Tag Archives: Poetry

Elem. – Creep, Leap, Crunch! A Food Chain Story

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Shaffer, Jody Jensen. Creep, Leap, Crunch! A Food Chain Story. Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. Alfred A. Knopf, 2023. 978-0-593-56552-0. $18.99. Unpaged. Grades K-2. 

Creep, Leap, Crunch! introduces young readers to the concept of food chains. Told in cumulative rhyming verse, the story begins at the beginning of the day (“There was a blue sky with a bright shining sun / a glorious, life-giving, fiery sun. / The day had begun.”). The sun helps the grass grow, a cricket nibbles the grass, a mouse eats the cricket, a snake consumes the mouse, the snake is scooped up by a hawk, the hawk is caught by a fox, and the fox is eaten by a bear. (Note: None of the creatures preyed upon are eaten on page in the illustrations; the fatal attack occurs off page, making this an ideal option for sensitive readers). Readers also learn that not every day is the same. Some days the cricket might jump away from the mouse or the snake might slither away from the hawk, for example. The text is enhanced by Christopher Silas Neal’s colorful mixed media illustrations, which help to bring the animals to life on the page. Back matter includes a glossary that defines and discusses the parts of the food chain depicted in the story.

THOUGHTS: The repetitive cumulative rhyming format of this title makes this book an excellent read aloud option for science lessons relating to the food chain. Recommended.

577 Ecology 

YA – Kin: Rooted in Hope

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Weatherford, Carole Boston. Kin: Rooted in Hope. Illustrated by Jeffrey Boston Weatherford. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-1-665-91362-1. 220 p. $18.99. Grades 8-12.

Weatherford has shared her collections of lyrical poems accompanied by the powerful illustrations of Jeffrey Boston Weatherford.  The poems follow her ancestors’ stories from the time that they were forced aboard the slave ships in Africa and up to the present day in America. The reader is immersed in these stories that Weatherford has woven beautifully into a powerful tribute to their family. Her poems are told through the voices of her family as well as Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman.

THOUGHTS: Powerful, lyrical, such an important collection of the voices of the ancestors of the author. This is not an easy read, but a necessary one. This is a mother-son duo who put together this collection.

Historical Fiction

Elem. – There Was A Party For Langston

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Reynolds, Jason. There Was A Party For Langston. Illustrated by Jerome Pumphrey and Jarrett Pumphrey. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-1-534-43944-3. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades K-3.

There Was A Party For Langston is a celebration of Langston Hughes and his words as well as the people that he inspired. It celebrates his poetry and showcases how he was able to use language and create things that made other people create things. It shows how he inspired Maya Angelou to create her stories. The way the illustrations add to the story will cause the reader to go back through this book several times to find different things that they missed.

THOUGHTS: This is Jason Reynolds’ debut picture book, and he hits it out of the park (which isn’t surprising). This is an excellent introduction to Langston Hughes, as well as other authors. The author’s note in the back of the book will make the reader want to know more about all of the authors that are featured in this book, as well as more about Jason Reynolds himself. Must own for every elementary, and even a middle school collection (even though the book is clearly for younger readers).

Back in 1991, there was a party in the Schomburg Library in New York City, a party for a man who had a way with words: Langston Hughes. In attendance was writer Maya Angelou and dancer Amiri Baraka who boogied amongst the rows of books featuring names of Black authors like Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston, and Octavia Butler. When Langston Hughes wrote, the power of his words made people want to dance, jump, and shout. His words also had the power to unite and inspire, as they did with Angelou and Baraka. Perhaps Langston’s words will inspire the reader, too.

THOUGHTS: Jason Reyolds’ first picture book does not disappoint. Based on a photo of Maya Angelou and Amiri Baraka dancing together at the opening of the Langston Hughes Auditorium at the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, this story demonstrates the power and joy of the written word. The Pumphrey brothers’ illustrations take Langston’s powerful words and turn them into a beautiful depiction of Black culture. 

Picture Book

Elem. – I Am My Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams

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Moore, Tunisia. I Am My Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams. Illustrated by Robert Paul, Jr. Scholastic Press, 2023. 978-1-338-776171. 32 p. $19.99. Grades K-3.

