A FOOT IN THE MOUTH: POEMS TO SPEAK, SING, AND SHOUT

A FOOT IN THE MOUTH: POEMS TO SPEAK, SING, AND SHOUT

by Paul B. Janeczko

Illustrated by Chris Raschka

Image credit: www.amazon.com

Bibliography

Janeczko, Paul B. 2012. A Foot in the Mouth: Poems to Speak, Sing, and Shout. Ill. by Chris Raschka. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.  ISBN 9780763606633

Critical Review and Analysis

This collection of poetry is the follow up to Paul B. Janeczko and Chris Raschka's two other popular poetry books, A Poke in the I and A Kick in the Head.  Janeczko has selected poems that "speak, sing, and shout" and can be enjoyed as performance poems in a classroom or library.  Poetry is so much fun to read aloud and this collection celebrates the types of poems that are perfect for sharing.  The poems are categorized into ten sections such as, "Tongue Twisters," "List Poems," "Poems for Three Voices," "Limericks," and others. Janeczko's introduction explains why he chose certain poems and states that "to hear the sound of a poem, really hear it, you need to read it out loud. Or have someone read it to you."  Many poetry lovers would agree with Janeczko's thoughts on sharing poetry with others.

Raschka has created a vibrant illustration for each poem using an interesting combination of watercolor, ink, and torn paper.  His unique style incorporates bold, black lines and mostly primary colors to create sometimes abstract and silly images.  A favorite illustration is the fisherman with a very large nose balancing an lantern in "There Was and Old Man in a Barge" by Edward Lear.

The selected poems are written by a variety of poets from Shakespeare and Walt Whitman to J. Patrick Lewis and Janet S. Wong.  Lewis Carroll's famous "Jabberwocky" is featured as a tongue twister and Walt Whitman's "I Hear America Singing" is featured as a poem to read with a group. There are also three poems included as "Bilingual Poems" in English and French or English and Spanish.  This collection would delight any lover of poetry in its quality selections and excellent presentation.

Spotlight Poem

SQUIRREL AND ACORN
by Beverly McLoughland

Where's that nut
I hid in the fall
Bad news!
Bad news!
Can't recall.
Must think,
Try hard,
Somewhere
In the yard.
Look here,
Look there,
Bad news!
Nowhere!
                                          I'm here
                                          Below,
                                          Just under the
                                          Snow,
                                          Off to his
                                          Right--
                                          Well out of
                                          Sight.
                                          He can't
                                          Recall?
                                          Then I'll
                                          Grow tall.
                                          Could be a
                                          Tree.
                                          Good news!
                                          Good news!
                                          Good news
                                          For me!

I just love this poem written for two voices.  It would be enjoyable to perform in a classroom with one student voicing the squirrel and a second, the acorn.  This poem could be used to kick off a science lesson on seeds or trees.  It could easily be performed in a class with younger students since the text is brief and not too difficult.  Students that are not accustomed to reading poems for two voices could still manage this one as there are two separate sections, instead of a back and forth.  

SOFT HAY WILL CATCH YOU: POEMS BY YOUNG PEOPLE

SOFT HAY WILL CATCH YOU: POEMS BY YOUNG PEOPLE

Compiled by Sanford Lyne

Illustrated by Julie Monks

Image credit: www.amazon.com

Bibliography:

Lyne, Sanford. 2004. Soft Hay Will Catch You: Poems By Young People. Ill. by Julie Monks. New York: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9780689834608

Critical Analysis and Review:

Sanford Lyne compiled an interesting collection of poetry in Soft Hay Will Catch You: Poems By Young People.  Each poem in this compilation is written by a young person aged eight to eighteen. 

In the introduction, the reader learns that Lyne works in schools as a visiting poet and encourages young people to cultivate their love for poetry. The poems in this book are from his work with students in rural Kentucky. Lyne explains that during his time in Kentucky, the students "discovered  --as [he] knew they would-- that the poems they wrote were the 'histories' of their own smiles, their own tears." In this collection, it is evident that Lyne was able to teach the students to connect with their feelings and weave emotion into their writing. 

