Connecting Books and Poetry

BOOK POEM

Book
Stead, Philip C.. A Sick Day for Amos McGee. Roaring Brook Press, 2010.
Illustrated by Erin E. Stead.
ISBN: 978-1-59643-402-8

Overview: A zookeeper Amos McGee follows the same morning routine when he gets to work, at the local zoo; finding time to visit his “good friends," the local inhabitants living in the zoo. Amos has a special relationship with each one of his friends which include: playing chess with the “thoughtful” elephant, racing the tortoise "who never lost," quietly keeping the shy penguin company, having a handkerchief ready for the runny-nosed rhino, and reading stories to the owl "who is afraid of the dark."

Poem
Hoberman, Mary Ann. You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Stories to Read Together. Little Brown, 2005.
Illustrated by Michael Emberley.
ISBN: 978-0-316-01316-1

Poem Review: This particular collection of poems is just teaming with rhyming poems that students of all ages can connect with. The poems are filled with many lessons about different kinds of friendships along with delightful illustrations. In fact, if you get a chance, you need to read the poem below, picture a cat trying to eat a mouse, and two “BIG DAWGS” protecting this mouse from the cat…. the cat is less than amused to say the least! The collection is arranged in a “Two Voice” styling, so that students could join in and act out or read like a reader’s theater.

Poem Excerpt: “The Big Cat”
Oh my, I spy
A great big cat!

A great big cat?
I don’t like that!

Run, mice, run!

Oh, good, the mice
Have got away!

Now, pussycat,
That isn’t nice.
You shouldn't’t scare
The little mice.

We know you want them
For your food
But eating mice
Is really rude.

It’s not a proper
Thing to do.
Why, what if someone
Gobbled you?

Think how sad
Your friends would feel
If you were eaten
For a meal

We’ll give you cream,
Your very own,
If you will leave
The mice alone.

And when you’re done
And full and fat,
We’ll find a book
About a cat,

A cat like you
With fluffy fur
Who laps up cream
And loves to purr

And lives inside
A little house
And never ever
Dines on mouse.

We both will read
The book to you.
(The mice can sit
And listen, too.)

Poem Introduction to Students:
After reading “A Sick Day for Amos McGee,” I was left with this deep emotional connection of the meaning of friendship, to the point that friends can almost be family. I wanted to find a poem that also reflected a deep connection of friendship, and “You Read to Me, and I’ll Read to You” has an assortment of poems relating to friendship. But what I like most about the book is the styling, as it can be read in a “Two Voice” couplet. And most important, the poems are written very simplistic so that younger aged students can read the poems without difficulty as well as older students and using the “Two Voice” style.
Once you have read both sets of books, you could do a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting friends in each. Extend the lesson into a “friendship” lesson on self and others.

A Celebration of Poets Grades K-3

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Worthen, Thomas (editor). A Celebration of Poets Grades K-3: Spring 2009. Creative Communication, Inc., 2009.

Poem Review: This collection of poems was dedicated to the library by the parent of a student from our school whose poem was published in this anthology. On page 17, "Hum of the Blue Whale" was written by David Reeder, student at J.H. Elementary School. This book remarkably holds poems from students aged 5 years old to nine years old and contain a wide range of styles and formats of poems. But most of all, inspiration from young, insightful people.

Poem Excerpt: David Reeder, " Hum of the Blue Whale"
The hum of a whale is so low so deep,
A beautiful sound in the sea.

The hum of a whale is so loud so great,
Whales for miles hear and contemplate.

The hum of a whale is so majestic so sweet,
The whale that makes it is the sea's blue king.

The hum of the whale is so very rare,
Their species are dying since we came here.

Protecting the whale is protecting the hum,
A hum that now rarely comes.

The great blue whale who is big and eats small krill,
Makes this hum but might soon be dead still.

Poem Introduction to Students: This publisher compiles an anthology of poems by students in Kindergarten through Third grade. So after reading several works of poetry from the book while expressing the idea that students wrote these poems, and then working with students to write poems and showing them the example from the above poem, I would offer all of them the opportunity to submit their poems to this publisher as the student in the example did after the urging from his third grade teachers.
*Permission was granted by both David and his mother to use his full name and poem in this blog.

Wing Nuts: Screwy Haiku

Janeczko, Paul B. and Lewis, J. Patrick. Wing Nuts : Screwy Haiku. Little, Brown, 2006.

Illustrated by Tricia Tusa.
ISBN-13: 978-0-316-60731-5

Poem Review: Paul Janeczko and Kewis Patrick are known for their children's poem and in this book, together they write 23 “senryu poems.” Like the haiku, the senryu consists of 17 syllables, but traditionally focuses on the human world rather than the natural. And while haiku poems are short in stature, some require a more mature mind to understand messages. However, many of the poems in this collection allow both younger and older students an assortment to choose from and relate to. In fact, some almost teeter on “riddles” to catch a chuckle.

Poem Excerpt:
Irksome mosquito,
Kindly sing your evening song
In my brother’s ear.

Tabby and Fido
Do whatever they want –
reigning cat and dog.