This book follows a young boy as he meets 10 black heroes, both historical and more contemporary. As the main character goes through the book and meets each of these people, he discusses characteristics from each person. He channels his inner Mamba, like Kobe Bryant; he channels his inner Black Panther like Chadwick Boseman. At the end of this book, there is a short biography of each figure that is mentioned in the book. There also is an author’s note as well which gives more context to the book.

THOUGHTS: Overall, this is a wonderful book that is a great addition to any elementary school collection. There also is a female centered book coming from this author, as mentioned in the beginning of the book as this title only has male figures.

Picture Book

YA – Enter the Body

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McCullough, Joy. Enter the Body. Dutton Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-0-593-40675-5 . 336 p. $18.99. Grades 9-12.

Question: What happens when you place Juliet, Ophelia, Cordelia, and Lavinia in a room beneath the famous Bard’s stage? Answer: They develop a voice and get to tell their story, their way. It sounds like a corny joke but is anything except a joking matter. All wronged by their co-stars and the famous Bard, each young woman has the opportunity to talk through (when able) her experiences in what reads like a group therapy session. The women are given the chance to decide how they would have done things differently if given another occasion and the ability to make their own decisions. Familiarity with Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, King Lear, and Titus Andronicus (I was familiar with all but the last) is helpful for context but not a necessity. Naive readers – or those not familiar with the plays – may miss the seriousness of this tale (all of these characters were seriously wronged and are dead) but will enjoy the story nonetheless. At times this novel in verse reads like a teenage sleepover, with characters constantly interrupting each other. McCullough brings a contemporary voice to these classic characters that will resonate with today’s readers.

THOUGHTS: The audiobook is outstanding! One does not need to like Shakespeare or classic literature and plays – I am not a fan of either – to be moved by Enter the Body. Highly recommended for high school collections.

Historical Fiction

Elem. – Champion Chompers, Super Stinkers, and Other Poems by Extraordinary Animals

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Ashman, Linda. Champion Chompers, Super Stinkers, and Other Poems by Extraordinary Animals. Illustrated by Aparna Varma. Kids Can Press, 2023. 978-1-525-30350-0. $19.99. 48 p. Grades 1-4.

Nineteen different animals are introduced and given superlatives–best long-distance runner, fastest flyer, longest tongue, and so forth. Brief persona poems, written from these various animals’ points of view, are interspersed with paragraphs describing the animals. Readers will delight in guessing each animal before it is revealed. Back matter includes a glossary, recommended reading, information about endangered animals, and information about measuring animal characteristics. This creative and unique presentation of facts about animals is sure to command the attention of young readers.

THOUGHTS: This would be an excellent addition to any animal science or poetry collection. Educational opportunities abound with this book! Use it to supplement a unit on biodiversity, or have students choose an animal from the book to research further. Alternatively, use it to introduce persona poems and then have students write their own poems in this style.

591.5 Animal Habits and Behavior          

Elem. – The Fantastic Bureau of Imagination

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Montague, Brad. The Fantastic Bureau of Imagination. Illustrated by Brad and Kristi Montague. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-0-593-32347-2. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades PreK-3.

The Fantastic Bureau of Imagination introduces us to special agents called figments who help to maintain the world’s creativity. There are many different types of figments, such as invisible figments, rock figments, even merfigments! They all have a special job at the Bureau, but none of them are as special as Sparky. He is in charge of the mail and every letter, card, or package gets sorted through his office. However, Sparky has a secret… he writes poetry. One day as he is going to his office to start his job, he notices that the Cave of Untold Stories is starting to collapse. Even though Sparky is terrified of Brenda with her scales and teeth, he zooms down to help her and save the Cave. Will Sparky be able to save the cave? Will he convince people not to keep their songs, poems, and stories to themselves?

THOUGHTS: This is a beautifully charming picture book about imagination, not being afraid, and embracing who you are. The illustrations are charming and add to the overall feel of the story. The reader will want to come back several times just to look at all the little details that they may have missed on their first read. This would be a great book for a creative writing prompt, or even an art class (as the front of the Bureau is top secret and no one knows what it looks like). Highly recommend this book for either a fun read aloud or the beginning of a fun lesson.

