LIS 721- Poetry Collections
A Poetry Review!
Grimes, Nikki. A Pocketful of Poems. Illustrated by Java Steptoe. Clarion Books, 2018. 32 pages. $9.99.
Summary: Tiana has a pocketful of words: green words like spring, night words like moon, and words with wings, like angel. Each word is the inspiration for a pair of poems—one, lyrical free verse and the other, haiku. The paired poems reflect Tiana’s lively spirit and urban outlook and are showcased in Javaka Steptoe’s inventive collages, which include a wide range of materials, from faucet handles to pumpkin seeds to a hand-sculpted, gilded alphabet. A fusion of two remarkable creative talents, A Pocketful of Poems is an engaging portrait of a down-to-earth girl who has a way with words, as well as a tantalizing introduction to poetry. Author’s note on haiku. -- From Amazon
Review: A Pocketful of Poems aims to bring poetry to children and adolescents with accessible language and short poems. Grimes pairs free verse poetry with a matching haiku and contemporary imagery by Javaka Steptoe to make the collection relatable to an urban audience. The collection consists of her own poetry that explores the experiences of children. Her use of clear and simple language allows children to easily understand the poetry and relate it to their own experiences and identity as they read through the collection. The book is organized by theme rather than chronologically or in a narrative structure, which allows readers to jump around the collection without jeopardizing the integrity of the story. The illustrations are colorful, and bold, and consist of different mediums to convey the emotion of the poem. The diversity of the art is another way kids can view self-expression. Overall, I think that A Pocketful of Poems is a universally appealing collection of poems that will be enjoyed by young audiences.
Summary: "How do you give thanks?
Gratitude isn't something we need to save up for a special holiday. What are you grateful for right now, today?
This anthology brings together a diverse group of poets who express gratitude for everything from a puppy to hot cocoa to the sky itself. Each writer uses a different poetic form, and readers will encounter a concrete poem, a sonnet, a pantoum, a sijo, and much more.
Contributors include Kimberly Blaeser, Sun Yung Shin, Naomi Shihab Nye, Charles Waters, Janice Scully, Jane Yolen, Traci Sorell, JaNay Brown-Wood, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Margarita Engle, and more. Stunning illustrations from Marlena Myles invite close examination, making this a collection to return to and savor again and again" -- From Amazon
Review: Thanku: Poems of Gratitude is a beautiful and diverse collection intended to highlight the sentiment of "giving thanks" all year round. This book targets elementary-age readers and those learning about the power of gratitude and kindness. The poems cover a wide range of experiences people can be grateful for, which allows readers to reflect on their own experiences. The poems are grouped thematically, in groupings such as personal experiences and nature, rather than in a narrative structure. The collection introduces different styles of poetry (and lists the format), which keeps the young readers engaged while also showing the readers different ways poetry can convey emotions. Each illustration matches the energy of the poems in vibrant watercolor art and other mediums. The art depicts a diverse array of people, which will hopefully make the poems more relatable for a broader audience. Overall, Thanku: Poems of Gratitude does a great job of collecting poems that show readers why it's good to be grateful for big and small blessings.
Summary: "Twitter feeds, school notes, advertisements, street signs--find poetry in the unlikely places with thirty comtemporary poets.
Imagine picking up a scrap of paper off the floor or reading a sign at a gas station or looking at graffiti on the subway and finding poetry in these words. The literary equivalent of a collage, found poems take existing text, reorder and refashion it, and present it as a poem. Youthful, urban, and ironic, this energetic and surprising poetic form demonstrates the beauty of everyday words and will inspire young poets to find their own poetry.
Find your own poems with Georgia Heard's The Arrow Finds Its Mark as your guide" -- From Amazon
Review: In The Arrow Finds Its Mark: A Book of Found Poems, Georgia Heard aims to inspire creativity by taking poets to create poems through found text. She encouraged them to minimally edit the nonpoetry texts they found and present them as poems without adding or rearranging the words. This concept encourages young readers, and anyone interested in creative writing to see that poetry can be found in everything. The collection consists of found poems created on social media posts, magazines, advertisements, and more. The poems showcase simple language to portray various tones of poetry, ranging from serious to playful. Like the previous two collections, this book was organized in a thematic structure with a brief description of the format and where the poem was found. The illustrations were simple in black and white, helping the reader visualize where the poems were found and the emotion that accompanied them. Overall, I found The Arrow Finds Its Mark: A Book of Found Poems engaging and a creative way to introduce the concept of found poems to its audience. I think anyone interested in found poetry should read this collection. It's never occurred to me that you can use the words around you to create art, but Georgia Heard did an amazing job of encouraging her audience to look for poetry in unusual places.
Summary: "What could be more delicious than poems and pictures starring street foods from around the world? Yum!" -- From front cover
Review: Delicious! Poems Celebrating Street Food Around the World serves to introduce young readers to poetry and different cultures from around the world. The poems use food as a way of highlighting the shared experiences of people globally and allow the readers to travel to different countries as they read through the book. The poems are short and easy to understand, describing the dishes and environment with rich detail and making poetry more accessible for young readers. The illustrations are vibrant and fun. The art depicts the diversity in the cultures and represents key aspects of the cultures' traditions in the details and background. The poems definitely make the food seem delicious! Overall, I think that Delicious! Poems Celebrating Street Food Around the Word is a must-read for readers interested in learning about food and cultures around the world. It gives those interested a fun glimpse into the lives of other people through the work of poems.
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