Lyne has selected one hundred poems separated into six sections including "Poems About the Search for the Self," "Poems About Solitude and Loneliness," "Poems About the Home and Family," "Poems About the Soul's Journey and the Circle of Life," and "Poems About Awakenings and Discoveries." The poems cover a variety of topics and display an impressive aptitude for writing.  The poems are written in free verse, using line breaks, similes, metaphor and descriptive language.  The poems often refer to their families' agrarian lifestyle and the rural town in which they live.

Monks uses oil paints to create illustrations with soft colors. These pictures are sprinkled throughout the book showing scenes from the rural setting of the poems, using a simplistic, folk art style. Readers that enjoy this compilation should also read Lyne's earlier work Ten-Second Rainshowers: 

Poems By Young People (1996).

                                                                                                                                                   

Spotlight Poem:

POWER 

by Cooper Lankford, Grade 7

The old man sits as if a king,

his crown the sun, 

his cape the wind.

His shoulders are held comfortably, 

a place of certainty.

I listen closely to his ideas;

they are like sparks for my fire.

As the beautiful afternoon turns dark,

he calls me into his palace,

for he wishes to dine.

I chose this poem because it contains figurative language and has a lot to unpack as a reader. After reading I would ask students, "What questions do you have after reading this poem?"  I would use this poem (and others from this collection) at the beginning of a poetry unit to show students that kids can write poetry. It can seem intimidating to write poetry at first, but poems written by young people can be used as a tool to encourage students to try their hand at poetry as well.

NOW YOU SEE THEM, NOW YOU DON'T: POEMS ABOUT CREATURES THAT HIDE

NOW YOU SEE THEM, NOW YOU DON'T: POEMS ABOUT CREATURES THAT HIDE

by David L. Harrison

Illustrated by Giles Laroche

Image credit: www.charlesbridge.com

Bibliography:

Harrison, David L. 2016. Now You See Them, Now You Don't: Poems About Creatures that Hide. Ill. by Giles Laroche. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge. ISBN 9781580896108

Critical Analysis and Review:

This is a collection of nineteen poems about animals that have the ability to hide in their habitat.  The poems are presented in five sections beginning with "Sea Life", followed by "Reptiles and Amphibians", "Mammals", "Insects" and "Spiders", and finally, "Birds". Harrison's poetry is informative, brief, and often warns prey about a hidden predator.  

Harrison's poems utilize rhythm, rhyme, line breaks, and descriptive language.  In "American Alligator," the repetition in "Hidden where/ they never show,/ are teeth/ and teeth/ and teeth/ below" is used to emphasize the alligator's large number of teeth.  The alliteration in "Great Blue Heron" is descriptive as it says,"Standing/ statue/ still./ Slender/ sharp/ bill." In "Copperhead," Harrison utilizes sibilance to mimic the voice of the snake as in, "Find me/ if you can,/ my sssskin/ deceivessss,/ helpssss me/ dissssappear."

Laroche creates beautiful illustrations using "cut-paper relief on a variety of hand-painted papers."  The intricate collages masterfully depict the animals hidden in their natural surroundings.  A stand-out illustration in this book is the double-page spread of the praying mantis and walking stick as each hides itself in the branch of a tree. Laroche uses a muted color palette to cause the ghost crab to nearly disappear in its sandy beach setting.  Nonfiction lovers will notice similarities to the cut paper technique of Steve Jenkins.

Following the poetry, Harrison provides an informative paragraph about each animal.  The description provides the Latin name of the animal and facts about their diet, predators, and how they use camouflage to hide.  There are also five books mentioned for further reading.  This book is a work of art with science concepts presented throughout the rhyming poems.  

Spotlight Poem:

BENGAL TIGER 

By David L. Harrison

Dappled shadows,

waving grasses,

where the gliding 

hunter passes.

Pupils widen,

muscles ready,

crouches lower,

patient, steady.