Picture Book

Elem. – Serengeti: Plains of Grass

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Bulion, Leslie. Serengeti: Plains of Grass. Peachtree, 2022. 978-1-68263-191-1. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades 2-5. 

The Serengeti Plains of Africa host an amazing ecosystem that is explored in Leslie Bulion’s Serengeti: Plains of Grass. In winter, winds carry rain to the Serengeti. Grasses grow, flowers bloom, and then the migration of millions of animals, including wildebeests, zebras, and gazelles begins. Millions of animals travel to the plains to feed on grasses and other plant life. Other animals, like lions and cheetahs, prey on the migrating travelers. Bulion relates these facts via a combination of poetry and narrative. The book is primarily told through verse. As she explains in the back matter, Bulion uses a modified form of the East African Swahili poem form called utendi to create her verse. Each spread includes one stanza of poetry as well as narrative that shares ecological facts relating to the verse. The text is accompanied by Becca Stadtlander’s gouache and pastel illustrations, which bring the open space of the grasslands and its wild inhabitants to life. Back matter includes a glossary, additional resources, and map.

THOUGHTS: The variation on Swahili utendi as a medium to tell this story makes this title an excellent option for read alouds. The verses are both lyrical and informative. A great choice for units on poetry, ecology, geography or animals. Highly recommended.

577.48 Ecology          Elizabeth Henry, Lampeter-Strasburg SD

Elem. – You Are Here

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Manbeck, Zach. You Are Here. Chronicle, 2022. 978-1-797-21010-0. 32 p. $16.99. Grades PK-1.

You Are Here encourages readers to explore their possibilities through illustrated free verse. The beginning statement, “YOU are here,” is followed by “you can go anywhere!” Faced with the question, “But how will you find your way?” the author encourages readers to begin, explore, take their time, fall down, keep going, and more. Each encouragement is expanded upon with text and/or illustrations that support the reader’s understanding. The book ends by reassuring readers that “… Today you are HERE!”  “Exactly where you are meant to be.”  

THOUGHTS: Although marketed for PK-1 readers, You Are Here will find a much broader audience in classrooms and bookshelves of anyone seeking encouragement to stretch their wings and try something new. The author’s sunny palette of oranges, yellows, and bright greens reflect the optimism of the text, and the main character is supported by an inclusive cast that is both realistic and fanciful. Careful details, including a yellow butterfly that follows the narrator on his journey through the book, emerge and will encourage rereading. This warm, accessible text is highly recommended for SEL collections and beyond!

Picture Book          Hannah J. Thomas, Central Bucks SD

YA – My Name Is Jason. Mine Too: Our Story, Our Way

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Reynolds, Jason, and Jason Griffin, illustrator. My Name Is Jason. Mine Too: Our Story, Our Way. Atheneum, 2022. 978-1-534-47823-7. Unpaged. $19.99. Grades 7-12.

College roommates turned best friends, Reynolds and Griffin moved to New York City with the hopes of pursuing their poetic and artistic dreams. Though glamorous, life in the city wasn’t easy and to make it work they had “No food. For the first six months we only ate cereal, peanut butter toast. Tuna. Fried Tuna. Tuna and rice. Rice and soup.” With little aside from their friendship to sustain them, they figure out ways “to make it” against the odds when everyone else seems to think they’re “probably stupid.” Griffin’s multimedia art including watercolors, collages, and sketches compliment Reynolds’ poems as their story unfolds. A tribute to their perseverance and friendship, this stunning work encourages readers to follow their dreams even when they seem unattainable and emphasizes the importance of having a good support system to help you get there.

THOUGHTS: The powerhouse duo behind Ain’t Burned All the Bright is back for another artistic collection of poetry. Fans of Reynolds’ work will enjoy learning the story behind how he got where he is today. Highly recommended for middle grade and young adult collections.

Poetry          Maryalice Bond, South Middleton SD
Graphic Memoir