Poetry Book Review: A poetry collection compiled by Paul Janeczko

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Janeczko, Paul B. THAT SWEET DIAMOND: BASEBALL POEMS. Ill. by Carole Katchen. 1998. Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

You can almost hear the crack of the bat and smell the peanuts and hot dogs when you taste the nineteen baseball poems. Janeczko makes full use of imagery and onomonopeia in many of his poems including:

BEFORE THE GAME

Pennants wave
on the souvenir stand

Sausages snap,
sizzle with onions on the grill

Girls with mitts
practice catches to be made

Scorecard
Ohhh-ficial scorecard


Boys, wearing caps of faraway teams,
laugh, shove

Peanut shells crunch
underfoot

Cheese oozes
over nachos

Joy
thick as the perfume
of popcorn and
boiled hot dogs
fills the air

as
ticket takers call,

This way
This way to the game


Each double spread contains the poem on one side and the illustration on the other side. The poems are about all of the sights and sounds experienced in baseball including the pitcher spitting, and the vendors hawking their peanuts and iiiiiice cream. The poems vary in length from ones that take up the entire page, to a four line poem about a pitcher:

A Curse upon the Pitcher

Peanut shells, pigeon feather,
Dance a jig in stormy weather.
Ice cream stick, bubble gum,
Hurler, may you lose your hum.

Carole Katchen's illustrations complement the poems perfectly. The illustrator's use of pastels show the feelings and emotions experienced in America's pastime. The paintings use of definition is minimal; the spectators and players blend into the background. The colors used are bright and realistic, varying with the subject of each poem.

This anthology of baseball poems is an excellent choice for all baseball lovers or anyone who has ever experienced the sights and sounds of a baseball game.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Dakos, Kalli.1993. DON'T READ THIS BOOK, WHATEVER YOU DO!: MORE POEMS ABOUT SCHOOL, Aladdin.

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 1990. GOOD BOOKS, GOOD TIMES! Illustrated by Harvey Stevenson. New York: Harperchildrens.

Adoff, Arnold. 2000. TOUCH THE POEM. Blue Sky Press.

Grimes, Nikki. 2004. WHAT IS GOODBYE? Illustrated by Raul Colon. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

Lewis, J. Patrick. 2002. DOODLE DANDIES: POEMS THAT TAKE SHAPE. Aladdin.

Alarcon, Francisco X. 1997. LAUGHING TOMATOES AND OTHER SPRING POEMS, Children's Book Press.

Peters, Lisa Westberg. 2003. EARTHSHAKE: POEMS FROM THE GROUND UP. Ill. by Cathie Felstead. Greenwillow Books: New York.

Unobagha, Uzo. 2000. OFF TO THE SWEET SHORES OF AFRICA AND OTHER TALKING DRUM RHYMES, Chronicle Books.

MacLachlan, Patricia and Emily MacLachlan Charest. 2006. ONCE I ATE A PIE. Ill. by Katy Schneider. New York: Joana Cotler Books.

Frost, Helen. SPINNING THROUGH THE UNIVERSE: A NOVEL IN POEMS FROM ROOM 214. 2004. Frances Foster Books.

Janeczko, Paul B. THAT SWEET DIAMOND: BASEBALL POEMS. Ill. by Carole Katchen. 1998. Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Kearney, Meg. 2005. THE SECRET OF ME. Persea Books: New York.

Poetry Break: A serious poem about a difficult or sensitive subject in children's or teens' lives

(I apologize for this poetry break being early-- we will be on a family cruise in Mexico next week with no internet usage)

Introduction:
Talk to your students about children and monetary difficulties. Explain that you don't always know who has money or who doesn't just by looking at someone.



Late Again
SAM

We got evicted yesterday. I came home and all my
stuff was in a box outside the door.
Me, my mom, my sister, and her baby, Ty,
had to sleep in my mom's brother's car.
I'm late again. I hope nobody asks me why.

It's hard to sleep with so much traffic going by.
There's no alarm clock in my uncle's car.
My clothes are dirty. I couldn't comb my hair. I
know the kids are thinking, You're
late again. At least nobody's asking why.

Should I make up a story? They'll guess it's a lie,
and anything I'd say, they've heard before.
It's hard to get my work done, but I'll try.
Sometimes Mrs. Williams lets me sleep. So far
she hasn't said, You're late again. Why?

by Helen Frost

[From: SPINNING THROUGH THE UNIVERSE: A NOVEL IN POEMS FROM ROOM 214, Frances Foster Books, 2004]


Extension:
*Have students think about and discuss why the teacher isn't asking why Sam is late. *Consider organizing a food drive, book drive, or coat drive for less fortunate families in your area.
*With older students, show children a budget and let them see how much money it takes to survive.
*Talk about the different things that can happen to cause those with a home to suddenly become homeless. Discuss whether or not there are things you can do to prevent falling into major financial problems.

Poetry Review #5:A new, favorite book of poetry for children or teens published since 2000

BIBLIOGRAPHY

MacLachlan, Patricia and Emily MacLachlan Charest, 2006. ONCE I ATE A PIE. Ill. by Katy Schneider. New York: Joana Cotler Books.

This collection of fourteen poems highlighting man's best friend, will be endeared by all dog lovers. Each poem is titled with the dog's name, and each breed's characteristics and idiosyncrasies are lovingly portrayed by the poem. Though the poems themselves are fairly short, the amazingly lifelike paintings by Katy Schneider cover each two page spread. Those familiar with dog breeds will recognize each breed's qualities, such as the Chihuahua "Pocket".

