightmares." This, the last line of the first poem, typifies Testa's expert use of contrast. Throughout the novel, she buries painful lines and truths in tender images, haunting readers who eventually come to understand how these oppositional expressions symbolize Joseph Paul's complex life. His grandfather's warmth and their shared baseball passion provide the stability and balance Joseph Paul needs as his family struggles to recover again and again from poverty and shame. Papa's character (Joseph Paul's father) is immediately clear when he remarks, "You'll never forget this Christmas! Just before his fist/crashed/into someone's face." When Joe DiMaggio puts on a different uniform to help his country during WW II, the boy's father walks down "Busy streets/with his head held high,/faking a limp/for the war effort." Again, Testa uses conflicting images to describe the horrors of WW II. The first summer Joe DiMaggio doesn't play baseball, Joseph Paul compares roaring crowds with the blast of V-J Day and can't imagine "anyone cheering/in Hiroshima." In just over twenty short poems, Testa animates the young boy's admiration for two heroes who support him from birth to college. Young Joseph Paul dreams of being a baseball great. As a pre-med student, he stands with his grandfather on a college campus, "knowing who we are,/who we have become. /Look how we have made/our broken hearts soar." 2002, Candlewick Press, $13.99. Ages 9 to 14. Reviewer: Susie Wilde ISBN: 0-7636-1537-4 Best Books: Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, 2003 ; American Library Association-YALSA; United States Top 10 Sports Books for Youth, 2002 ; American Library Association-Booklist; United States Bow Wow Meow Meow: It's Rhyming Cats and Dogs Douglas Florian     If you aren't familiar with Florian, who has a number of award-winning poetry books (Beast Feast, Insectlopedia, Mammalabilia, Lizards, and Frogs and Polliwogs), then try this one out with your kids and students. Cats and dogs are certainly favorite pets and this selection of twenty-one poems and illustrations includes pets as well as wild cats and dogs. Playing with words and the shapes of the poems is what makes them especially amusing. In "The Poodles" each line of the text is presented in a circle that resembles the curly nature of the poodle's hair which can be seen in all its glory on the facing page. The picture of the cheetah shows only the back half of the animal because as the poem says "The cheetah is fleet. / The cheetah is fast. / Its four furry feet / Have already passed." The illustrations are deceptively simple; they look like something your kids would do and that you would post on the refrigerator, but they match each poem. For these illustrations, Florian used watercolor on primed brown paper bags with collage. It is another idea for an activity that kids might try when they create their own poems with illustrations to go along, and without investing in a supply of expensive materials. 2003, Harcourt, Ages 4 up, $17.00. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot ISBN: 0-15-216395-6 By Definition: Poems of Feelings Sara Holbrook Illustrated by Scott Mattern     As usual, Holbrook packs quite a bit into a slim volume of poetry. In this one, she really has a mission-to keep us aware of the power of words and life's emotions. Teens and others entering a time of great change in their lives will find poems that resonate. Holbrook seems to be able to enter the minds of young adult readers. She brings to the forefront those issues and thoughts that sometimes get buried or just remain unarticulated. The Title choices are terrific -- ranging from "Procrastinator," "Subtle," "Reality," and "Uplift." I particularly liked the one entitled "Kind" because it is hard sometimes to know "Is it kind to be kind, / or am I a chump?" Although I am nowhere near being a teen, this is an issue that I still wrestle with. "Mistrust" is short and to the point: "What truth wraps up, / mistrust unties. / You can't hold / friend / in a/pack / of lies. While the topics are serious, the black-and-white illustrations not only bring home the point but also add a bit of humor and a light touch to the seriousness. This is a great gift item for kids going into upper elementary and beyond. 2003, Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press, Ages 8 up, $8.95. