Poetry Review #47

The Proper Way to Meet a Hedgehog and Other How-To Poems

Editor: Paul B. Janeczko
Illustrator: Richard Jones
Publisher: Candlewick, 2019
ISBN: 978-0763681685
Reading Ages: 6-9 years
Genre: Children's Poetry, Anthology

I Gave This Book 5 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁

Why 5 Roars? This is a great anthology with a long list of well-known poets. It is a collection of thirty three poems covering a wide range of topics. 

Poetic Elements: The poetry is witty in its use of language. Some of the poems make use of repetition and some take advantage of the use of rhyme. One of the most interesting elements applied is found in the space on the pages. The way the poems make the space on the page a part of the poem is artistic and imaginative.  

“Janeczko's latest anthology is a cozy collection of humorous and thought-provoking "how-to" poems from contemporary writers, including Kwame Alexander, Margarita Engle, J. Patrick Lewis, and Nikki Grimes, as well as poems from Christina Rossetti, Robert Louis Stevenson, and more. This collection thoughtfully compiles poems that range in focus from the fantastical, to the natural, to the domestic. The book opens with ‘How to Build a Poem’ by Charles Ghigna and sets the tone with the closing lines '...words that leave us/wanting more.' Throughout the book, poems are often grouped thematically. For instance, the poems ‘On the Fourth of July’ by Marilyn Singer and ‘Fireworks’ by Anna E. Jordan occupy adjacent pages of the same spread. Jones's illustrations tenderly bring each poem to life. Children are invited to see themselves in many of the earth-toned, textured scenes. The final scene depicts an empty chair with an abandoned book on it-The Proper Way to Meet a Hedgehog-and, through the doorway, a girl and her dog stepping out into the world. Overall, Jones's illustrations achieve a strong balance of white space and image, and the full-bleed spreads connect the poems into a single, unified work. A great pick for read-alouds or for sustained, one-on-one reading. VERDICT This anthology is a solid pick for public and school 

collections large and small.” 

~~ Erica Ruscio, School Library Journal

Appeal: The biggest advantage of this collection, in my opinion, is the inclusion of two poems that address disabilities. They are “A Lesson from the Deaf” by Nikki Grimes and “How to Read Braille” by Steven Withrow. This would make a great addition to a classroom or library.

‘Who can resist a good how-to? Janeczko, an astute editor of children’s poetry, capitalizes on his readers’ natural curiosity and yearning for autonomy while opening up the possibilities for what a how-to—both the question and the answer—can be...The entire book becomes a how-to , instructing readers not only in various activities but also in all the ways poetry can resonate.”

~~ Publishers Weekly

Overall Quality: The quality of the collection can be found in the wonderful poets that bring their poems to the experience of a how-to compilation.   

"In this charmingly illustrated collection, poet’s classic (Christina Rossetti, Robert Louis Stevenson) and modern (Kwame Alexander, Margarita Engle) offer a variety of how-to poems, providing young readers with instructions both jocular and sincere...Jones' illustrations are truly scene-stealing: at times impish and adorable, at others restrained and lovely, they capture the essence of each poem. A useful poetry compendium that can be shared in sections or in its entirety."

~~ Booklist

Connections:

Spotlight Poem - “How to Pay Attention” by April Halprin Wayland has the modest instructions of:

“Close this book. Look.” 

It is the last poem in the anthology. It is simple but so powerful. 

Sharing - A great way of discussing diversity in a classroom is reading the poems “A Lesson from the Deaf” and “How to Read Braille.” It can be a great way to open up the lines of communication in dealing with difficult topics like disabilities.

Activity - Allowing students to create their own how-to poem would be a fun activity to go along with a how-to anthology.