Comets, Stars, the Moon and Mars by Douglas Florian

Florian, Douglas. 2007. COMETS, STARS, THE MOON, AND MARS. New York: Harcourt Books. ISBN: 9780152053727

This collection of poetry mixes informational style with amazing artwork to create an “out of this world” experience.  Written and illustrated by the author, Douglas Florian, this work includes poems of galaxies, planets, stars comets and the black hole. Each poem is accompanied by bright illustrations that give the reader a glimpse at the depth and mysteriousness of the heavens. Using paper sacks, a collage is painted and pieced together making scenery to set the tone for the accompanying poem. Florian also takes liberty with the placement of text and spacing, and shapes the poetry to create visual interest. When the reader finds the poem about the sun they will find the word in several languages circling this fireball. The closing of the book includes a Galactic Glossary so that the reader will have a source of additional factual information such as how the planets are named. If you read Mars’ entry you will find that it was named after the Roman god of war because its color reminded observers of blood, or read the Sun’s entry and learn that it is approximately 93 million miles from Earth.

Although the poems have factual information, there are also entertaining elements that appeal to children. An example would be the poem about Pluto and its downgrading from a planet to a dwarf planet. Florian adds humor to the reclassification by concluding that Pluto was a planet, till one day it got fired. Along with the use of rhyme, this book would make a nice addition to the elementary classroom or library.

When students are studying the solar system the unit could be introduced with the poem titled  

The Solar System.

Each planet orbits around the sun
(A somewhat circular path).
To calculate the time it takes
Requires lots of math.

Astronomers know the planets well,
Each mountain, ring, and moon.
But none has ever gone to one,
Nor will go to one soon.

This selection could bring about discussion concerning the planets, orbits and characteristics of each planet.

Providing the same items the author/illustrator used in creating the illustrations (brown paper bags, rubber stamps or potato carvings, and water tempera paints) the students can create an artistic representation of the solar system either as a flat or 3-D model. Research would guide the artwork to develop correct color schemes of each planet and calculations would have to be developed to create a scale model of the distance between each planet from the sun.

Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué Rico! America's Sproutings. Haiku by Pat Mora. Illustrations by Rafael Lopez.

Mora, Pat. 2007. YUM! MMMM! QUE RICO!. Ill. by Rafael Lopez. NY: Lee & Low Books. ISBN 9781584302711

Pat Mora quickly draws readers in with the appeal of various delectable foods. These foods, native to America, are presented in haiku format with descriptive language and vivid descriptions. Mora also gives a short informative paragraph explaining the food's origin and several factual tidbits. Readers who may not be familiar with a papaya will read past the haiku and learn that papayas are a tropical fruit sometimes known as a tree melon.

The illustrations accompanying each tasty poem add to the beauty of the written word. Full two page spread renderings done in acrylic on wood panels are deep in color and detail. Hidden treasures are scattered throughout each depiction that causes the reader to linger and visually take in the entire layout.  A snake hidden in a tree and an ever changing face on the moon are some of the gems that can be found as the poem is shared and recited.

To introduce a unit about Texas symbols or native plants and trees I would begin the unit with this haiku and accompany it with examples of different types of pecans for later comparing and contrasting.

Pecan

We crack hard, brown shells,

family munching, story time,

crunchy taste of fall.

After the poem is shared students could use the basket of pecans to develop a chart of similarities and differences between the various types of pecans (native, paper shell, burkett).

After determining students were without nut allergies of course, students could crack the pecans and write their own haiku about the process of breaking open the nut or the rich buttery taste of the prize.

With the large variety of foods mentioned in the book, there is no limit to the amount of food related activities/tastings and haiku writing that could be paired with this beautiful and fun piece of literature.

Another Jar of Tiny Stars by Bernice Cullinan and Deborah Wooten

Cullinan, Bernice E and Deborah Wooten. 2009. ANOTHER JAR OF TINY STARS: POEMS BY NCTE AWARD-WINNING POETS. Pennsylvania: Wordsong.

Another Jar of Tiny Stars is an expanded edition from the original publication Jar of Tiny Stars (1996). Much like its predecessor, Another Jar of Tiny Stars features 15 poets that have received NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) honors. The NCTE evaluates a collection of work by a single author, and then about 4,000 children across the nation selected the top five poems by the poet. Those poems are then included in the book making a generous anthology of gifted poets.

Because the book lacks visual interest due to its plain black and white text and pencil drawings of each author, this book is more suited for professional use. With the absence of bright vivid illustrations, the appeal to children seems less likely. However, in the hands of a teacher or librarian this book would make a valuable resource. The poems are kid friendly and care free to be enjoyed by any age group or grade level. Many are excellent choices to read out loud and can facilitate discussions. The poem, Our Family Comes from Around the World by Mary Ann Hoberman is a wonderful example to use when talking to children about how people are different, and how we are the same. For older children it can be used in a lesson about tolerance.

