MOD 2: Multicultural Poetry

Bibliographic Data and ISBN

Wong, Janet S., and Julie Paschkis. 2007. Twist: yoga poems. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books. ISBN: 9780689873942

Summary

Asian American author, Janet Wong highlights a number of yoga concepts and positions through poetic devices children will understand and will make them want to move around.

Critical Analysis

Layout

The arrangement of poses through the book is seemingly arbitrary. The physical sequence does not flow, but bounces from the standing, laying, and sitting position. One would expect that the final poses would be explicit explained and be the corpse pose. Although Paschkis illustrates it, no poem accompanies it.

“Twist” displays a table of contents listing the poem titles along with page numbers. It concludes with an author's note about her experience with yoga. Luckily she expresses the important idea that yoga practice is about doing what feels good for your body and to not try to look like pictures you see.

Poetic Elements

Wong’s poetry in “Twist” is mostly short and non-rhyming. The longest poem is only twelve lines. Her work is rich in metaphor creating imagery frequently alluded to in actual yoga practice such as the child’s pose being like a “return to the womb.” The imagery is very physical often speaking of parts of our bodies in specific positions. In “Mountain/Volcano” we are told to “tuck in hips” In “Lion’s Breath” we are told to exhale with our “throat.”

Wong utilizes repetition in “Warrior” reiterating the key of the pose, “feet planted sturdy and strong.” In yoga it is important to have awareness in your body, specifically in where your contact points are on the ground. It is important to have proper alignment so you can build strength and balance.

Appeal

“Twist” is appealing to both genders. Wong fairly distributes gender pronouns. Paschkis portrays both man and women in illustrations. Also characters of different ethnic backgrounds are represented in Paschkis’ work. “Down Dog” displays a darker toned individual with short, curly, black hair. “Cat/Cow” shows a person with long, brown hair and a particular kind of hat. “Low Crow” presents a gentleman of olive skin with black, wavy hair. Even locales around the world are presented. In “breath” Paschkis illustrates turrets an architectural feature often seen in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and South Asia.

This collection is appealing in that it is very physical. Wong invites readers to partake in yoga poses. It is different from other poetry and most books really. Instead of sitting and reading we are moving our whole bodies and deliberately breathing. It enriches readers’ knowledge of yoga practice. They learn the physical and mental aspects of it. Yoga really is meaningful similar to poetry.

Linguistically “Twist” would be challenging for pre-kindergarten audiences, but not so much for school age groups. It will stimulate imagination in children of all ages by reinforcing analogies of the poses. For example in “Triangle” we find that our ”body is a puzzle of triangles.” Shapes are an early concept even pre-kindergarten children are familiar with.

Overall Quality

“Breath” is a strong start because of the importance of breathing in yoga practice. Wong further compares breathing to cleaning the mind, which is another part of yoga practice. It is supposed to be rejuvenating and cleansing.

Wong comparisons are consistent in all the poems, but also with yoga practice itself. In “Tree” Wong reminds us “they grow tall.” Many yoga instructors tell students to grow in their poses and to feel their bodies stretch. Wong takes the analogy further explaining why we might be swaying, “this is why they bend and sway, so they can see around.” We are shown to do what is comfortable for our body type and find awareness in the body.

Due to the nature of yoga practice the mood is statically calm. In this case, it is to be expected. “Twist” is not too sentimental and is true to the subject.

Final Thoughts

I think this book fairly represent yoga for beginner through the medium of poetry. I would also recommend it not only for that reason, but because it is a refreshing and diverse picture book. It can easily be enjoyed as a read aloud for groups varying in age. Kids would enjoy the physical activity. It would be a nice change from hunching over desks and reading stuck in our chairs.

Featured Poem

Breath

Breath is a broom

Sweeping your insides.

Smooth and slow:

You pull scattered bits of dream fluff

And heart dust into neat piles.

Short and quick:

You coax shards of broken thoughts

Out of forgotten corners.

Breath is a broom

Sweeping you fresh.

