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.