Children - Poetry

I like poetry. I like books. I like poetry books. And I love Stars in the Shadows by Charles R. Smith, Jr (illustrated by Frank Morrison) and I’ve Lost My Hippopotamus by Jack Prelutsky (illustrated by Jackie Urbanovic).

One takes poetry and helps make a historical event (a very special baseball game) accessible to all types of readers; the other makes poetry fun and a delight to reread and read aloud!

“Welcome to Chicago, welcome all. It’s a beautiful day to play baseball.” August 26. 1934 is the day the second Negro League All-Star Baseball game was played. And Smith makes that day comes alive in Stars in the Shadows. You’ll probably recognize a few names (Satchel Paige) and wonder how others got theirs (Turkey Stearns). But as Lester Roberts (announcer for Radio Station WNLB) gives you the “play-by-play in a creative way” (prose as rhyming poetry) you are transported to a very familiar thing: a baseball game. But not any game. A game that explores the historical significance of players as good as any white player (perhaps better in many cases) but not considered equal due to skin color. Smith mixes the announcement of the game, commercials and fan comments to weave together a book that will have you yelling, “Play Ball!” (READ MORE)

April is National Poetry Month. And there is nothing like reading poems to our children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews or students.  From the time I was old enough to write on the bedroom door, words have always fascinated me.  When I learned that there was a world of words called Poetry, I knew that poems were the way to go.  But perhaps what grabs my attention even more than a collection of poems, are a collection of poems that tell a story.

One such collection is There’s No Place like School: Classroom Poems selected by Jack Prelutsky and illustrations by Jane Manning. These poems are done by different poets to tell the story of the school experience. There are many different takes on the same theme: the good (Lunchroom Magic by Charles Ghigna), the bad (It's Today? by Sara Holbrook) and the naughty (The Drinking Fountain by Kenn Nesbitt). Each will have your students, children and grandchildren laughing out loud, sympathizing with the students as tests, naughty water fountains and more are perfectly described. These poets, along with Manning's illustrations, have nailed the world of school flawlessly. Adults will remember their own school days with fond memories and teachers will have their own Why the Frog in Our Class Is Purple moments to be reminded of. (READ MORE)