An Excerpt:

Our family comes

From ‘round the world;

Our hair is straight,

Our hair is curled,

Our eyes are brown,

Our eyes are blue,

Our skins are different

Colors, too.

The poem ends

We laugh and cry,

We work and play,

We help each other

Every day.

The world’s a lovely

Place to be

Because we are a family.

Discussion would begin our lesson about things that are alike and how things are different. The discussion would be guided by the teacher/librarian to include people. Large pieces of chart paper could be used to complete the comparisons or each child could have a graphic organizer of their own to keep a list of the discussion

The poem in its entirety would be shared.

 Emphasis would be placed on the word family and discussion would occur emphasizing what a family is, as well as the types of families and how they function. Discussion would lead into students understanding how, as part of the school, they function as a family. Students can list ideas to help make sure their school is a lovely place to be (as mentioned in the poem).

My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins. Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn.

Hopkins, Lee Bennett, ed. 2000. MY AMAERICA: A POETRY ATLAS OF THE UNITED STATES.  Ill. by Stephen Alcorn. New York: Simon Schuster. ISBN: 0689812477.

My America: A Poetry Atlas of the Unites States is a collection of fifty poems accompanied by beautiful illustrations that when combined create a picturesque view of the United States. The author of the compilation describes the book in her introduction as a work divided into eight sections, one for each region, which captures the breadth, depth and character of the United States.

The reader will find a well organized book with a table of contents, each identified by the eight sections: The Northeast, The Capital, The Southwest, The Great Lakes, The Plains, The Mountains, The Southeast and The Pacific. The organization makes it easy to locate a specific poem in a time crunch. At the end of the book is an index listing each poem by author, title and first lines. At the beginning of each section are facts and maps about each state as well as Washington D.C.. Poets such as Langston Hughes, Carl Sandberg and Nikki Giovanni along with many others make this collection a diverse read.

Stephen Alcorn’s exquisite illustrations make this book a delight to display as well as to read. Impressive are the textured artworks and the scope they provide to each poem.

Many of the poems in the book rhyme and are easy to read. There is a wonderful variety of long and short poems and a variety of presentation. Some have white space while others are engulfed with the illustration. Some poems are written to the left or the right of the margin while others are centered on the page. This variety adds excitement as the pages are turned. The reader, never quite knows what to expect next. A child in Maine can get a glimpse of life in Kansas by reading about the rolling plains just as a child in west Texas can develop an appreciation for city life after reading a selection about New Orleans.

This book would be a wonderful resource for different grade levels and subjects. Elementary can learn the states and about places far from home. High school students could use it as research material.

The poem selected for The Capital has several attributes that would make great teaching opportunities.

An excerpt from Washington, D.C. by Rebecca Kat Dotlich

On the east bank of the Potomac.

lies Washington, D.C.

the capital of our nation

which stands for liberty.

It’s here our U.S. Presidents

are sworn into command:

where the courtly U.S. Capital

and the stately White House Stand.

Where patriotic monuments

stand haunting in the night;

where King proclaimed, I have a dream,

and Kennedy’s flame burns bright.

This poem would make a wonderful opening for discussion about the capital and its monuments. During election year the poem would make a nice accompaniment to all the election activities.

Two additional activities for this poem are a prelude to the studies of both Dr. Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy.

During a study of King, the poem would be presented in its entirety but then repeat the stanza speaking of King.  A KWLK chart would be given to students for listing discussion about what they already know about King. The discussion would continue with viewing and discussion from the website:

http://www.nps.gov/malu/index.htm

From the website the teacher would plan ahead and ask that the traveling trunk be shipped in time for the lesson. If you take a look at the teacher tab you will find information about its contents. Items from the trunk would be placed on display ahead of time to give students a visual clue of the day’s lesson. The teacher then would proceed with poem reading and discussion followed by students virtually visiting King’s birthplace and home along with discussion. Upon conclusion of the activity, a viewing of Kings famous speech would be appropriate. Students could also be asked to put together a poem in honor of Black History Month that can be displayed in the library with plans to have students read them orally during announcements or during lunch in the cafeteria.

Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat by Nikki Giovanni

Giovanni, Nikki. 2008. HIP HOP SPEAKS TO CHILDREN: A CELEBRATION OF POETRY WITH A BEAT. Ill. By Kristin Balouch, Michele Noiset, Jeremy Tugeau, Alicia Vergel deDios and Damian Ward. Naperville, Illinois: Source Books Inc. ISBN: 9781402210488

This colorful collection of poetry is stuffed with content from a variety of notable poets, performers and historical figures. Even though the book represents various styles of poetry, all are meant to encourage the reader to read with a rhythm. The addition of an audio CD features performances by the authors of a few choice pieces.  Beautifully colored illustrations accompanying each poem increases the appeal and delights the reader with a visual connection as they clap, snap and hop to the beat!