Poem Connections

Yoga practice is rooted in the breath. Breathing takes more importance than picture perfect poses and counting. Start with the poem “Breath” by reading it aloud two times. Invite the group to breathe together, first long breaths like described in the second stanza, then short breaths described in the third stanza. This poem should bring an understanding and awareness to the breath, which is great for continuing through a yoga storytime. From this point you can proceed through the poses listed in this book, posing while reciting each one. For less experienced librarians, partner with a real yoga instructor while reading. You can also read other books in the same fashion such as “Little Yoga” by Rebecca Whitford, her other book “Sleep Little Yoga,” or “You Are a Lion” by Tae-Eun Yoo.

MOD 2: NCTE Award Winner

Bibliographic Data and ISBN

Sidman, Joyce, and Beckie Prange. 2010. Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors. Boston [Mass.]: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN: 9780618717194

Summary

Joyce Sidman, an NCTE Award winner, guides readers through a timeline of life on Earth pairing poetry of specific life forms to snippets of information about them.

Critical Analysis

Layout

I do wonder if Sidman’s selection of life forms were largely arbitrary. Either way they are arrange chronologically as they appeared on Earth. In the accompanied information it lists the approximate time it appeared starting with bacteria (3.8 million years ago) to humans (100,000 years ago).

Beckie Prange provides appropriate illustrations that are clearly not photographic, but are anatomically accurate. The color choices are realistic as well. Children will find realistic textures on the Gecko and all the parts you would see in real life on insects.

The collection concludes with a glossary of both literary and scientific terms. Sidman note reveals the depth of her fact finding and Prange leaves a note explaining the cover art. Both enhance the meaning of the collection instead of tacking on unnecessary information.

Poetic Elements

Sidman exhibits and array of poetic elements that would engage even adult readers. In “The Ants’ we clearly hear a rhythm long associated with ants as they march one by one. She lyrically utilizes rhyme in selections of her poetry like in the final line of each stanza in “The Ants” and in when pairing lines in “The Lichens We.”

Upper level readers will enjoy musing abstract concepts such as the “brave indifference” of the lichens in “The Lichens We.”

Who can resist the extend of cleverness in the concrete poem “Shark.” Not only is it shaped like a shark, but it also spells the work shark. That’s not all the characteristic of the shark takes up the physical space on the shark, so the line “gills gills gills” are on the gills and “long lazy strokes” are on the back fin.

Even the nonfiction complements include sense imagery. Sidman explains the appearance of diatoms as a “transparent box of silica” and that hundreds would “fit on a head of a pin.”

Appeal

“Ubiquitous” includes such an array of poetic styles that readers should have one they enjoy. Visual types will enjoy the concrete poem, “Sharks.” Those who enjoy unique poem formats will enjoy the diamante, “First Life.” The glossary explains how that poem type works. Sidman exhibits visual meaning in her poems subtly and in a variety of ways. “Grass” is formatted in a tall, slender column, like a blade of grass.

This book should also be appealing to those who enjoy nonfiction. Many professionals suggest that reluctant readers try nonfiction. Sidman seamless pairs the dichotomy of fact and “fiction.” Each poem is paired with riveting nonfiction aside about the poems subject. The subject matter enriches readers’ knowledge of biology. It is a timeline of life on Earth that puts human existence into perspective. On the one hand it is straightforwardly factual, but also begs the reader to ponder the depth of their place in the universe.

By sprinkling her poetry with upper level vocabulary, Sidman expands readers’ vocabulary not only in science, but also for literary terms (such as diamante). I would even suggest high school biology teachers integrating this title into lesson plans. “Ubiquitous” has multidisciplinary appeal.

Overall Quality

Sidman consistently showcase a variety of poetic formats in high quality. All have well-researched information and mind-expanding vocabulary. There are poetic format even upper level students are not usually exposed to, like “Tail Tale Ok’s” streaming style that lacks punctuation.

The purpose of Sidman’s collection is to give a voice to Earth’s life forms creating a timeline. The consequence is modesting of human life in the gran scheme of the vast universe. Readers witness a time they would never be able to see. Indeed it stimulates a curiosity for science in general similar to Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s Cosmos. The poems themselves further prod readers by actually asking questions. Librarians and instructors can use these same questions to spark discussion.

What makes this even better is that “Ubiquitous” in not overwrought with sentiment. There are no pleas, no urge to action. We are to enjoy the context and the poetry of our subjects. We are left with a surreal sense of wonder.

