Poetry- I AM THE BOOK

Bibliographic Data

I Am the Book

Poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Illustrated by Yayo

Holiday House Books ©2011

ISBN: 9780823421190

Brief Plot Summary

Celebrate reading and books with thirteen poems by thirteen authors. Yayo’s acrylic paintings playfully hide a book in every image.

Critical Analysis

I Am the Book is a topical collection because it features multiple poets. Lee Bennett Hopkins selected these works and is well known the juvenile poetry world. This collection is organized with a table of contents and numbered pages. Gazing at the table if contents it looks as though there is a grouping. Poems 2-4 all start with “w.” Poems 5-7 start with “p.” The last three poems all have the word “book” in the title.

(Observe the grouping of titles in the table of contents)

Despite the range of poets in this collection we see a visual consistency in this book (same fonts, same illustrative style). Yayo’s art for each poem spreads over two pages. Readers will enjoy seeking the book hidden in every picture. Yayo’s compositions display large swatches of color with smaller items in view. It gives the images depth. The objects appear to have a slanted appearance giving this work a unique style.

(Yayo style- slanted figures and swatches of color- is truly unique)

In Children’s Literature In Action, Sylvia Vardell shares that topical collections are great for promoting other poets. Well-known authors, like Jane Yolen, bring attention this volume containing lesser-known authors as well. This book concludes with short biographies on each poet. This is a great way to peak curiosity of readers into exploring authors.

The title of this book is a metaphor. The illustration on the cover is of a book with limbs and a head. The poetry within its pages range from free verse, to rhyming, to narrative poetry, to imagery.

(Tom Robert Shields’ metaphor perfectly illustrated)

Tom Robert Sheilds poem is the same title of the book. It’s highly visual with intense images derived from lines like, “When I read I like to dive| Feet kicking fast across the page| Splashing words against my skin.” The reader can see the fantastical scene through his clever metaphor.

(Observe the instruments illustrated for Yolen’s A Poem Is)

In Jane Yolen’s poem A Poem Is she personifies words. She makes words run, nudge, and hum. The title of the poem begs the question, “what is a poem?” A poem is words and words do things. Words are powerful. Her poem features internal rhyme, “humming, thrumming, drumming, strumming.” These words also describe musical instruments, which Yayo thoroughly displays in the image as well.

Review Excerpt(s)

“In this picture-book collection from veteran anthologist Hopkins, 13 well-known children's poets celebrate how books can take readers on wild adventures.” - Hazel Rochman (Booklist, Mar. 1, 2011 (Vol. 107, No. 13))

“In Yayo's acrylic spreads, an open book becomes a whale's tail, a treasure box, and a drifting raft, emphasizing the transformative potential of words.” –Publishers Weekly

Connections

Read selections that display metaphor. Ask the children to think about something they enjoy. Then have them use that as a metaphor for enjoying reading to jumpstart ideas for a poem. Have the children complete the poem with a picture.

Read this book along with other books that promote the joy of reading. Ask everyone what his or her favorite book is. Then show book trailers during a book talk to explore new titles.