The collection of the book was developed by notable poet Nikki Giovanni. Her introduction at the beginning of the book discusses the idea that hip hop is the same as opera from a few hundred years ago. Grimes traces the roots of Hip Hop, from early story telling in The African American culture to what it has developed into currently. The description of using drums to communicate to other tribes as well as the practice of ‘hamboning’ adds to the reader’s knowledge, that the contents of the book will involve some locomotion. The accompanying CD contains 29 performances of the 51 written selections. Recited by their authors, several also include additional information where the poet speaks about his/her poem.

Not to go unnoticed is the work of five different styles of illustrations keeping the reader engaged as they admire the fresh look of each picture accompanying the poems.

While not every piece of work is hip hop or rhythmical, the collection as a whole is a wonderful piece of African American history.

The poem below I chose from the book would be a great starter activity for introducing a poetry unit to a group of elementary students in the beginning grades. The rhyme of the poem is easy to remember and can include locomotion such as snapping, clapping or patting. The poem can also be read with the teacher leading and the students repeating each line after.

Things

By Eloise Greenfield

Went to the corner
Walked in the store
Bought me some candy
Ain’t got it no more
Ain’t got it no more

Went to the beach
Played on the shore
Built me a sandhouse
Ain’t got it no more
Ain’t got it no more

Went to the kitchen
Lay down on the floor
Made me a poem
Still got it
Still got it

After the poem is shared several times I would have the students add their own verses to the poem and post them, along with the poem, around the classroom.

Here are some examples received from a few third graders.

Went to Nana’s house

Made chocolate chip cookies

Ain’t got it no more
Ain’t got it no more

Went to the birthday party

Ate chocolate cake

Ain’t got it no more
Ain’t got it no more

For older grades this poem would also make a wonderful introduction to Poetry Month activities as well as a great beginner to a lesson derived from A Poem In Your Pocket. This nationally celebrated day falls in the month of April (which coincides with poetry month) and is an activity that encourages people to place a poem in their pocket during poetry month and share it with everyone during that time. One day during the month is chosen as Poem In Your Pocket Day and activities can be planned accordingly. The website has a plethora of ideas for kicking off the event.

http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/406

SCHOOL FEVER by Brod Bagert. Illustrated by Robert Neubecker

Bagert, Brod.2008. SCHOOL FEVER. Ill. by Robert Neubecker. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9780803732018

Bagert’s collection of twenty one lively poems dealing with school and all of its grandeur and peril make for a great read. With a kid’s perspective on school and the author’s hilarious, poignant style of writing, these fun school themed poems would be a must have book for any library. Poems range in topics from catching a computer virus to a beast taming librarian. The dynamic and colorful illustrations by Neubecker give a hint of the poems' appeal. He seems to have spent time studying each poem, and authentically captures the spirit of a classroom with great detail. Each poem has its own full page, with some illustrations capturing an entire two page spread. The layout of the words and illustrations produces a clean detailed look without being cluttered. 

All of the alliterations are candidates for read-aloud with several that can be great starters for classroom discussion. The one below is an example.

Super Hero Wanted

After school he waits for me.

Today he hid behind a tree.

I’m feeling kind of sad, I need a hug,

That bully squished me like a bug.

It’s like I live in prison,

I don’t know what to do,

If superheroes save the world,

Why can’t they save me too?

Spider-Man, where are you?

Superman, you jerk!

Batman, your old lazybones,

Get up and get to work!

I need it now, it’s really bad,

I need a superhero ad-

SUPERHERO WANTED

You may have to work for free,

But you’ll make the world a better place

For kids like me.

This poem would be a great introduction to elementary school students on the topic of bullying. After orally reading the poem a teacher or counselor could go into discussions about what bullying is, what it looks like and how it can be reported per their school’s bullying policy.

To use the super hero theme, the presenter may dress as her or his favorite super hero. For the staff I would encourage superhero capes so that they may be identified as bullying crusaders. You could also have students dress up as well as part of an anti-bullying campaign. Also, I would have the classes create a superhero shield that they can sign pledging to make their school a bully free zone.

On a personal note, my 7 year old daughter found the book delightful and she often giggled at the poems and illustrations. I would tell her “just one more” again and again, but of course, we ended up reading the entire book as we jumped around looking for ones that had a funny illustration or an inticing title.

The author’s website is worth a virtual visit. There you will find unpublished poems and a few set to music along with valuable tips on developing poetry writing skills.

http://brodbagert.com/