Find Your Way To The Library

 

 

 

Poetry Friday!

Peace, Love, Joy, & Christmas Books

Open a book, hear the sleigh bells ring,

As characters laugh and carolers sing.

Frosty and Rudolph, on snowy grounds,

Tell stories of joy that echo all around. 

Snowmen with top hats, and 

gingerbread men too,

All come alive in a story or two.

Fairy tales twinkle like stars in the night,

As we dream of worlds filled with cheerful delight. 

In a cozy nook by the fireplace bright,

A tale unfolds on this enchanted night.

With twinkling lights and the tree so tall,

We descend into a world of books for all!

F.S.

Check out: Carol's Corner (carolwscorner.blogspot.com)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Golden Fields

For golden fields and harvest's yield,

For blessings vast, our hearts are filled.

In every moment, large or small,

We find the grace to thank God for all.

 

So here we gather, in unity,

One voice of thanks, a symphony.

For blessings past and those to come,

A humble prayer, for everyone.

 

In gratitude, our hearts entwine,

For life's sweet gifts, both yours and mine.

On this Thanksgiving, let joy abound,

In every heart, let love be found.

F.S.

Poetry Review #45

 What the Heart Knows: Chants, Charms, 

and Blessings

Author: Joyce Sidman
Illustrator: Pamela Zagarenski
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers, 2013

ISBN: 978-0544106161
Reading Ages: 12 and up
Genre: Poetry for Teen and Young Adult

I Gave This Book 5 Roars!🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁

Why 5 Roars? It deals with a wide variety of topics. A great many of those are difficult topics, such as forgiveness, death, shame, grief and evil.  

Poetic Elements: The introduction got my attention and was the reason for reading this book. I found it to be an unusual book, but interesting. 

From the introduction:

“We speak to send messages to the world. We chant for what we want, bless what we like, lament what we've lost. When angry, we curse; when in love, we sing.

We have always done this. Since earliest human history, we have used language to try to influence the world around us . . .

We may no longer believe that words can make crops grow, prevent illness, or keep rivers from flooding. But we still believe in the power of the words themselves. Why else would we pray, sing, or write? Finding phrases to match the emotion inside us still brings an explosive, soaring joy.

I wrote these poems for comfort, for understanding, for hope: to remind myself of things I keep learning and forgetting and learning again. They're about repairing friendship, slowing down time, understanding happiness, facing the worst kind of loss. They are words to speak in the face of loneliness, fear, delight, or confusion.

I hope they work for you. I hope you're inspired to write some of your own--and chant them, in your own voice.”

~~ Joyce Sidman

Appeal: Common items turn into metaphors for loss, there is repetition and alliteration that adds interest, and the author has a clear relationship with the natural world that is very obvious in this collection.  

"An evocative book that pulls readers to a special place--their hearts." 

~~ Booklist, review

Overall Quality: The poetry collection would be a great addition to a young adult library. It would also make a great resource for students struggling with difficult topics. The author handles the subject matter with humor, hope, and a deep sense of spiritual respect for the healing power of words.     

"Each poem speaks directly from Sidman's heart to the reader's, addressing subjects of deep importance . . . Zagarenski's illustrations beautifully extend the poems with her dreamy style and deft use of white space, symbolism, and images from Sidman's text."

~~ The Horn Book Magazine

Claudia Lewis Award (2014)

Layout: The book is divided into four parts: Chants & Charms, Spells & Invocations, Laments & Remembrances, and Praise Songs & Blessings.

Connections:
Spotlight Poem - 

Song of Bravery

This one’s not a sure thing.

I’m not bound to win.

I don’t think I’ll ace it this time.

I won’t break a leg,

make my own luck,

or reach the stars.

The sun is not shining on me today.

The force is not strong.

Before the day is out,

I’ll taste the grit of dust.

Maybe I didn’t do all I could.

Or maybe I did

but there were others who did more.

Maybe I’ll never know.

But here I go—

blood flowing dutifully

from heart to hands and back again—

here I go, stepping out

through the door

of my own shadow:

into the glare of the arena

to face the lions.

~~ Joyce Sidman

Sharing/Activity - I like the readers guide provided by Joyce Sidman for sharing this collection. These teaching suggestions are for grades 6-9. 

