We have and enjoy several general poetry anthologies, but sometimes it’s really nice to have something different for poetry tea time. I borrowed three very different titles from the library and we have enjoyed them for a month’s worth of poetry tea times.
Castles: Old Stone Poems is a collection by J. Patrick Lewis and Rebecca Kai Dotlich that shines the spotlight on sixteen different medieval fortresses. England, Scotland, Ireland, Austria, Switzerland, Japan, Romania, Finland, France, Sweden, Russia, Germany, and even the U.S. are the countries in which the castles are located. Some of the castles are familiar to me, but most are not. The poems themselves are somewhat obtuse in that without knowledge of the history of that particular castle, the reader will probably not get the story the poem tells. However, included in the backmatter are both short explanations of the history of each castle and a timeline with the castles placed in their historical setting. Dan Burr’s illustrations are lovely and very fitting for the grand and austere subject matter. This would make an excellent addition to a study of medieval times, or to just any old poetry tea time. Lulu, age eleven (this week!), enjoyed this one in particular. (Wordsong, 2006)
There’s nothing obtuse about the poems in this collection! Animal Poems by Valerie Worth are loads of fun! The animals are many and varied, from the whale to the snail. I love this one about kangaroos in particular. It ends with a line of perfection about how joeys can
Return headfirst
To the delectable
Pocket of the dark.
when “they’ve had enough.” What makes this one even more enjoyable are the illustrations by none other than Steve Jenkins. This makes a fantastic book to share for poetry tea time because most kids are intrigued by animals and the poems are short and succinct–they really pack a punch. Highly Recommended. (Farrar Strauss Giroux, 2007)
A Poke in the I is a collection of concrete poems selected by Paul B. Janeczko
. I’m not sure there’s a type of poetry that appeals more to children than concrete poems. They’re sort of like visual riddles, and they’re so much fun to share! Even the DLM, who’s about a month shy of five years old, really got a kick out of this collection. His favorite poem, and the one he requests over and over, is “Popsicle” by Joan Bransfield Graham. (You can read it here.) Chris Raschka’s inimitable illustrations add even more whimsy and joy to this collection. Obviously, this is one you have to see to appreciate. Highly Recommended. (Candlewick, 2005)
Do you have any new-to-you poetry collections to share? I’d love to hear abou them!
Check out my super-long list of poetry resources here.
Thanks Amy! We have recently enjoyed two animal- themed poetry books. Both were hits with our 2 sons.
*”Antarctic Antics: A Book of Penguin Poems” by Sierra
*”Every Day’s A Dog’s Day: A Year in Poems” by Singer