Deer grazing,

crickets singing,

striped lightning,

tiger springing!

Any of Harrison's poems could be used as a poetry break in a science lesson when studying animal adaptations or animal camouflage.  "Bengal Tiger" is the perfect poem to read at first in a whisper.  Then, read it again a little louder and then again at full volume. This poetry read aloud would create the suspense that would be present on the savanna when the predatory tiger is creeping through the grass.  

YOU READ TO ME, I'LL READ TO YOU: VERY SHORT SCARY TALES TO READ TOGETHER

YOU READ TO ME, I'LL READ TO YOU
by Mary Ann Hoberman
Illustrated by Michael Emberley

Image credit: www.maryannhoberman.com

Bibliography:

Hoberman, Mary Ann. 2007. You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Scary Tales to Read Together. Ill. by Michael Emberly. New York: Little, Brown and Company.  ISBN 9780316004961

Critical Analysis and Review:

This poetry collection is Mary Ann Hoberman's fourth installment in the popular You Read To Me, I'll Read To You series.  This is a thematic collection featuring poems that are spooky and creepy, but also playful and funny.  Hoberman's unique poetry is designed to be read out loud by two voices. As the Author's Note explains, the color-coded text indicates one reader on the left side and another reader on the right, while the yellow text in the middle is meant for both readers to read together chorally.  

The opening poem "Introduction" invites readers into the scary tales with "Do you like to/ Quake and quiver?/ Do you like to/ Shake and shiver?" while also explaining "I'll read here/ And you'll read there."  Readers of all ages would enjoy poems such as "The Mummy" which features word play or the banter between "The Ogre and the Giant."  Another highlight is the personification in "The Witch and the Broomstick" in which one reader voices the witch and the other the broomstick, each extolling their own virtues.  Each of Hoberman's poems begs to be read aloud in a performance with two readers.  

Ed Emberly creates delightful illustrations using pencil, watercolor, and dry pastel.  His drawings of ghosts, ghouls, zombies, dragons, and the like are more playful than scary.  With two or three scenes per page, the action of the poem is depicted in cartoon-like illustrations that help the reader to follow along.  A favorite page is the stark, black background of "Scaredy Cats" showing only the eyes of two unknown creatures.  By the end of the poem, the two frightened beings turn on their flashlights to reveal themselves as an insect and an octopus. 

Readers that enjoy the other books in the You Read to Me, I'll Read to You series will surely fall in love with the silly and slightly spine-tingling poetry meant to be read aloud in this collection.

Spotlight Poem:

Excerpt from TRICK OR TREAT 

by Mary Ann Hoberman

Trick or treat!

                          Trick or treat!

              Wonder what

              They'll have to eat!

Hope it's candy!

                           Hope there's plenty!

              Here we are 

              At number twenty.

Trick or treat! 

                           Trick or treat!

Give us something

Nice and sweet!

                           Give us something

                           Nice and quick

Or we'll have to 

Play a trick!

This poem is an excellent example of Hoberman's strong rhythms and rhyming text featured in her poems.  The repetition of "Trick or treat!" also makes this poem approachable for younger readers.  In this poem, children would enjoy the illustrations as the two masked trick or treaters are revealed to be young dinosaurs.  In a classroom or library lesson, I would love to have two students read this poem as a piece of performance poetry in October when Halloween is approaching.  

BUTTON UP!

BUTTON UP!

Wrinkled Rhymes by Alice Schertle

Pictures by Petra Mathers

Image credit: books.google.com

Bibliography:

Schertle, Alice. 2009. Button Up! Ill. by Petra Mathers.  New York: Harcourt Children's Books. ISBN 9780152050504

Critical Analysis and Review:

The 2010 winner of the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry award, Button Up! is a delightful themed collection of poetry.  Alice Schertle's poems are each written from the perspective of a different article of clothing.  With this clever premise, Schertle's poems feature a hiking hat, galoshes, jammies, a bicycle helmet, and more explaining their adventures and various uses.