Poetry Review #44

How to Read a Book

Author: Kwame Alexander
Format: Audiobook 

Publisher: HarperAudio, 2019

ASIN: B07MXP96N5

Narrator: Kwame Alexander

Reading Ages: 4 - 8 years

Genre: Children's Poetry, Story in Verse

I Gave This Book 4 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁

Why 4 Roars? This is a lovely book about books. I think the audio version worked really well for this piece of poetry. I would recommend it wholeheartedly. 

Poetic Elements: The words are beautiful and well chosen to make reading a book sound like a magical experience. 

“Award-winning poet Alexander compares reading a book to peeling the gentle skin of a clementine, digging into its juiciness, enjoying it ‘piece by piece, part by part,’ until you can ‘watch a novel world unfurl right before your eyes.’ And who better to illustrate this delicious poem than Caldecott Honoree Sweet. The artwork is done in watercolor, gouache, mixed media, handmade and vintage papers, and found objects, including old book covers and a paint can lid. Not a splash of color, a piece of paper, or a line is out of place. Starting with the initial collage that incorporates the building blocks of reading (the letters A to Z) and the lines from a poem by Nikki Giovanni that careful readers will have to pay attention to see, the tone is set. ‘So get/real cozy/between/the covers/And let your/fingers wonder/as they wander…’ for there is much to relish in this poem and its exuberant images. ‘Squeeze/every morsel/of each plump line/until the last/drop of magic/drips from the infinite sky.’ The book includes a note from both the poet and the artist. VERDICT A beautiful book not to be rushed through, but to be enjoyed morsel by tasty morsel.”

~~ Lucia Acosta, Children's Literature Specialist

Appeal: A big part of the appeal of this poem is the love of books and reading. It is just that simple for the listener. If you connect with books, this poem will resonate with you.

“[This] love poem to literacy conjures up startling, luscious images...By turns dreamy and ecstatic.”

~~ Publishers Weekly, Review

Overall Quality: The illustrator of the physical version of this book was Melissa Sweet. However, I just think for me, the audio version created it's own imagery in the listener's head.  

Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award 2020

Connections:

Spotlight Poem -

“Find a tree - a black tupelo or dawn redwood will do - and plant yourself. It’s okay if you prefer a stoop, like Langston Hughes.”

~~ Kwame Alexander

Sharing - I like the idea of introducing this poem as part of an awareness of poetry awards. I would suggest that after listening to the audio version, watching the 2020 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Ceremony with Winner Kwame Alexander would be a great way to expose children to poetry awards. 

Activity: Children will also enjoy the book being read to them. HowTo Read A Book 

Poetry Review #43

Poetry for Kids: William Shakespeare

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Dr. Marguerite Tassi
Illustrator: Merce Lopez
Publisher: MoonDance Press, 2018
ISBN: 978-1633225046
Reading Ages: 8-12 years
Genre: Children's Literary Biography,                             Children’s Poetry, Shared Poetry                        Reading

I Gave This Book 4 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁

Why 4 Roars? I love the idea of this book. It is wonderful for younger thespians interested in Shakespeare. The dramatic dialogue and poetry in this collection are perfect for shared poetry reading sessions. I do think that some readers will have a difficult time with the meanings and comprehension. 

Poetic Elements: It's Shakespeare! Sonnets anyone? (Little songs or sonetto, from the Latin word sonus meaning a sound.) You can find the 14 lines, a particular rhyming scheme, Iambic pentameter, and a volta or the turn from the problem to the solution in many of the selections the editor used. 

"An enticing entree to the glories of Shakespeare's verse." 

~~ Kirkus Reviews

Appeal: The editor wisely pulled selections that might appeal to younger readers. However, there are some selections that lean heavily into romantic love such as “Let Me Not to The Marriage of True Minds,” and “Why Light Is Light, if Silvia Be Not Seen?,” and of course “O Romeo, Romeo, Wherefore Art Thou Romeo?” 

Overall Quality: The selected poems are rich, vibrant and very appealing. Children interested in Shakespeare will love the collection.  

 "A richly illustrated selection of 31 poems and excerpts from Shakespeare's most popular works. The selected writings provide a fantastic scope of Shakespeare's oeuvre. ... López's illustrations are intricate, dramatic, and moody; they help bring life and meaning to the words." 

~~ School Library Journal

Layout: The book has an introduction, poems, What William was Thinking section and an index. At the end of each poem there is also a short definition of difficult words.

