Poetry

Author: Kobayashi Issa
Title: Today and Today
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Date: 2007

Age Level: Primary (K-2) or Elementary (3-4)

Summary:
This book is a collection of haikus that tells the story of the four seasons.

Strengths:
· This book shows students what haiku is, and how it can be used creatively to make a story.
· This book is inspirational.
· This book has beautiful pictures.
· Although the text of it seems very simple, because each page contains just a haiku, there is so much more to the story than there seems, which can help students understand how they can express so much in so few words.

Concerns:
· Younger classes may not understand the concept of the haiku, and how they all fit together to tell the story.

Classroom use/Other comments:
· This book could be used when teaching students about poetry. It will show them a practical application of a haiku, as well as how to use poetry to create stories.


Author: Woody Guthrie
Title: This Land is Your Land
Publisher: Little, Brown, and Company
Date: 1998

Age Level: Primary (K-2)

Summary:
This book is a story version of the song “This Land is Your Land”, a patriotic tribute to America.
Strengths:
· The pictures in this book are spectacular. They tell a story as much as the words do, if not more so. Some pages have alternate story lines, and tell a story about the author as well. These can be followed as well, or you can simply follow the main story line and just look at the pictures, whichever you choose. It’s a neat option to have.
· This book really turns the song into a modern version, with pictures kids can relate to, such as bright beaches and libraries.
· The refrain of the song and story, which comes up again and again in the book is fun for students, and helps younger students follow along and stay engaged.

Concerns:
· I had no concerns about this book. It was appropriate, well written, beautifully illustrated, and engaging for students, especially in the younger grades.
Classroom use/Other comments:
· This book could be used for a choral reading or group sing. The teacher could also read portions of the book and have the class join in on the chorus. It really enhances class participation.


Author: Sharon Creech
Title: Love That Dog
Publisher: Joanna Cotler Books
Date: 2001

Age Level: Upper (5-6)

Summary:
A young student, who comes to love poetry through a personal understanding of what different famous poems mean to him, surprises himself by writing his own inspired poem.

Strengths:
· This book is written in the form of a journal and easy for students to read and relate to.
· This book shows students that it’s okay not to understand what some poems mean, and that others may have difficulty with poetry also. It also shows, however, that if you persevere, you may find that you actually enjoy the area in which you are struggling.
· This book goes through this student’s stages of realizing his love for poetry, and can be inspiring for the students.
· This book does a great job of incorporating poetry into a storyline, and is about subject matter that students will find relevant to their lives.


Concerns:
· This book is not written in a traditional format, which may be confusing for some students.
· This book talks about the death of a dog in rather graphic terms, which may be upsetting to some students.
Classroom use/Other comments:
· This book could be used in a poetry unit, to be read by the students, or even for the teacher to read aloud, a piece at a time. The class could then follow the storyline, writing their own poems, and perhaps even writing letters to their favorite authors as well.


Author: Illustrated by Javaka Steptoe
Title: In Daddy’s Arms I am Tall
Publisher: Lee and Low Books, Inc
Date: 1997

Age Level: Elementary (3-4)
Summary:
A collection of poems celebrating African American fathers by Angela Johnson, E. Ethelbert Miller, Carol Boston Weatherford, and others.
Strengths:
· I loved that the illustrations in this book were non-traditional. Rather than being simple drawings, they seem to have many layers and look to be created out of different items. This really adds to the book.
· The poems in this book are ones that, for the most part, although they are written predominately for African Americans, can be related to by everyone. I particularly like the poem called “Tickle Tickle”.
· These poems are ones that could be used in the younger grades, and just read for pleasure, or could be used with older grades, and analyzed and looked at in a deeper way.

Concerns:
· Some of the poems do not have correct grammatical form, for instance not using capitalization. It would need to be explained to the students that this is a form some poets like to use, but that this is not usual, and that for most writing they still have to follow traditional procedures.
· Some of the language in this book is not traditional English. While I think this can be useful, for students who speak with this particular dialect to recognize that others speak the way they do, I also think it is important to emphasize the meaning of using Standard English to the students.
Classroom use/Other comments:
· This book could be read to the class either straight through as a book, or one poem at a time.
· This book could also be used to teach students about non-traditional ways of illustrating books, and could be a starting point for an arts lesson.



Author: Dennis Lee
Title: Alligator Pie
Publisher: Macmillan of Canada
Date: 1974

Age Level: Primary (K-2)

Summary:
This book contains funny rhyming poetry for children, beginning with the much loved “Alligator Pie”.

Strengths:
· The poems in this book are great for helping students to learn about rhyming.
· The poems are upbeat and fun to learn.
· Though these poems are whimsical and don’t make much sense, they are easy to fall in love with, and the cadence and rhythm of the poems make them fun to read.
· For beginning readers, this book can help demonstrate that reading can indeed be a fun experience.

Concerns:
· These poems don’t concern real life problems, they are just silly and for fun.
· Despite this, I believe that there is a place for a book like this in the classroom. I think this book could be used, in part or in whole, to encourage students to get their work done. If they finish their work, they can hear another fun poem from this book.

Classroom use/Other comments:
· These poems could be read aloud to students, or students could perform them on their own. They could be used in a choral reading to help students develop reading fluency.