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot ISBN: 1-59078-085-X Corn Chowder James Stevenson     Billed as a delicious concoction of twenty-five poems, Stevenson's latest compilation has a list of ingredients on the opening flap, which in itself is quite amusing. With plenty of humor, his illustrations and poems will bring plenty of smiles. I loved the opening one with the dogs tied to trees, signs and parking meters, and its positive spin that these animals are really in charge of all of these things. "Holding" is also clever--"When you think / everything is / falling apart, / look how many ways / there are / to hold things / together." The accompanying page full of illustrations shows rubber cement, a giant paper clip, string tape, glue, staple, rubber band and a metal faster. Equally fun is the poem "Idea" which really works because the illustrations and text are a perfect match. Not all of the entries struck me as poems. Some were questions that are answered when the book is turned; others are just statements about life in the city with illustrations to accompany them. It is a charming little book, but less poetry than one might expect. 2003, Greenwillow, Ages 8 up, $15.99. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot ISBN: 0-06-053059-6 ISBN: 0-06-053060-X Daybreak, Nightfall Jorge Lujuan Illustrations by Manuel Monroy Translated by John Oliver Simon and Rebecca Parfitt    Two poems fill the pages of this picture book with the innocence of childhood adventure and the intervention of a mysterious adult in the game. In "An Apple in the Orchard," a boy and girl are playing in an orchard that boasts at once of trees that are just right for climbing and fruit big enough to hide behind. Imagination runs as wild as the children and all ends happily. The second verse, "Pale-As-Bone" opens with the same children joyfully riding a merry-go-round. The lady described in the title appears and announces her desire to take someone with her. Rather frightening she is with crows decorating her hair and her empty eye sockets filled, at one point, with the little girl. However, courage takes the day as the Lady-as-Pale-as-a-Bone is apparently appeased by the children's responses and chooses to ride away on one of the carrousel horses. Yet, there is foreshadowing that she may return another day. Doubtless, the poetry will spark discussion among readers. Monroy's surreal drawings spill suspense and energy across each page. 2003, Groundwood Books/Douglas & McIntyre, Ages 8 to 12, $15.95. Reviewer: Janice DeLong ISBN: 0-88899-486-9 Desiderata: Words for Life Max Ehrmann Photographs by Marc Tauss     The familiar free-verse poem has been immortalized in posters, greeting cards, and books. It was first written in 1927, though for many years it was thought to be "age-old wisdom from an anonymous author." The words continue to provide wisdom and inspiration and are now beautifully complimented by Marc Tauss' black-and-white and full-color photos. The photos are a touching and dramatic representation of Ehrmann's message. A joyous family pillow romp reminds us to "Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass." A city street, devoid of people or motion, shows only parked cars and building after building opposite the words, "Go placidly amid the noise and haste…." Some of the profits from the book will celebrate two people who did that--the Daniel Pearl Foundation and the Children's International Summer Villages founded by Doris Allen. The photos are a beautiful way to make the Desiderata message real again for all generations, and concrete and comprehensible for a new and younger generation. 2003, Scholastic, Ages 10 up, $15.95. Reviewer: Karen Leggett ISBN: 0-439-37293-3 Girl Coming in for a Landing: A Novel in Poems April Halprin Wayland Illustrations by Elaine Clayton    In this pleasing volume of free verse poems, Wayland takes us through a year in the life of a teenage girl. As the year progresses, we feel her emotions about boys, school, music, writing, friends, family, her changing body and more. Wayland paints a refreshingly wide view of a young girl's life, steering clear of the endless angst that seems to fill so many books aimed at this age group. While we do see glimpses of teen insecurities, just as often, we see joy, laughter and wonderment. This complex young girl actually admires her parents, likes her sister (most of the time,) and learns from her teachers. Naturally, boys and teen romance enter into the mix as well. In artfully economical poems, Wayland conveys a wide range of emotions and revelations in an astonishingly sparse number of words. Clayton's collage illustrations add meaning to the text as well. Young readers will identify with many themes in this book, and older readers will keenly remember very real emotions. 