Connections:
Spotlight Poem -

“Round About The Cauldron Go” 

(Macbeth, Act IV, Scene I)

"Round about the cauldron go;

In the poison’d entrails throw.

Toad, that under cold stone

Days and nights hast thirty one

Swelter’d venom sleeping got,

Boil thou first i’ the charmed pot.

Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

Fillet of a fenny snake,

In the cauldron boil and bake;

Eye of newt, and toe of frog,

Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,

Adder’s fork, and blind-worm’s sting,

Lizard’s leg, and howlet’s wing,

For a charm of powerful trouble,

Like a hell-broth boil and bubble." 

~~William Shakespeare

Sharing - This would be perfect for performance poetry.

Activity - Shakespeare for Kids

Poetry Review # 42

Emma's Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty

Author: Linda Glaser
Illustrator: Claire A. Nivola
Publisher: HMH Books for 

                    Young Readers, 2013

ISBN:978-0544105089
Reading Ages: 4 - 7 years
Genre: Children's Poetry, Immigration, Children's Sociology, Picture Book

I Gave This Book 5 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁

Why 5 Roars? This is a beautifully written book that should be in every library and classroom. It is hard to find anything negative to say about a wealthy woman that gave her voice to the poor and brought immigration into the light.       

Poetic Elements: This is a free-verse biography written for children. It is about Emma Lazarus, the poet that wrote "The New Colossus." This poem became one of the most recognized and honored poems in America. Both the free verse biography about Emma and Emma's poem are found in this work.

The biography does not rhyme but does have a rhythmic feel that brings Emma to life in a way that I think Emma would appreciate.   

Appeal: Children whose families are immigrants can relate to the experience of being in a new country or culture.  

“ The pictures, with their slight folk-art feel, capture both the time and action of the story, while the text illuminates the woman. An author’s note and the full text of the poem complete the book. A worthwhile addition for most collections." 

~~School Library Journal

Overall Quality: The art work is lovely and fits with the biography's time period. It does not distract from the story but adds a distinct charm and a certain fascination to New York and its diversity.

"Nivola’s watercolor-and-gouache paintings are rich in color and detail, showing the elegant streets and homes of 19th-century New York City as well as its settlement houses. Line, pattern and a sense of place give young readers a rich vision of the "golden door" by which "your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" came to this country. Nicely done, enabling even young children to see how the poem and the statue came together."

~~Kirkus

Layout: The author's note and poem "The New Colossus" are located in the back of the book. It is such a large part of the importance of this work.

Connections:
Spotlight Poem -

"Even when Emma was all grown up,

and by then a well-known writer

she still only knew people

who had plenty of everything."

~~Emma's Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty

"Give me your tired, your poor

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free . . . "

~~ The New Colossus

Sharing - This would be a great book to read before taking children to New York, or a visit to the Statue of Liberty. 

Activity - The Statue of Liberty 

Poetry Review #41

Wicked Girls: A Novel of the Salem Witch Trials

Author: Stephanie Hemphill
Publisher: Balzer + Bray; Reprint, 2010
ASIN: B003MVZ5SQ
Format: eBook
Reading Ages: Teen & Young Adult - 9th grade & up

Genre: Period Historical Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Poetry, Free Verse Novel 

I Gave This Book 4 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁

Why 4 Roars? I had mixed feelings about this book. I loved the writing, the flow and the feeling.  However, I think it became a little too modern for a historical piece written about this time period. 

I can see that the author was trying to establish a connection between contemporary young ladies of the present and those of the past. The slant of the book takes on the plight of young women that have very little control in their own lives. It is almost as if the author took young women from this time period and placed them in the 1600's.  

It might be difficult for many teen readers to get past the thees, thous, and other word choices that they could stumble over in this book. 

Poetic Elements: The poetry works well for the book; it is beautifully written, pushes the reader to consider how young women were treated during the 16oo's, and treats the wild hysteria as an eerie disruptive experience. The poetry is natural, graceful, and fits into this type of experience. 