Final Thoughts

I would highly recommend this title for school age STEM programming and even for teen audiences. Sidman presents a melding of disciplines by pairing dense science knowledge with artful poetry. This is not what most audiences imagine when they think of children’s poetry.

Featured Poem

Gecko On the Wall

Her jaws dart out

            To crunch up flies.

Her tongue flicks up

            To wipe her eyes.

She climbs up walls

            With eerie cries.

Her tail comes off

            A wriggling prize!

She sprints and leaps

            And slinks and spies…

Sigh.

Don’t you wish you were a gecko?

Poem Connections

A librarian could easily use Sidman’s books in a STEM program. After sharing this poem aloud demonstrate how lines of this poem are based on facts about the gecko by working on a match up together on a large whiteboard. One side will have lines of the poem, while the other has the facts. Let children guess how they match and even let them draw the line with the marker. Follow up by creating and brainstorming a poem about a penguin or another animal. Display a list of facts and let volunteers make up lines aloud. Write the resulting poem on the board for all to see.

MOD 2: Florian Poetry

Bibliographic Data and ISBN

Florian, Douglas. 2012. Poem Runs: Baseball Poems and Paintings. Boston: Harcourt Children's Books. ISBN: 9780547688381

Summary

Poem Runs is a collection of Douglas Florian’s poetry and art about baseball. Many of the poems highlight specific positions like first baseman.

Critical Analysis

Layout

Florian includes a table of contents highlighting Poem titles and page numbers. He chose to put the poems in a natural order, a mix of chronology and special order. The poem, “Warm Up,” fires up the list and “Season is Over” concludes the book. The end lacks additional notes from the author. It simply ends.

Poetic Elements

According to the description on the book jacket Florian is known for his wordplay. Although there is frequent rhyming homonyms are few. I recall one for “home” in “Poem Run.”

Florian’s style is heavy in repetition and rhyming. Perhaps this is a format he finds success in to appeal to children. “A Baseball” exemplifies repetition the best. Each line is rhythmically repetitive, all having two syllables. All lines also repeat the final word “it.” “First Baseman” repeats the full line, “First base is the worst base,” which also rhymes. Rhyming and repetition is good for those learning to read, as it is predictive. I think a storyteller could take advantage of this by pausing during reading to see if the audience will guess the next word.

Appeal

True to his appeal, Florian visually conveys meaning in his poetry by displaying the text as such. For example, in the poem “Warm Up” the line “bend to the right” is aligned to the right of the margin while the word “stretch” has spacing between each letter giving the appearance of a stretched out word.

Baseball is famously an American pastime. Children grow up watching and playing the sport whether at school, at the park, or on television. It is not frequent for poetry to be about sports so this is sure to draw and appeal to a different crowd.

Refreshingly Florian deliberately creates the collection to be gender neutral so it appeals to all children. Poems features females in text and illustration a number of times. “Our Slugger” prods at readers’ ideas of gender roles by surprising them with the final line.

The subject matter may be a challenge for those who do not already have a background in basic baseball knowledge. It is a good opportunity to build the slang and vocabulary associated with the game, words such as “slugger” and “stealing” bases.

This collection is specific to baseball and does not stimulate much beyond that. Florian is not only repetitive in his devices but going through each player’s perspective. In this way it lacks emotional depth and imagination, but it is forgivable as this is a light-hearted subject.

Overall Quality

Poems are consistent, not only is Florian’s signature style of repeating lines and rhyming schemes, but he standardly writes through all the baseball positions. Most of the players’ perspective are the same, arrogant voice boasting hyperbole in ability. “Right Fielder” is probably one of the few that rather hang out and pick flowers.

The theme of Poem Runs is baseball and the poems collectively reinforce that mission. Poems do not stimulate a variety of emotions, but steadily tread through the characters of the field. Instructors and librarians can take this opportunity to highlight sportsmanship in discussion and by reading other texts.

Final Thoughts

I consider this collection good for sporty readers especially those reluctant to enjoy poetry. To me I am left with something to be desired with this book alone. It would work well with supplemental materials, stories and activities, but I would not use it alone to highlight poetry or a baseball themed storytime.