2002, Alfred A Knopf, $14.95. Ages 12 up. Reviewer: Kimberly Norman ISBN: 0-375-80158-8 ISBN: 0-375-90158-2 Best Books: Best Books for Young Adults, 2003 ; American Library Association-YALSA; United States Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, 2003 ; American Library Association-YALSA; United States Here's What You Do When You Can't Find Your Shoe (Ingenious Inventions for Pesky Problems) Andrea Perry Illustrations by Alan Snow    Literally from cover to cover this unique collection of poems entertains. Illustrations of wacky inventions paired with tongue-in-cheek verses will bring smiles, and the prediction is that children who read or listen may laugh right out loud. Perry has created wild and wonderful solutions to common problems such as lost shoes, mom's insistence on buying veggies, painful tooth extraction and many more. Alan Snow's illustrations provide perfect partners for each humorous entry. The twelve entertaining rhymes appear to be hand written, lending an air of intimacy with readers. The effect is almost as if the author and illustrator are in conversation with their audience, assisting in problem solving. Writing original verses or drawing new inventions inspired by this collection are natural responses for children. For the classroom teacher or parent who wishes to share poetry as well as laughter with children, this is the volume to choose. 2003, Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, Ages 8 to 12, $16.95. Reviewer: Janice DeLong ISBN: 0-689-83067-X Honey, I Love Eloise Greenfield Illustrations by Jan Spivey Gilchrist    Greenfield's upbeat, strongly rhythmic poem has been taken from the 1978 collection of poems by that title and placed in a picture book. Greenfield creates wonderful images with her words.. A water hose in the summer is a "flying pool." When her cousin from the South talks, "every word he says just kind of slides out of his mouth." The strong images make this accessible to the intended audience. A few of the things the girl loves appear in the first watercolor illustration showing a rainbow, a snowman, balloons and bubbles. The blend of realism and fantasy in the illustrations is sometimes uneven and can be a bit jarring. For example, the expression on the doll's face changes from when it is held to when it is falling to the ground. Overall, it is nice to have this poem available for young children. 2003 (orig. 1978), Amistad/HarperCollins, $15.99. Ages 4 to 7. Reviewer: Sharon Salluzzo ISBN: 0-06-009123-1 ISBN: 0-06-009124-X I'm Still Here in the Bathtub: Brand New Silly Dilly Songs Alan Katz Illustrations by David Catrow     The tunes are familiar; it is the words that are fresh, zany, and completely contemporary. Katz combines the comfortable and the jarring, resulting in hilarious lyrics that defy singing without at least a giggle. "Itchy," sung to the tune of the old favorite, "Bingo" chronicles the amusing woes of a child that has been given a wool sweater by his parents. Illustrations reveal the result of a brief strip tease beginning with the offensive garment and ending with the little nude body hiding behind a tree. "Skip to My Lou" provides the tune for the woeful, " I Always Lose." In this little ditty, the narrator is plagued with misplacing everything-including his little brother and the cat. Each song adds humor to problems commonly faced by the elementary age reader. Catrow's rollicking illustrations are reminiscent of a pastel Dr. Seuss, yet demonstrate a unique style that perfectly compliments the wacky poems. 2003, Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, Ages 4 to 8, $15.95. Reviewer: Janice DeLong ISBN: 0-689-84551-0 Last Night I Dreamed a Circus Maya Gottfried Paintings by Robert Rahway Zakanitch In her very first book for children Gottfried presents an outstanding maiden effort. Using a simple poem, we are led through the images of a child's dream about the circus. We begin with the title words, "Last night I dreamed a circus," accompanied by an acrobat doing a one-handed handstand on horseback. "I spun circles round the stars," is paired with an aerialist spinning on a cord held in her teeth. The illustrations are bright, bold watercolors with black or blue backgrounds that make the images appear to jump of the page. "I wore the sunset on a velvet cape," give us an image of an acrobat resplendent in a cape that calls to mind a truly spectacular sunset. Gottfried's text, an unhurried, non-rhyming poem flows with a dreamlike quality. At the end, "I rode atop the elephant of the seven seas. And it carried me home." The circus theme and arresting illustrations will certainly encourage circus dreams. 2002, Sleeping Bear Press, Ages 5 to 12, $17.95. Reviewer: Sharon Oliver ISBN: 1-58536-030-9 Locomotion Jacqueline Woodson    Lonnie has a lot to deal with in his life. He is living with his foster mother, Ms. Edna and her sons. He hates being separated from his sister and still mourns the deaths of his parents in a house fire. He is picked on because he is the "new boy" in school until the ringleader of the class is hospitalized with sickle cell anemia and another boy joins the class. Mrs. Marcus, Lonnie's teacher, shows Lonnie how to make sense of his jumbled feelings through poetry. Locomotion is the result. Lonnie writes about everything he is dealing with in a series of poems as a way to deal with all his issues. Lonnie tells us that Eric is changed when he rejoins the class after his stay in the hospital. His sister, Lili, is going to be adopted by her foster parents but they get to spend some time together at summer camp. Lonnie also learns that church can help him deal with his life. Fans of Jacqueline Woodson's novels should enjoy this collection of poems portraying the pain and joy of a young African American boy struggling to grow up in an urban environment. 