“Hemphill follows her Printz Honor Book Your Own, Sylvia (2007) with another bold verse novel based on historical figures. Here, her voices belong to the ‘afflicted’ girls of Salem, whose accusations of witchcraft led to the hangings of 19 townspeople in 1692. Once again, Hemphill's raw, intimate poetry probes behind the abstract facts and creates characters that pulse with complex emotion. According to an appended author's note, unresolved theories about the causes of the girls' behavior range from bread-mold-induced hallucinations to bird flu. In Hemphill's story, the girls fake their afflictions, and the book's great strength lies in its masterful unveiling of the girls' wholly believable motivations: romantic jealousy; boredom; a yearning for friendship, affection, and attention; and most of all, empowerment in a highly constricting and stratified society that left few opportunities for women. Layering the girls' voices in interspersed, lyrical poems that slowly build the psychological drama, Hemphill requires patience from her readers. What emerge are richly developed portraits of Puritanical mean girls, and teens will easily recognize the contemporary parallels in the authentic clique dynamics. An excellent supplementary choice for curricular studies of Arthur Miller's The Crucible, this will also find readers outside the classroom, who will savor the accessible, unsettling, piercing lines that connect past and present with timeless conflicts and truths.” ~~Gillian Engberg

Appeal: The appeal is the effortless poetry and the unnerving qualities of the Salem Witch Trials that bleed into the story. 

“In subtle, spare first-person free-verse poems, the author skillfully demonstrates how ordinary people may come to commit monstrous acts. Haunting and still frighteningly relevant.”

~~ Kirkus Reviews

Overall Quality: The author is more than capable of creating emotions with her poetry and this is not her first book written in novel free verse.    

“The expressive writing, masterful tension, and parallels to modern group dynamics create a powerful and relevant page-turner."  ~~ Publishers Weekly

Layout: The layout is in novel arrangement.  

Connections:
Spotlight Poem - 

"Life is not for joy and jolly,

but for toil and test,

an order ordained." 

Sharing - A readers theater performance might work for sharing parts of this work.

Activity - This book would be good for a history project that centered on the topic of religious persecutions in early America.  

Salem Witch Trials

Poetry Review #40

A Songbird Dreams of Singing: Poems about Sleeping Animals

Author: Kate Hosford
Illustrator: Jennifer M. Potter
Publisher: Running Press Kids, 2019
ISBN:978-0762467143

Reading Ages: 4 - 8 years

Genre: Children's Poetry, Science, Nature

I Gave This Book 4 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁

Why 4 Roars? The poetry and illustrations are beautiful. There is an additional short paragraph on the opposite page that talks about the sleeping habits of the selected animal in the poem. I would liked to have seen a little more information about the animals and their sleeping patterns, but the information presented was interesting and fun. 

Poetic Elements: The rhythm and simplicity of the poems makes it a great book for younger children. The combination of scientific information and lyrical imagery merge well.   

"Firmly in control of language and rhyme schemes but varying tone and tempo as she goes, Hosford marvels at the sleep habits of 18 creatures. At once eye-closing and eye-opening."

~ Kirkus Reviews

Appeal: This collection of poems will appeal to animal lovers, nature lovers, and poetry lovers. The poems smooth out the rough edges of the hard scientific facts and make a great comforting bedtime book for children.

        "Not only is [A Songbird Dreams of Singing] gorgeous and the poems so original and beguiling; the informational text is a total wow!"

~~ Sy Montgomery, author of the National Book Award finalist, The Soul of an Octopus.

Overall Quality: This assortment of poems would be a lovely, reassuring, addition to a classroom or library.

"The work as a whole makes a unique, engaging read aloud from start to finish, and children may well pull it from the shelves again and again to revisit favorite excerpts."

 ~~Publishers Weekly

Layout: The poems are presented like a traditional children's picture book, with the addition of the informational paragraph opposite the poem. It does not feel disjoined or separate but reads more like a story.     

Connections:
Spotlight Poem- My favorite poem in this collection is "Mother Otter Gives Advice to Her Pup." The author discusses how sea otters sleep in the water and "sometimes hold hands." 

"Sleeping otter, swirling sea,

Be careful not to float away.

Hold my hand-stay close to me,

Sleeping otter, swirling sea.

This kelp, so long and tangly

Will help you not to go astray. 

Sleeping otter, swirling sea,

             Be careful not to float away!"           

Sharing - This collection of poems would be a great way to calm students down before nap time or inspire conversations about nature and the sleeping behaviors of animals.