Featured Poem

Catcher

I can catch curve balls.

I can catch heat.

I can catch sliders.

With glove or with feet.

I block with my belly.

I nab with my knees.

Throw me jars of jelly.

I’ll grab them with ease.

Throw screwballs.

Or two balls,

Brand-new balls-

I’ll snatch ‘em.

Throw low-balls,

Big snowballs, Or cannonballs-

I’ll catch ‘em!

Poem Connections

“Catcher” is told from the perspective of the catcher. Publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, published a guide on poetry month (http://www.teachingbooks.net/media/pdf/HMH/PoetryKitMultipleTitles.pdf) suggesting the extension activity of creating poetry of other folks you would find at a game, like a fan or a vendor. Brainstorming these other characters can act as a jumping off point for discussion- who else is at a ball game? What do they do and say? Have students role play these parts in front of the class on a volunteer basis and let others guess whom they are. Then have them work individually to write their own poetry from the perspective of someone at a baseball game.

MOD 1: School Poetry

Bibliographic Data

Salas, Laura Purdie, and Steven Salerno. 2009. Stampede!: Poems to Celebrate the Wild Side of School. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN: 9780618914883

Summary

Salas uses poetry to whimsically compare the elementary school students to the animals of the wilderness. Salerno complements with quirky paintings with several goofy Easter eggs for readers to find.

Critical Analysis

Poetic Elements

Salas uses animals to draw comparisons to school life. Readers find students described as bears, hogs, skunks, and more. Poems are short, at most four stanzas and all of them rhyme. Liberal use of metaphor and simile bring the whimsical associations to life. In Prickly the speaker equates her words to sharp quills of a porcupine. Onomatopoeia sprinkle the collection, but are simple words like pop and scratch. Visual imagery is the most frequent of the sense imagery. Text describes the scene as well as the illustrations. This is not a collection of great emotional impact.

Ducks In a Row deviates from the style of the rest of the poems. It is an example of acrostic poetry. The first letter of each line spells a word, in this case Ducklings.

Appeal

Salas poetic forms and types are appealing to young people. Salas comparisons coupled with Salerno’s bright illustrations are humorous. Illustrations depict children of many races increasing its appeal to diverse groups.

The theme of the book lies in the childhood experience of school. Students of public school will find it familiar. Many children learn about animals in school. The goofy comparisons are sure to pique the interest of animal lovers. Many of the works list actual characteristics of the animals, for example Nesting describes what an animal den is like. This title is great for introducing animal-related vocabulary.

My favorite appeal of this title is how it stimulates the readers’ imagination. Not only do the illustrations invite us to imagine ourselves as animals, but the poetry itself does as well. It would be a fun opportunity to pretend to act like animals.

Overall Quality

Consistency demonstrates an overall quality. Poems of Stampede are consistently goofy. They all have the same gimmick, students are like wild animals. Many of the poems provide information on wild animals although some fall short leaving something to be desired, for example, Turtleneck does not give any information on turtles.

Honestly this collection does not stimulate a variety of emotions. It is mostly a humor collection. Subject matter encompasses typical school situations such as studying, getting called on, and lunch. It is hardly sentimental.

Layout

This is a single poet collection absent of a table of contents and index; however the pages are numbered. Poems are not grouped, but appear to be in order by what chronologically occurs in a school day (lessons, lunch, recess, lessons, leaving). Each title is highlighted in a different color. The illustrator, Steven Salerno, paints vintage –inspired art using organic brush strokes. Textured bricks and grass fill large spaces. Salerno also uses shading and gradients. Subjects display hyperbolic features to appear like animals. They are goofy and intriguing.

Featured Poem

Blush

The whisper

spreads like

 fire or

flu.

“Someone has

a crush

on you!”

My cheeks burn

hot as a

sun-sharp

ray.

I’m a blazing

cardinal,

winging

away.

Poem Connections

All the poems feature an animal to draw a comparison. This poem uses the color of a cardinal to convey the colors of the subject’s blushing cheeks and also his prompt escape. Each student can take a poem. They can use a STEAM (Science, technology, engineering, art, and math) worksheet to identify their animal. Then they can pair a nonfiction titles to find out a fact about this animal. Then they can write a journal style entry on the plausibility or their feelings about the comparison. They can also talk about what they liked about their poem. It would be ideal to remain less prescriptive on the reaction for the journal entry.