Pocket

They say I am tiny.

I used to sleep in a coat pocket.

I have a tiny collar and a tiny coat for when it rains.

I have a tiny dish to eat my food, and a tiny water bowl.

I don't know why my things are so tiny

I am HUGE.

Tiny Pocket's personality emerges through the words of the poem and the illustration showing a little bit of a dog in a hooded yellow raincoat.

The authors make use of the page to use line spacing and white space to further show each canine's personality. Mr. Beefy is a very obese Pug with a guilty look on his face and purple pie filling on his toes. The words of this poem change with the poem, such as the word, thin, by using a "thin" font.

Mr. Beefy

I am not thin, but I am beautiful.


When

no

one
is

looking, I steal tubs of butter off the table.

I take them to the basement to eat in private.

ONCE I ATE A PIE.


Along with Mr. Beefy's guilt riddled face and slumped over position, we also see an overturned and empty pie tin!

These poems lend themselves to being read aloud. Children are bound to recognize their favorite pooches and their quirks. The illustrations are almost lifesize, and certainly lifelike, such as the puppy's sodden footprints covering the pages of "Puppy". This title is sure to be treasured and read repeatedly.

POETRY BREAK: A poem with a refrain or chorus (and indicate refrain)

Introduction:
The author's note at the beginning of the book talks about the history of "talking" drums in West African culture. Discuss the origins of this drum. Tell the students that traditional West African waterpots are called udo and are made of clay.

Toodle-loo! Toodle-lei! (refrain)
My water pot is made of clay;
Woodle-loo! Woodle-lei! (refrain)
It never has a word to say;
Toodle-loo! Toodle-lei! (refrain)
Once I went to the square to play;
Woodle-loo! Woodle-lei! (refrain)
My water pot in a corner, lay;
Toodle-loo! Toodle-lei! (refrain)
When I came back into the house,
Woodle-loo! Woodle-lei! (refrain)
It was singing with the mouse!

by Uzo Unobagha

[From: OFF TO THE SWEET SHORES OF AFRICA AND OTHER TALKING DRUM RHYMES, Chronicle Books, 2000]


Extension:
After reading the poem, read it again with the children participating in the refrain. See if you and your students can put the poem to music. Compare and contrast this type of poem to Mother Goose poems by considering their origins and styles.

Poetry Review #4: Poetry Across the Curriculum

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Peters, Lisa Westberg. 2003. EARTHSHAKE: POEMS FROM THE GROUND UP. Ill. by Cathie Felstead. Greenwillow Books: New York.

This collection of twenty-two poems relating to geology is perfect for science teachers to enrich their curriculum. Poems relating to rocks, lava, quartz, and the continental plates round out this book. This book contains both a table of contents, and of great interest and aid to teachers is the endnote section. The endnote section has notes that correlate to each poem, giving basic geological information that tie into learning the subject. There are a variety of styles of poems in the book, including humorous poems, concrete poems, and poems with plenty of alliteration. Most of the poems are short, and the fact that there is a wide variety of poems will make the book appealing to all students from Kindergarten and up.

Many of the poems will spark an interest in geology, such as:

Recipe for Granite

Melt a chunk of continent.

Heat at a million degrees,
long enough for the world
to spin a trillion times,
long enough for the Milky Way
to make it partway to infinity.

Cool
slowly enough for crystals
to form like pink and white starts,
slowly enough for the dinosaurs
to go extinct.

Makes one mountain range.
Serves a whole country.
Enjoy!

The poem entitled, Plain Old Rock, is a nice introduction to hidden beauty of geodes. Students could learn the poem and see geodes in class.

Plain Old Rock

Plain old rock
by the side of the road.

Should I roll it
into the ditch?

Round rock
by the side of the road.

I pick it up
and feel its weight.

Light rock
by the side of the road.

I take aim with my hammer
and split it.

Geode
by the side of the road.

Gleaming jewels inside.

The illustrations by Cathie Felstead compliment the poems nicely. They are collages created by a variety of materials. Colorful, the illustrations bring the subjects of each poem to life. In the front and back of the book are illustrations which look as if you are seeing inside a rock. Throughout the book, illustrations of acrylics and watercolors help one to see the beauty of the earth through the rich blues, greens, and earthy tones.

Poetry Break Friday: A poem about Spring

Introduction:

This poem is in both Spanish and English. See if you have any Spanish speaking students in your class who can read the poem. Have someone read the poem in Spanish, and have your non-Spanish speaking students guess what the poem is about. Try having students read the poem in both English and Spanish at the same time and see how it sounds.


Jitomates
risueños

en el jardín
plantamos
jitomates

los vegetales
más felices
de todos

alegres
se redondean
de sabor

risueños
se ponen
colorados

convirtiendo
sus arbustos
alambrados

en árboles
de navidad
en primavera

Laughing
Tomatoes

in our backyard
we plant
tomatoes

the happiest
of all
vegetables

with joy
they grow round
with flavor

laughing
they change
to red

turning
their wire-framed
bushes

into
Christmas trees
in spring

by Francisco X. Alarcón

[From: LAUGHING TOMATOES AND OTHER SPRING POEMS, Children's Book Press, 1997]


Extension:

Buy small tomato plants in the Spring and watch them grow. Have students take care of the plants by watering, fertilizing, and making sure they have sun. Once tomatoes grow, cut open tomatoes to see the seeds inside. Also, make some dishes to try with tomatoes, such as tomato salad or pasta sauce.