Schertle expertly utilizes several elements of poetry such as rhyme and personification.  Onomatopoeia is displayed in "The Song of Harvey's Galoshes," as his wet shoes make the sound, "Squash-galosh, squash-galosh."  In "Clyde's Costume," Schertle uses alliteration when the costume is described as "ghastly and ghoulish and ghostly."  Repetition is also utilized throughout Schertle's poetry like in "Bill's Blue Jacket" which repeats the title phrase, "Button up! Button up! Button up/ TIGHT!"

Petra Mathers creates watercolor illustrations to match the text of each poem.  Brightly colored animals don the articles of clothing mentioned in each poem.  A favorite page is the ostrich who is uncomfortably wearing "Rick's Wool Sweater" scrunched up along his long neck.  The small mouse peering up at "Emily's Undies" hanging on a clothes lines is another adorable image.

Spotlight Poem:

VIOLET'S HIKING HAT

by Alice Schertle

I am Violet's hiking hat.

I live on Violet's head.

"I NEVER take off my hiking hat,"

Violet said.

I'm taking a hike with Violet.

Violet's showing me things. 

"Hat," says Violet, "there's a caboose.

These are butterfly wings."

"Hat," says Violet, "here's a rock.

These are the monkey bars."

Violet takes me out at night.

"Look," says Violet. "Stars."

Here in the bathtub with Violet

we're having a storm at sea--

a whale, a rabbit, a submarine,

a bucket, a duck, and me.

I am going to sleep with Violet

in Violet's race car bed,

on Violet's panda bear pillow.

"Good night, Hat," Violet said.

This poem shows off Schertle's style of using rhyming text and short stanzas.  Told from the point of view of a hiking hat, this poem offers a unique type of mentor text for young writers.  In a classroom or library lesson, I would challenge young poets to write a poem from the point of view of a favorite article of clothing.  I think most children will be able to think of a favorite hat, sweatshirt, or pair of shoes that they really love.  Then, they could brainstorm by jotting down a list of places they have worn that item.  Using the list, they could try to write a clothing poem in the style of Alice Schertle.  

SONG OF THE WATER BOATMAN AND OTHER POND POEMS

SONG OF THE WATER BOATMAN AND OTHER POND POEMS
by Joyce Sidman

Illustrated by Beckie Prange

Image credit: www.joycesidman.com/book

Bibliography:

Sidman, Joyce. 2005. Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems. Ill. by Beckie Prange. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 9780618135479

Critical Analysis and Review:

This Caldecott Honor book is a thematic collection of poetry all about the plants, animals, and insects that reside in ponds. Each of the eleven poems explores a different pond dweller such as the wood duck, the caddis fly, and cattails.  In addition to the wonderful variety of poems, this book also contains a great deal of science content related to pond life.  

This book begins with "Listen for Me," a poem about the spring peepers which are tiny frogs that trill through the night announcing the arrival of spring.  The celebration of wildlife continues as the baby ducks hatch in "Spring Splashdown."  Poems about a beetle, dragon fly and the food chain follow.  Finally, in "Into the Mud," the painted turtle burrows into a muddy hole below the pond to hibernate for winter.  

Beckie Prange paints unique illustrations for each poem using woodblock that is hand-colored with watercolors.  The bold lines of the woodblock create a contrast against the airy lightness of the pastel watercolors.  A notable illustration is the heron swooping in from above as he "spears the fish" in "In the Depths of the Summer Pond."  Prange plays with perspective showing, at times, a cross-section of the pond, or a bird's eye view, or a zoomed-in close up like in "Travel Time" depicting the tiny water bear. 

This poetry collection is a must-have for science lovers who appreciate poetry.  This book includes a Glossary defining the scientific terms.

Spotlight Poem:

LISTEN FOR ME

by Joyce Sidman

Listen for me on a spring night, 

on a wet night,

on a rainy night.

Listen for me on a still night,

for in the night, I sing.

That is when my heart thaws,

my skin thaws,

my hunger thaws.

That is when the world thaws,

and the air begins to ring.

