From the beginning of this blog (here, too) and stretching back through my long teaching career, I've struggled with the concept of theme months. As WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH ends and BLACK HISTORY MONTH fades nearly out of sight in the rear view mirror, POETRY MONTH bounces through April's open window and into our hearts. In fact, there are plenty of books that intersect among two or three (or more) of these themes. Let these two titles remind you to share the best of ALL books ALL year long, and imprint that message on the minds of young readers.
I've long been a fan of reading and sharing AT LEAST ONE poem and AT LEAST ONE picture book per day. There are plenty of poetry anthologies that are NOT self-limiting to this one month of April, collections that feature poems about every day of the twelve months of the year. Many span all four seasons and countless topics.
If that surprises you, I urge you to pause and click this link to check out Lee Bennet Hopkins, the talented and esteemed author, editor, and anthologizer of poetry. If you try the link and never get back to this post, I'll understand. Hopkins's website makes my point for me: APRIL doesn't even scratch the surface of amazing poems meant to be enjoyed and shared all year round.
Nosy Crow, 2018 |
A fine example, and a recent one, is this coffee-table-worthy book that deserves daily living space with a family or classroom like yours. SING A SONG OF SEASONS: A NATURE POEM FOR EACH DAY OF THE YEAR offers poems collected by Fionna Waters and pages delightfully illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon. The unifying theme of nature provides the focus for these selected poems, a balanced blend of all-time classics (including ones by the prolific Anonymous) and contemporary creators. The poems are organized chronologically and arranged following monthly, date-labeled tables of contents. The back matter is an invaluable resource (author index, title index, and first line index). The language is enhanced brilliantly by the remarkable illustrations throughout.
And how about this... my copy includes a page-marker ribbon, something that makes my heart smile.
With this book, I proudly unfurl my flag and march in the "POEM-A-DAY" parade, challenging one and all who would dare to stop sharing poems when April ends.
Pssst...Learn more about some exciting poetry-related activities HERE, but promise to use them all year long. Please.
Carolrhoda Books, 2019 |
This depiction of his early years and the 1911 Pendleton Round-Up stars George, but also nods to the talents and roles of Jackson Sundown (Nez Perce tribe), John Spain (the judges' favorite contestant- who just happened to be white) and Sheriff Tillman Taylor (with a strong sense of justice).
This book deserves attention for the vivid depiction of a dramatic time and place, for the page-turning tension of the culminating events, and for the densely saturated colors and action-packed scenes that leap from the pages like a 3-D movie.
Only better.
Each page feels like it could be framed as fine art, yet it urges readers onward to follow George's compelling life. James is as adept and artful with hoof-flinging, muscular horses, tails flying and nostrils flaring, as he is when rendering a full-page foreground image of young George's beaming smile while riding all-out down the dusty main road in town. You will want to fly through these pages, and you should do so. Then, reread and linger in the notes at the back, revealing even more details about the various players and the research that provides the foundation for the book.
Finally, return again to savor the art.
But you're not through yet. This is one of those powerful picture books that can be pulled out time and again for many reasons, including poetry month. It is not written in rhyme or verse, but "boy howdy" the language captures the time, place, and personalities with humor and brilliance. The author adopts a voice that drips with colloquialisms that fit the story like a glove but could also serve as mentor text for poetry, figurative language, or any genre. At times it reads as intentionally gaudy and humorous, then drops into subtle expressions that beg to be read aloud:
- Life at home was no bushel of peaches.
- George took to their ways like a wet kitten to a warm brick.
- Life in the saddle and riding rough were all George hankered for.
- He rode the buck out of the bruiser but... their dance spilled onto the sidewalk.
Capturing and balancing just the right tone in word choice, direct narrative, and authentic language is enhanced by the art designer's shifts in font, sizing, page layout, and text colors. This is a book you shouldn't miss. I'm risking a prediction here that the ear-tickling text and eye-candy illustrations will have this title rounding up lots of attention (and medals and honors) come award season. Once you read it, I'm betting you'll be recommending it, too. In February, in April, and all year long.
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