2003, G. P. Putnam's Sons/Penguin Putnam Books, $15.99 and $24.00. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Terri L. Lent Best Books: Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, November 25, 2002 ; Cahners; United States Moon, Have You Met My Mother? The Collected Poems of Karla Kuskin Karla Kuskin Illustrations by Sergio Ruzzier.    Karla Kuskin's poetry can be compared to Shel Silverstein's A Light in the Attic, with a Stinky Cheese Man-spin on reality and contemporary literature. Whether one is reading about sleeping cats, frozen noses, or monsters that love to dine on toes, it is safe to say one will truly be amused and arguably inspired. This is not a book one views as a task, but more as an adventure in literature. Paired with Sergio Ruzzier's illustrations, Kuskin's poetry bring the reader back to the simplicity of childhood. The poems are written in a fashion that children seem to think and speak. The poems are simple and imaginative and hurriedly put together, with a sense that if they are not read fast enough, the rest of the book will disappear. This reminds me, at least, of childhood, being constantly on the go and if one does not move fast enough one runs the possibility of missing out an adventure. The literature and illustrations join to open the door to amusement and inspiration. Fun for all ages is what is in store for the reader. There is nothing simple about Kuskin's poetry; it is an experience all its own. 2003, HarperCollins, $16.99. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Holli Flowers ISBN: 0-06-027173-6 ISBN: 0-06-027174-4 My Dog is a Carrot John Hegley     You may need to have a slightly bent sense of humor to appreciate the poems by John Hegley. He is a British comedian, poet, singer and songwriter who has performed in professional children's theater. "Grandma's Glasses" is a short poem that will appeal to those who like things a bit gross, as will the poem about "Granddad's Glasses." I think boys who read the collection will love Max, the farting dog. The ones I found the most appealing were "Books, as in Libraries," "For the Soup," and "Key Poem." Perhaps it was the straightforward message and the concreteness of these offers that appealed -- especially the latter, which is set on a black page with the text inset in a white section that looks like a keyhole. There also is a table of contents. Teachers may find some of the poems appealing and useful, but this book would not be at the head of my list for poetry purchases. 2003, Candlewick Press, Ages 8 up, $12.99. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot ISBN: 0-7636-1932-9 Paul Revere's Ride: The Landlord's Tale Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Illustrated by Charles Santore     "Listen, my children, and you shall hear/Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere…" will be familiar to most who pick up this lovingly-illustrated picture book, for who could ever forget the opening lines of Wadsworth Longfellow's immortal poem? As readers read on, they will discover for themselves---again or anew---the full power of this venerated American writer's epic poem, as well as the patriotic act that inspired it. First written over a century ago, Longfellow's words still resonate today. "Paul Revere's Ride" originally was published in a collection of his poems entitled "Tales from the Wayside Inn", each poem a tale told by one of the wayfarers. Paul Revere's clandestine adventure was told by the landlord and it is there, by a blazing fire in the 1860s, that Santore opens this hardcover picture book version. All you'd expect to follow does: brave patriot Revere astride his panting horse, the Old North Church, the lantern, Lexington and Concord…but all are depicted in unusual (and accurate) detail, incorporating photographic-like clarity, and dramatic visual viewpoints in the full-color illustrations. Each illustration, in fact, is a panoramic two-page spread, and the book's 9-inch by 11-inch trim size makes the artwork seem to stretch out even more, like a ride into the night. A great book for history buffs of all ages. 2003, HarperCollins Publishers, Ages 6 to 12, $16.99. Reviewer: Dianne Ochiltree ISBN: 0-688-16552-4 A Poem of Her Own: Voices of American Women Yesterday and Today Edited by Catherine Clinton Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn     Clinton has pulled together examples of poems from twenty-five American women poets. Many of the poems and poets will be familiar - although some are fairly new and the book even includes four new works by contemporary women poets. The introduction is somewhat long, but it will be of great value to any one interest in the topic and it is decorated with