I creep up from the cold pond,

the ice pond, 

the winter pond,

I creep up from the chill pond,

to breathe the warming air.

I cling to the green reeds,

the damp reeds,

the muddy reeds,

I cling to the slim reeds;

my brothers are everywhere.

My throat swells with spring love,

with rain love,

with water love,

My throat swells with peeper love;

my song is high and sweet.

Listen for me on a spring night,

on a wet night,

on a rainy night.

Listen for me tonight, tonight,

and I'll sing you to sleep.

The opening poem in the collection is an excellent example of Sidman's amazing artistry as a wordsmith. In this poem, she describes the tree frog's emergence from its winter freeze as it comes back to life in the spring as one of the noisiest pond dwellers.  The repetition of one word in each stanza is remarkable as it gives a theme to each part of the poem.  Also, the repetition of the first and fourth line in each stanza creates a nice rhythm.  Sidman is a master of well-placed repetition.  The last line of the poem is especially peaceful as it states, "Listen for me tonight, tonight,/ and I'll sing you to sleep."  Love that line!

I would use Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems as a poetry break with second grade classes because they take a field trip to a pond each spring to explore the wildlife there.  Each poem in this collection could be applicable to their pond study, especially "Listen for Me" and "In the Depths of the Summer Pond" which describes the pond habitat's food chain.  This poem "Listen for Me" could be read aloud in a performance in which six groups could read each stanza.  I think using the "groups" strategy would make this poem come alive for readers.  

ANIMALS, ANIMALS

ANIMALS, ANIMALS

Poems compiled by Laura Whipple

Illustrated by Eric Carle

Image credit: www.sonlight.com

Bibliography:

Whipple, Laura. 1989. Animals, Animals. Ill. by Eric Carle. New York: Puffin Books. ISBN 9780399217444

Critical Analysis and Review:

Whipple has created an exquisite anthology of animal poems from some of the world's greatest poet's.  From the historical words of Rudyard Kipling, Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear to the modern voices of Jack Prelutzsky, X. J. Kennedy, Judith Viorst and Bobbi Katz, this collection is a who's who of notable poets.  In this collection, there are even poems from ancient texts such as the Talmud and the Bible.  Along with the variety of poets, there is also variety in form.  From several haiku, to rhyming couplets, to free verse, there is something for every reader.  Animal lovers of all ages would find this anthology enjoyable.

Eric Carle's illustrations in his signature style are what really set this collection apart from other poetry books.  While the poems are varied in style and form, Carle's illustrations work together to create a cohesive collection of animal poetry.  The vibrant painted tissue paper collage is engaging for even the youngest readers to enjoy.  Highlights of Carle's work are the diving ducks, the brightly feathered peacock, the horned narwhal, and the wildly colored roosters.  This collection also contains an "Index of animals alphabetically arranged" as there are more than sixty animals featured and an "Index of first lines."

Spotlight Poem

GIRAFFES

by Mary Ann Hoberman

Giraffes

     I like them. 

     Ask me why.

          Because they hold their heads up high. 

          Because their necks stretch to the sky.

          Because they're so quiet, calm, and shy.

          Because they run so fast they fly,

          Because their eyes are velvet brown.

          Because their coats are spotted tan.

          Because they eat the tops of trees.

          Because they their legs have knobby knees.

          Because 

          Because

          Because. That's why

I like giraffes.

I chose this poem about giraffes because the repetition makes it fun to read aloud.  Also, the illustration jumped out at me as it is stretched vertically across the double-page spread causing one to turn the book to see it.  The simplistic style of this poem would make an excellent mentor poem for young students to use as a model for their own animal poem. 

In a science class, in which students learn about mammals, amphibians, reptiles, etc., students would choose a favorite animal and incorporate its characteristics into their own poem in the style of Hoberman.  After performing basic research, each "Because..." statement would contain a fact about their animal of choice.  Students could even use collage or paint to create an illustration of their favorite animal incorporating its physical characteristics. 

Interested students can read more about author and poet Mary Ann Hoberman here.