Activity - Sleep Education For School

Poetry Review #39

Lilah Tov Good Night

Hebrew for "good night"

Author: Ben Gundersheime (Mister G)
Illustrator: Noar Lee Naggan
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books, 2020

ISBN: 978-1524740665

Reading Ages: 3 and up
Genre: Poetry for Early Learning, Children's Jewish Fiction Books, Stories in Verse, Lyrical Lullaby

I Gave This Book 5 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁

Why 5 Roars? This is one of my new favorite books! It was originally a song that was made into a lyrical lullaby. I bought it for my grandchildren to enjoy and fell in love with the art and rhymes. This is a book that you should buy as a printed copy, not an ebook, in my opinion. The artwork is just too fabulous not to appreciate in print format. 

Poetic Elements: The rhyme and rhythm are a song that became a poem, a visual story, and a moving combination of all of the above. 

“Lovely illustrations depicting a Jewish immigrant tale. The text is concise and simple. . . . The rhymes work well. . . . The luminous, digitally colored pencil illustrations tell a more expansive story. . . . This book can be read as a simple bedtime story or discussed as an immigrant tale. Either way, it will likely find a receptive audience with Jewish families in search of bedtime books or families looking for immigrant stories.”

~~School Library Journal

Appeal: This book is deceptively simple. On one level it is a simple children’s story about a little girl saying good night to common things around her, but on a deeper level you see a family leaving their home in search of a new one. The Jewish diaspora was a major part of Jewish history and is unobtrusively discovered in the lovely artwork that accompanies the poem.

“As the sun sets and the moon rises, an unnamed young child says good night to everything in the natural landscape. . . . Simple, brief, descriptive text... Lush, detailed, soft-edged landscapes provide another, deeper, and more nuanced level to the proceedings. . . . The protagonist is saying good night to the creatures and places spotted on what readers will see as a lengthy journey. . . . At the end of their travels, there is a new home awaiting them. They travel quietly and surreptitiously. . . . Each young reader will interpret the work differently depending on individual understanding and knowledge of history, or perhaps with a wise adult to help. Haunting and beautiful.”

~~Kirkus Reviews

Overall Quality: The book is oddly peaceful and does not present a stressful version of the Jewish diaspora, so young readers will be comforted by the book's simple story and rhyme. The superiority of the lyrical lullaby, sweet, quiet, and effortless with the charming artwork, is exceptional. 

Gundersheimer's work is well known. He has two bilingual albums, "Chocolalala" and "ABC Fiesta," a GRAMMY-winning album, “Los Animales,” Jewish albums “The Mitzvah Bus” and “Seeds of Shalom,” and an environmental bilingual album, “Mundo Verde/Green World.” He promotes multiculturalism, unity, and peace.

Noar Lee Naggan is an illustrator born in Israel and graduated from the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem.

Layout: The layout is a story in verse. 

Connections:

Spotlight Poem -

“The moon is rising,

big and bright

Time to wish everyone

good night”

Sharing - This book would be perfect for reading before bed.

Activity - I would teach the poem in song to younger readers. This would be a great way to connect the art of songwriting and poetry. 

Lailah Töv,

Shalom!

Poetry Review #38

 Out of the Dust

Author: Karen Hesse  
Publisher: Scholastic, 2009 
ISBN: 2009 978-0590371254 
Reading Ages: 10 & up  
Genre: Teen & Young Adult United States Historical Fiction, Teen & Young Adult Poetry

I Gave This Book 5 Roars!🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁

Why 5 Roars? This is a hard book to read. It is a story about the struggle to survive and the strength of the human spirit. I gave it 5 roars because it reminds me of all the hardships that past generations have had to survive.  It alludes to the amazing ability of humans to overcome even the bleakest of times. I also believe it is a valuable read for upcoming generations. This is the kind of story that teaches us to be grateful for all the good things in life. 

I also think this book is significant because it was one of the few poetry books awarded a Newbery Medal before 2009. 

“from 1987 to 1997, only 1 out of 42 books awarded was a poetry collection, the 1989 medal winner Joyful Noise, by Paul Fleischman. From 1998 to 2008, 3 out of 43 books were poetry (Carver, Show Way, and Out of the Dust)” 

~~  Roxanne Hsu Feldman

Poetic Elements: This book is written as series of free verse poems in the first person as journal entries. It does not rhyme, or use regular patterns. Free verse allows the author to use their own ideas to shape the work.  The poetry is beautiful, but I could see how younger readers might be confused by the lack of backstory. Younger readers might need an explanation or brief history lesson on the conditions that lead to the American "Dust Bowl."