Introduction of Poetry to Students: Haikus are a bit more difficult to understand, and so my choice would either be as an introduction to fourth graders and a writing practice for fifth graders. A great experiment would be to explain the differences between a haiku and a senryu and challenge students to write one of each; helping to set up a method and pattern for children to follow. The two sample poems are a great way to introduce and compare books. The “Irksome Mosquito” paired w/“Why Do Mosquito’s Buzz in My Ear” and “Tabby and Fido” of course w/any special book about animals, which most children can all relate to.

Poetry Out Loud

Rubin, Robert Alden (editor), introduction by James Earl Jones. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 1995. ISBN: 978-1-56512-122-5

Poem Review:Poetry Out Loud
This collection of books hosts a numerous assortment of poems by many famous poets, both tradional as well as most recent. The poems are broken into "subjects of collection" - for example: "animals, Light verse that tells stories, poems of vision, etc." What makes this book unique is the side notes provided in the margins which provide insight into the type of poem, history and foundation of the poem, how to express/read the poem, and how to incorporate collective poem pieces. However they are arranged, the main theme is to read these poems aloud to get a sense of their being and meaning. They are not meant to be "hid under a bushel tree."

Poem Excerpt:Cecil Frances Alexander "All Things Bright and Beautiful"
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that signs,
He made their glowing colours,
He made their tiny wings.

The purple-headed mountain,
The river running by,
the sunset, and the morning,
That brightens up the sky;

The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them ever one.

He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell,
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.

Poem Introduction to Students: The selected poem would be a great poem to introduce along side that of William Blake's "The Tyger" as a comparative of religious themes and tempermants/beliefs, etc. Blake's poem ilicits the traditional "fire and brimstone" while Alexander's "Beautiful" evokes love and compassion, exceptance for all. Of course this setting would best be suited for Sr. High School students who can combine knowledge as well as experience to the discussion. I also imagine that these two specific poems could be used in a stage performance or oral interpretation skills either as a solo (as I would imagine is traditional) or putting a twist into and adding groups in various lines to help with inflection and tone and interjecting between both poem. In addition, adding costumes and movements either sweet and delicate or fierce and dangerous to also help set the tone and exploit the meaning behind each poem.

Blue Lipstick: Concrete Poems

Grandits, John. Blue Lipstick:Concrete Poems.Clarion Books, May 01, 2007.

ISBN: 0618851321

Poetry Review: a 15-year-old girl named Jessie voices her concerns through poems that are creatively written. This book of poems classically illustrates struggles that many teens face in high school and family. However, putting a unique perspective on the written format helps to draw interested readers and those reluctant to read traditional poetry.

Poem Excerpt: "Talking to My Stupid Younger Brother Is Like Swimming Upstream in a River to Nowhere"
BURP
Robert! Say "excuse me."
What?
Say "excuse me." When you burp, you're supposed to say "excuse me."
Why?
Because that's what you do.
Right. Like you always do everything you're supposed to do. You always pick up your room. You always come home on time for dinner. You always tell Mom and Dad exactly where you're going and who you're going to be with.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever. But I always say "excuse me" because it's good manners.
- long pause -
Ahhh Choo, Choo, Choo
Excuse me.
You don't have to say "excuse me" after you sneeze.
Really? Why not?
Because when you sneeze, I'm suppose to say "God bless you."
So you ask God to bless me? That's a real laugh! God must put that in the funny pages of the Daily Heaven News.
Shut up.
You shut up.
No, you shut up.
No, you shut up.
You shut up.

Poem Introduction to Children:
I would most likely use this book of poems in a girls book group for upper middle school aged to high school aged students. Primarily because of the content and language. However, it could also be used in a writing class to help promote creativity both in poetry and writing techniques.

This Is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness

Sidman, Joyce. This Is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2007.

Illustrator:Zagarenski, Pamela

ISBN: 0618616802

Poem Review: This book of "imagined" sixth graders who confess their "sins" and ask for forgiveness from the alleged victim is a wonderfully written book of poems that attack all the common ailments faced by children and their experiences in life. And to find the flip side, readers can find the aplogies found in the latter portion of the book, which help others to understand that there is in fact two sides to a story. The poems range from funny to sad to memorial and even a beginning "crush" which children in 5th and 6th grade can totally relate to. In addition, many of the poems are arranged in various styles such as: haiku, pantoums, two voice, stippets, and rhymes.

Poem Excerpt: "The Black Spot" - to my sister Carrie

That black spot on your palm.

It never goes away.

So long ago

I can hardly remember,

I stabbed you with a pencil.

Part of the lead, there,

still inside you.

And inside me, too,

Something small and black.

Hidden away.

I don't know what to call it,

the nugget of darkness,

that made me stab you.

It never goes away.

Both marks, still there.

Small black

reminders.

by Alyssa

to Alyssa

"Roses Are Red"

Roses are red,

violets are blue.

I'm still really

pissed off at you.

by Carrie

Poem Introduction to Children: This is so exciting, as the Gifted and Talented teacher and I looked at this book and we are doing a two-fold project. First, I am going to present the book in the library and use various Poetry Performance tools for student interactions, for instance: Solo's, Refrain, and Two Voices. We will discuss the feelings that the children in the book felt as they wrote their poems of apology and can the students relate to similar feelings and issues. the GT teacher will meet with her students and they will write their own "Poems of Apology" starting with the line "This Is Just to Say" and dedicate it to someone they "stole" from.... then these poems will be presented to the school (if they choose so) on our local morning TV broadcast.