MOD 1: African American Poetry

Bibliographic Data

Grimes, Nikki, and Cozbi A. Cabrera. 2006. Thanks a Million: Poems. New York: Amistad. ISBN: 9780688172923

Summary

Nikki Grimes collects her poetry in the theme of gratitude. All the poems are within the context of the childhood experience.

Critical Analysis

Poetic Elements

This is a collection of rhyming poetry under the theme of gratitude. Grimes uses an expressive voice abundant with exclamations. It sounds conversational and playful which complements well with Cozbi Cabrera’s colorful illustrations.

Most of the poems are longer, having multiple stanzas, and are mostly narrative. The Lunchroom is a good example of one of her longer narrative poems. It tells a story of a budding friendship in the intimidating environment of the lunchroom.

Younger readers would be attracted to the various rhyming schemes. Lunch Box Love Notes features rhyming couplets that conclude with gratitude not from a child, but from a mother to her daughter.

The emotional impact of Grimes poetry is largely encouraging. It is an affirmation of not only expressing gratitude, but receiving it. Because it is presented within the context of childhood most of the poems are light-hearted, although one is about grief, Dear Author.

Appeal

Although nearly all the poems rhyme the poetic forms vary. Homemade Card stands out from the rest because uses a Rebus. Rebus uses pictures to represent words. It is fun and visually appealing to readers young and old. It can also help children learn to read.

Grimes unique voice retains readers’ attention. Her conversational style is solid by making use of italics, quotations, and exclamation points. The poetry sounds genuine, but also approachable. A reader may react to it thinking enjoying a writing poetry is just like talking.

The subject matter of grimes’ poetry takes place in the childhood experience. In Weekends we observe the thoughts of a child on his days off. He ponders sleeping all day, skateboarding, and watching a movie.

While the vocabulary may expand readers’ linguistic abilities the use of punctuation will also help build a verbal reading fluency. The punctuation indicates where a reader would pause, inflect, or even shout. Good Neighbor uses parenthesis where one might whisper.

Grimes’ words and Cabrera’s art stimulate emotion and imagination. Grimes makes the reader feel like someone is speaking to them. While wading in more light-hearted emotions she also dives into the pain of losing a father in Dear Author. Cabrera complements the meaning with muted grays and neutrals and by having the subjects looking down and away from us.

Overall Quality

Grimes consistently presents her trademark voice. Many of the works have a pleasant surprise about them whether it’s a Rebus or a new perspective. They are all compatible with the theme of gratitude. Readers conclude with not only expressing gratitude, but seeing others express it to them. I think it makes us think about how we react to someone expressing their gratitude.

Readers will journey through a range of mood and emotion. Scout’s Honor recounts a moment of humiliation, but also of friendship. Unspoken is ironically in a dialogue format lets the text fill a two-page spread and is playful.

Layout

This single poet anthology includes a table of contents, but no index. Cabrera painted full, two-page spread illustrations. The illustrations are rich in color and are strong indicator of the mood. You can see Cabrera’s brushstrokes. The art appears to be three dimensional and full of detail. Each human subject has unique features and collectively are ethnically diverse.

Featured Poem

Reward

“Thank you”

is a seed I plant

in the garden

of your heart.

Your smile

is the flower.

A slow and sweet surprise,

it blooms before my eyes!

Poem Connections

This poem is a great way to introduce a lesson or storytime about plant life. It is shorter, only a single stanza. True to Grimes’ style the punctuation and format invite the reader to pause at each line and say the words with thoughtfulness. After reading the poem twice create a whimsical art project by taking the lines literally. This would be an interesting collage project. Plantzilla by Jerdine Nolen would be a good narrative story to follow as it involves taking metaphors and idioms about plants literally. This can then transition to a discussion about how metaphor works. You can ask is the plant in this poem actually a smile? How is it like a smile? To integrate science the instructor can teach a lesson on germination and plant growth then conclude by having students plant grass seed in their own cups.