Appeal: I have read a great many mixed reviews on this book, and I agree that the book might not be for younger, more sensitive, readers. However, I believe that the reality of the world we live in is portrayed in many uncomfortable situations and the retelling of history encourages us to be a more grateful and a more prepared people. This should be embraced in the appeal of this book.  

It is not uncommon for other cultures to remind future generations of the hardships that were overcome and the value of not repeating mistakes in history in the form of literature. I believe that more and more American classrooms and younger generations are struggling to read books that value important historical lessons because of the uncomfortable information. The “Dust Bowl” warns us of agricultural elements that could have been prevented and the horrors that follow when humans disrespect the land. 

The historical value of the book, written in a way that is distinctive and creative, should not be discredited because the author portrayed the sufferings of the people during this moment in history.   

 

Overall Quality: The quality of the writing should not be confused with the suffering that this time period holds. The author based the fictional family and characters on historical families and their accounts. 

"Billie Jo tells of her life in Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl: Her mother dies after a gruesome accident caused by her father's leaving a bucket of kerosene near the stove; Billie Jo is partially responsible--fully responsible in the eyes of the community--and sustains injuries that seem to bring to a halt her dreams of playing the piano. Finding a way through her grief is not made easier by her taciturn father, who went on a drinking binge while Billie Joe's mother, not yet dead, begged for water. Told in free-verse poetry of dated entries that span the winter of 1934 to the winter of 1935, this is an unremittingly bleak portrait of one corner of Depression-era life. In Billie Jo, the only character who comes to life, Hesse (The Music of Dolphins, 1996, etc.) presents a hale and determined heroine who confronts unrelenting misery and begins to transcend it. The poem/novel ends with only a trace of hope; there are no pat endings, but a glimpse of beauty wrought from brutal reality."  ~~ Kirkus Reviews

Newbery Medal Book 

Scott O’Dell Award

Layout: The lay out is two years of journal entries by the main character. 

Connections:
Spotlight Poem - 

“Daddy came in,
He sat across Ma and blew his nose.
Mud streamed out.
He coughed and spit out
mud.
If he had cried,
his tears would have been mud too,
but he didn’t cry.
And neither did Ma.”

Dorothea Lange Photograph

Farm Security Administration (FSA)

Sharing - This book would be great for sharing with a combined lesson in American history on the "Dust Bowl."  A book talk would work well for it, also.  

Activity - The importance of the "Dust Bowl" and the environment would be a great activity to relate this occurrence to present day. 

Soil Conservation 

Poetry Review #37

Won Ton and Chopstick: A Cat and Dog Tale Told in Haiku

Author: Lee Wardlaw
Illustrator: Eugene Yelchin

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co, 2015
ISBN: 978-0805099874

Reading Ages: 4 - 8 years
Genre: Children's Picture Book, Children's Poetry, Japanese Senryū Poetry, Haiku

I Gave This Book 5 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁

Why 5 Roars? I had never read this book before, but I loved it! How did I miss this book? The names of the cat (Won Ton) and puppy (Chopsticks) are so clever, and fitting. Kids will connect to the humor and adults will be impressed with the smart word selections weaved into a story.    

Poetic Elements: I love the fact that the poetry is so cat like! It actually reminds me of a cat thinking out loud. The imagery and sound are part of what really makes this poetry book stand out.

“Young readers who fell in love with Won Ton in Wardlaw and Yelchin's first book, Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku, 

will enthusiastically welcome this new adventure, and those not yet familiar with the earlier book will likely seek it out.”

~~ Booklist

 
Appeal: This is a must read for poetry lovers. It is unusual with a very different sort of feel to the book. However, it follows the traditional Haiku pattern of three lines, 5 syllables, 7 syllables, and 5 syllables again.

“Each haiku is complete in itself, capturing the essence of cat...and together the poems create a whole tale of displacement and eventual mutual understanding.”

~~ The Horn Book

Overall Quality: The pictures are a great way to help younger readers understand the meaning of the poetry. Eugene Yelchin is the author of "Breaking Stalin's Nose." He does a fantastic job of pulling it all together and giving life to the characters. 

