POETRY and PHYSICS: A Powerful Pair In a Picture Book!

 Science provides surprisingly wonderful topics for poets, and that has been true for many decades and generations. Two of my favorite titles from the past (now out of print but searchable and obtainable, and worth the effort) are Myra Cohen Livingston's SKY SONGS and SEA SONGS. 

I'm not the least bit ashamed to admit that Livingtston's work and these two classics first crossed my path when I changed school districts many years ago. I found myself in a classroom with actual shelves full of books provided by the school(!) instead of relying only on my personal collection. I immediately asked students to spend a few minutes locating their favorite books and then sharing with me why they chose those books. These two poetry collections focus on scientific facts and emotional reactions to aspects of the Sea and the Stars. They were not only among those chosen, but were the favorites of MANY. The books were well-worn and some poems were recited by heart. What a perfect way to be introduced to poetry collections by one of the all time iconic poets for young readers.

WORDSONG, February, 2023
Astra Books for Young Readers

A recent addition to this niche genre of  solid science explored through a collection of poems is PUSH-PULL MORNING: Dog Powered Poems About Matter and Energy, written by Lisa Westberg Peters  and illustrated by Serge Block. Several of Peter's many publications are also powerful poetry collections on science topics. Another student favorite (and a favorite of mine in this vein) is EARTHSHAKE: Poems From the Ground Up (2004). 

Harking back to my classroom experiences, there are few topics that engage kids more eagerly than the elementary physics of force, energy, and simple machines. Few topics in basic science more directly affect daily life than these. Unfortunately, as essential as screws, planes, axles, magnets, and motion are in everything we do, the current pressure to account for each minute in a classroom has limited time for the hands-on explorations that make any science, but especially this topic)  come alive for learners. 

In this recent release, the author and illustrator have packaged basic concepts accurately and entertainingly within  every day interactions between a child and their dog.With comic style illustrations and lively personalities, they reveal Newtonian properties and processes like gravity, inertia, and motion, as well as sound, matter, electricity, reflection and more. The table of contents offers topic tags for each poem, while brief and kid-friendly back matter expands slightly on examples of each with modest doses of added science. These helpfulm additions make the book a handy "grab" to reference" in classrooms and studies, but the whole is never greater than the sum of the poems. This every day awareness of forces and energy at work in a child's life is ideally suited to spark curiosity, investigation, further reading, and conversations. 

More examples of poetry power in science are abundantly at work in Miranda Paul's BEYOND: Discoveries from the Outer Reaches of Space, and, by Joyce Sidman, UBIQUITOUS: Celebrating Nature's Survivors with Poetry, reviewed HERE. In fact, I urge you to click on Sidman's name to learn more about each and every book she has produced to bring science to awaken the poetic language and learning worlds of kids.

These titles and the topics they explore are rich ways to integrate poetry and fine literature into content area studies or personal interests, and also to integrate key concepts into literacy studies, including them as mentor text for young writers to incorporate investigations and topic studies into the flexible forms of poetry. Of all the topics, none can be more immediate and recognizable in daily life than everyday applications of energy, matter, and force. Picture books are guaranteed a warm reception when  they star such a lively and comic pair as this kid-plus-pup. Check it out!

UBIQUITOUS-NESS Matters

I'll post a day early this week to focus on a major event.
Drum roll please...

lift the page on the calendar...

April has arrived, Poetry Month.

*Sigh* Brace yourself for another mini-rant on the mixed blessing of "Months"- Black History, Women's History, and now Poetry. In my opinion (and I'm far from alone in this) awareness and appreciation of poetry and the rich diversity of contributors to history should be ubiquitous.

Ubiquitous? I've been a word-aholic for as long as I can remember, but I confess (with a mix of smugness and shame) that I rarely used a dictionary. As a prolific reader from a verbal family, I was reasonably good at inferring from context. Add to that my reluctance to interrupt a good story and teachers who also valued expansive vocabularies and I was convinced that I "knew" most words. I even used them in my writing successfully (as indicated by minimal red circles or questions marks on my returned papers). I rarely looked up words, especially if they appeared frequently in text.

"Ubiquitous" is one of those words that I "knew" in a generic way- it kinda sorta meant common or regular or often, or... something like that.

Eventually I acquired enough age to slow my reading and thinking down, to appreciate nuance and precision (obsessive, I am; perfectionist, I am not). That's when I began to "look up" words and found out why the word ubiquitous is so... so... ubiquitous. (adjective: everywhere, omnipresent).

Which brings me to UBIQUITOUS: CELEBRATING NATURE'S SURVIVORS, with Poetry by Joyce Sidman and illustrations by Beckie Prange. (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2010).
Every detail of this book deserves attention, beginning where else- with the end papers. The challenge of creating a timeline for the 4.6 billion year history of planet Earth, to scale, is daunting. A densely swirled and convoluted line fills the double page spread of this large format book, each centimeter equaling a million years. Sweeping timespans from the emergence of bacteria to mollusks, lichens, sharks, beetles, diatoms, geckos, ants, grasses, squirrels, crows dandelions, coyotes, and humans actually make some sense with this accurately rendered and labeled art.

Each page turn after that offers parallel text- a poem paired with accessible scientific narration- embedded in equally beautiful and informative illustrations. Together they offer insight and praise to Earth's ubiquitous survivors over millions of years, to the living things so "omnipresent" that we overlook their amazing success. Precise vocabulary serves both the science and the poetry well, supported by a glossary, author's note, and illustrator's note.

(Patience. I'll tie this all together soon. We're on the home stretch now.)

This book, spotlighting Earth's ubiquitous survivors, should not be overlooked. Nor should poetry. Thus, Poetry Month has its place.

For a little inspiration, and daily links, follow Gottabook, a blog by Greg Pincus, to share his annual 30 Poets/30 Days. He features a different kids' poetry superstar each and every day, some of whom even share original creations for this project.

Do you know any kids who like to write poetry? (Or some who don't?) Check the KIdsWWWrite site edited by Margriet Ruurs. It's a safe and supportive opportunity for kids to publish their work, and even reluctant writers love to do that.

While you're online stop by several other poetry sites, each of which can become addictive habits for you and for kids. First, a resource for you, is PoetryAtPlay.org. Then, for you and for kids, visit GigglePoetry.com and Poetry4Kids.com.

Since April is Poetry Month, seize it. Dive in with both feet using UBIQUITOUS and countless other picture books (to be named soon). Cram every nook and cranny of space and time available (and unavailable- it's POETRY MONTH-duh) with poems of every size, shape, and topic. Make it ubiquitous. And then keep it that way, all throughout the year.