little colorful insets by Alcorn. I found the chronology and facts about women poets fascinating and the brief biographies appearing at the end of the book equally illuminating and interesting. While this book may never be one for casual reading, it will provide a wealth of information for students and their teachers. The choice of poets is interesting -- several are African American, and other ethnic groups are represented by Naomi Shihab Nye, Sandra Cisneros and Cathy Song. The most difficult poem for readers will probably be "The Author to Her Book" by Anne Bradstreet (1678)--without any introductory and biographical information and due to the changes in language over time, it is difficult to understand what the poem is about. Some readers will be amazed to learn that "The Battle-Hymn of the Republic" was a poem written by Julia Ward Howe, that the familiar Thanksgiving song that begins "Over the river , and through the wood,…" was written by Lydia Maria Child, and that the famous words ("Give me your tired, your poor,/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,…") etched in the base of the Statue of Liberty were written by Emma Lazarus. The wonderful paintings by Alcorn are big, bright and bold. The full page illustration that accompanies "Homage to My Hips" written by Lucille Clifton is perfect as are the more delicate insets that decorate the poem "Lost Sister" by Cathy Song. This is a book highly recommended for any library collection and a personal purchase for anyone who enjoys poetry. 2003, Abrams, Ages 12 up, $17.95. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot ISBN: 0-8109-4240-2 Poems About Anger Jacqueline Sweeney, Editor Written and illustrated by America's Children    Fueled by the creative teaching of Jacqueline Sweeney, children in nineteen schools from twelve districts contributed original poetry and art for this volume. High praise for Sweeney's ability to make writing an exciting activity is expressed the Teacher's Note that serves as an introduction to this collection. Twenty-three artists and twenty-five authors from grades two through six share their talents. Most of the poems focus on expressing or controlling anger. However, there are also intimate pieces in which the young authors' reveal the importance of having a special place to which they can go during times of stress, meditation, or joy. Most of the illustrations are strikingly childlike, yet there is also some amazing art exhibited here. A worthwhile discovery for both parents and teachers, this title is part of the " Kids Express" series. 2003, Benchmark Books/Marshall Cavendish, Ages 6 to 11, $22.79. Reviewer: Janice DeLong ISBN: 0-7614-1508-4 Poems About Family By America's Children Jacqueline Sweeney    Jacqueline Sweeney knows how to ignite the creative genius in those primary and elementary students who are fortunate enough to meet her. High praise is expressed for her abilities in the Teacher's Note that serves as an introduction to this collection of poems. Covering nearly 20 schools in eleven districts, this volume expresses feelings from students on a wide range of subjects. The thirty young authors come from grades 2 through 5. Children from the same grade levels provide illustrations. Topics cover parents, siblings, extended family, emotions, pets, special places, and nature. Teaching ideas include the pleasant experience of simply enjoying the verses for their pure childlike qualities and then creating a poetry rich environment with these actually published works to inspire others to write equally as well. This title is a part of the "Kids Express" series. 2003, Benchmark Books/Marshall Cavendish, $22.79. Ages 6 to 10. Reviewer: Janice DeLong ISBN: 0-7614-1507-6 Poems About School By America's Children Jacqueline Sweeney    According to poet laureate Billy Collins, "Children are natural poets. Every effort we can make to encourage these tender abilities is to be applauded." This title, one of five in the "Kids Express" series' "Anthologies by American's Children," not only encourages the authors and illustrators of the collection's original poems and illustrations by publishing their work; it encourages young readers to try their hand, too--to write and/or draw and express themselves. Collection editor Jacqueline Sweeney has been a working poet in the schools for several years. The free verse poems she selected focus on sensory imagery, simile, metaphor and personification while describing the authors' social, academic, artistic and athletic experiences in school. Most poems are titled--"Peter's Pencils," "Good Grades," and many are accompanied by colorful illustrations. Sweeney includes a Teacher's Note and an artist index credits the authors and illustrators by name and age. The poems are simply gathered, with no rhyme or reason to their placement. While such a structure invites random reading, a thematic grouping--the chronology of a school