“The poetry is concise and witty...technically deft, and age-accessible. Yelchin's graphite-lined gouache art craftily echoes the verse.” ~~The Bulletin

NCTE Notable Poetry List Book
Muse Medallion - Cat Writers' Association
2012 Librarians' Choices List
2012 ALSC Notable Children's Books
2012 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award

Layout: It is a story told in poetry. The layout is very similar to other picture books. 

Connections:

Spotlight Poem - 

"Master of escape!

High-flying, dog-defying

acrobatic cat!

Puthimoutputhim

outputhimoutputhim-wait!

I said him, not me!"

Sharing - This is not Won Ton's first staring role, you can find him in the shelter waiting to be taken home in, "Won Ton : A Cat Tale Told in Haiku."  Combining the two books would be a great way to introduce both Won Ton and Haikai to students. Once you meet him, you cannot help but want to take him home, too! He would make a great addition to any classroom or library collection. 

Activity - Won Ton and Chopstick anyone?  I have quite a collection of chopsticks from all over Asia. I introduce students to chopsticks and let them try to pick up and eat different foods with them. The kids love it! 

Making won tons and using chopsticks to eat them with would go nicely with this poetry book. 

 

"Won Ton and Chopstick" Read-A-Loud 

Cream cheese filled won ton recipe 

How to use chopsticks

Different types of chopsticks

Poetry Review #35

Monster Motel

Author: Douglas Florian
Illustrator: Douglas Florian
Publisher: Voyager Books 1997
ISBN:978-0152013868
Reading Ages: 5 to 10 Years

Genre: Children's Poetry, Halloween, Humor 

I Gave This Book 5 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁

Why 5 Roars? I think if you are looking for scary monsters, this would not be the book for you. This collection, in my opinion, is suited to younger readers. The monsters are silly and not very intimidating, which is great for younger kids. Older readers might not be as impressed by the monsters, but the humor is enjoyable for  readers of any age. The "Hotel Transylvania" movie immediately comes to mind, with another motel/hotel with strange monsters that are not really scary either.   

Poetic Elements: Repetition, rhyme, and the use of anthropomorphism is used frequently in this collection of poems. There is also the use of onomatopoeias, where the words make the sounds of things. 

Humor is the main topic throughout the anthology of 13 poems about monsters staying in a hotel. 

        "An excellent choice for youngsters who                         beg for something scary."

~~ Booklist

Appeal: The author is also the illustrator. He uses illustrations done in a blend of watercolor, ink, and pen.  I like the illustrations and they really make the monsters feel vivid and captivating for the reader’s imagination.   

Overall Quality: The author is well known for his work in the area of poetry and art.

"In the introductory poem, a bellhop greets readers: "Welcome to the Monster Motel,/ Where mostly monstrous monsters dwell." Each of the remaining 13 poems describes a different resident. Florian's creatures are, however, gentle and bizarre rather than scary. Some of the more interesting ones are those that might exist almost anywhere. "The Gazzygoo," for instance, lives inside the cracks of a sidewalk. Others, such as "The Fabled Feerz" and "The Brilly," are bigger and bolder. The language and the images are creative and rhythmic, and the subject matter will certainly appeal to children. The poems themselves, though, are not as consistently vivid or successful as the illustrations. Florian's seemingly simple watercolors grow more intriguing with each new book. His emphatic use of line, his imaginative use of color, and his ability to convey mood and expression are 

all superbly demonstrated here."

~~ Lauralyn Persson,

School Library Journal

Layout: The poems went with each monster on the page. The author added a watercolor picture of himself as a monster on the book jacket. I thought that was really cute! 

Connections:
Spotlight Poem - The first lines of "The Brilly."

"The Brilly is a silly beast;

It has no sense, to say the least. 

It wears its shoes upon its hands

And ties its feet with rubber bands." 

Sharing- I think this would be a great book to introduce boys to poetry. It would also be a good choice to share during Halloween.   

Activity- Allowing students to create their own monsters would be a fun activity. You could use simple colors, markers, and paper, or try it with playdough, purple and green slime, and googly eyes. There are a lot of options. 

More books by Douglas Florian:
Shabbat Shalom!
Poetrees
Insectlopedia

Douglas Florian 

You're Not My Best Friend by Douglas Florian

Author Douglas Florian Visits 2nd Grade