day, perhaps--would have allowed readers to return purposefully and more often to specific poems. The collection, however, can only inspire and encourage children to write and draw. It serves, by example, as a valuable resource and useful tool for school publishing programs and writing workshops. It also is a worthy companion to school-related poetry collections such as Lee Bennett Hopkins' School Supplies: A Book of Poems and Kay Winters' Did You See What I See? 2003, Benchmark Books/Marshall Cavendish, $22.79. Ages 6 to 11. Reviewer: Esther Hershenhorn ISBN: 0-7614-1505-X The Sun in Me: Poems About the Planet Compiled by Judith Nicholls Illustrations by Beth Krommes    What do Charlotte Zolotow, John Updike, and Emily Dickinson all have in common? They are but a few of the wonderful authors whose poems grace the pages of this book, which calls to children of varying ages to seek and celebrate nature. The enticing poems not only give children a chance to "hear" the softness of our planet but invite them also to think of such things as monkeys, and mountains, and horses of the sea. Some of the soothing poems may lull little ones to sleep and others may offer them glimpses of the wind, stars, and clouds like they have never seen before. Most of the poems are short thereby gaining the attention of all who come to listen to them. Poem types range from a Pasamaquoddy Indian song to a traditional Albanian Riddle. Vibrant scratchboard and watercolor illustrations are enough to cause pause for reflection on their own. The illustrator captures the essence of the tale told in each poem. Add this book to classroom and home libraries to give youngsters the opportunity to embrace poetry as a form of literature. 2003, Barefoot Books, $16.99. Ages 4 to 10. Reviewer: Nancy Garhan Attebury ISBN: 1-84148-058-4 Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear Alice Schertle Pictures by Linda Hill Griffith     Teddy Bears are ubiquitous and this collection of poems and pictures will leave no doubt about that fact. The opening spread depicts a store with lots of teddy bears and a poem that addresses the great variety--"Small bears on the top shelves, / Big bears on the bottom. / Piles of bears. Miles of bears." In many of the poems, the bears take on human characteristics--they slide down banisters and pinch and poke each other as well as the other stuffed animals in the child bedroom. For the most part, these are bears that are friendly cuddly and happy to be loved by a child. The poems and the pictures will prove to be delightful for little ones who still have active imaginations and flights of fancy - particularly those who adore Corduroy and still keep their teddy bears close by for comfort such as the one celebrated in the poem "Barely Bear"--"Wrinkles, lumps, / patches, creases-- / Barely Bear's / been loved to pieces." 2003, HarperCollins, Ages 3 up, $15.99. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot ISBN: 0-688-16870-1 ISBN: 0-688-16871-X The World According to Dog: Poems and Teen Voices Joyce Sidman Photographs by Doug Mindell     I guess it is a matter of taste; I found the poems and essays quite appealing, but the photographs from award-winning photographer Doug Mindell just didn't do that much for me. Some looked blurry--one assumes that was intentional--due to the motion that is reflected or the focal point being some aspect of the picture rather than the whole image. In addition, they are all black-and-white and some have an unfinished look--like the negative edges still showing around them. The teens who wrote the essays provided pictures of their dogs, but it isn't crystal clear if these formed the basis of the photographs or if Mindell provided his own work. The kids who wrote the essays really love their pets and certainly understand them and their importance to their lives. The essay entitled "Bandy" tells how the finding of an abandoned dog on a particularly down day changed the life of the young author's mother. Another poignant essay describes how a young boy felt when he lost his first dog. The poem entitle "Separation" tells how much a dog owner missed her pet while on a two-week vacation and that everywhere she went things reminded her of her pet. The one poem that probably sums it up best as to why people seem drawn to dogs is "Understanding"--"Of all my friends, dog / is often the only one / who understands me." The concluding poem "Doggy Bag" is a wonderful compilation of expressions--all incorporate the word dog and all are defined (dog days, in the dog house, and work like a dog are just a few of the selections). 2003, Houghton Mifflin, Ages 8 up, $15.00. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot ISBN: 0-618-17497-4 Additional Poetry Book Reviews 2000 2001 2002 2004 To stay up to date on new books on this topic, consider subscribing to The Children's Literature Comprehensive Database. For your free trial, click here. Updated 4/2/04