Water Sings Blue

Ocean Poems
by Kate Coombs
Illustrated by Meilo So

Coombs, Kate. Water Sings Blue : Ocean Poems. Illustrated by Meilo So. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Book, 2012.

ISBN 9780811872843

Just like the title says, all of the poems in this book are about anything involving the ocean. Poems include fish and creatures who live in the ocean, birds who flock to the ocean, waves, boats, and sand. Each poem provides a positive contribution to the overall theme. Readers will experience more than they might expect to find related to the ocean. The connection of beagles to seagulls in "Seagulls" is a little strange, but the rhyming has a nice flow. Two poems that stand out are "Blue Whale" and "Shipwreck". They are combined on two pages and displayed vertically to show the length of the whale and the shipwreck at the bottom of the ocean. Readers may not experience emotions from this book, but they will be able to visualize the waves, a tide pool, colorful fish, and much more. The poet, Kate Coombs uses gentle sound and figurative language for her poetic elements in this book. 

This collection of twenty-three poems is written by one author, Kate Coombs. This is her first collection of poetry, but she has written one picture book and two middle grade novels. This collection was inspired by her childhood living in Southern California writing poems and collection shells on the beach. Coombs has created a great way for children to experience the enjoyment of the ocean without the travel or getting their feet wet.

The layout of this collection of poems is centered around the ocean. The book's watercolor illustrations are delicate and playful. Each illustration emphasizes the wonders of the ocean world. This book begins with a poem and ends with a poem. There is not a table of contents, page numbers, or an index to help find individual poems. 

A poem I would highlight from this book is "Ocean Realty". This is a great poem to have the students present to the class by acting, drawing, a puppet show, or another creative way. The teacher will read aloud the poem to the class a few times before the students split up into groups to start to plan their presentation. 

Ocean Realty

by Kate Coombs

My name's Frank Hermit.

Here-take my card.

So you want a house 

with a porch and yard?

I have listings for periwinkles,

whelks, and wentletraps;

turbans, tops, and moon shells;

a palatial conch, perhaps?

That one's not available-

I'm waiting for the snail

to vacate his townhouse

and put it up for sale.

But this place has a deck

and a nice view of the land-

beachfront property

is always in demand!

Dark Emperor

& Other Poems of the Night
Written by Joyce Sidman
Illustrated by Rick Allen

Sidman, Joyce. Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night. Illustrated by Rick Allen. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2010.

ISBN 9780547152288

This book is a collection of twelve poems about nocturnal life in a forest written by Joyce Sidman. All the poems involve creatures, plants, and trees that come alive at night in a forest. While all the poems have a consistent theme, there doesn't seem to be a special sequence to the poems. This makes it easier to use a single poem without changing the integrity of the story. Readers will not experience too many emotions from this book. What they will receive is entertainment and knowledge through Sidman's poems and factual descriptions. There are a variety of poetic elements including figurative language, sounds, and shape. The last poem in the book, "Moon's Lament" is a medieval style of poetry called ubi sunt. This book will be good to use as a way to connect poetry and the science curriculum. This book has several honors and awards attached to it like being a Newberry Honor Book, a Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Honor book, and a Boston Globe/Horn Book Award Honor, to name a few.

The layout of this book combined with the illustrations is amazingly unique and detailed. The book starts with a two page illustration of a forest at sunset with an owl flying and leaves blowing, and is wrapped up at the end with the same forest at sun rise. Rick Allen's illustrations were created by a special process called relief printing. This process is very intricate and timely using linoleum and/or wood, many carving tools, and for this book hand colored with gouache. Sidman provides the readers with a table of contents and a glossary of unfamiliar terms. Throughout the book, each poem has been given two pages. One page displays the poem and a small illustration, and the other page contains the large illustration for the poem and a note on the science facts that the illustrations and poems represent.

The poet, Joyce Sidman is a well-known poet in the writing world and this book definitely shows her writing style. This is the debut for Rick Allen, the illustrator, in the picture book genre. These two have really shown their talents together in this beautiful book.

One poem I would highlight from this book to use in a poetry break is "Oak After Dark". Without showing the students the title of the poem or the illustration in the book, give volunteer students each a stanza to read aloud to the class. The teacher will then read the poem again aloud as the students close their eyes and visualize the poem in their thoughts. This will lead to a class discussion about what the students were imagining from hearing the poem. Then tell the students the title and picture, and see how the students react. Did anyone guess or imagine an oak tree?

Oak After Dark

by Joyce Sidman

As nighttime rustles at my knee,

I stand in silent gravity

and quietly continue chores

of feeding leaves and sealing pores.

While beetles whisper in my bark,

while warblers roost in branches dark,

I stretch my roots into the hill

and slowly, slowly, drink my fill.

A thousand crickets scream my name,

yet I remain the same, the same.

I do not rest, I do not sleep,

and all my promises I keep:

to stand while all the seasons fly,

to anchor earth,

                      to touch the sky.

Joyful Noise

Poems for Two Voices
by Paul Fleischman
illustrated by Eric Beddows

Fleischman, Paul. Joyful Noise : Poems for Two Voices. Illustrated by Eric Beddows. N.p.: Harper and Row, 1988.

ISBN 0060218533

This amazing collection of poems is meant to be read out loud by two people. Paul Fleischman writes the poems in side-by-side parts that two people will read individually and simultaneously. Each poem features characteristics and habits of 14 insects. Some insects included in the book are mayflies, book lice, cicadas, and honeybees. Readers will enjoy the figurative language and detailed illustrations that Fleischman and Beddows have created for these musical duets. Some poems have a touch of humor while others have a more solemn tone. Readers of all ages will adore this fascinating guide to the insect world.

Fleischman, the poet and Beddows, the illustrator come together again in this collection of insects. Before this compilation they worked together on I am Phoenix which Joyful Noise is a companion book to. These two artists definitely compliment each other's talents.

This book provides readers with a table of contents and a note from the author, all before the poems begin. The note is extremely helpful in explaining how the poems are to be read. Joyful Noise is a collection of poems about insect and does not represent an overall story, so it has a distinct theme but no concrete sequence. Beddows' black and white pencil drawings can be described as soft, delicate, strong, and detailed. Each poem is excellently matched with one to two illustrations of the insects represented in the poem.

One poem I would highlight from this book is "Book Lice". I imagine this poem being used in a poetry break for enjoyment and a good representation of performance poetry with two voices. With the content being about book lice, it would be good for the librarian to join the classroom teacher in performing this poem to a class. The presenters need to make sure and have fun with this using props and even costumes to enhance the students enjoyment.

Book Lice
by Paul Fleischman
(excerpt from beginning)

I was born in a
fine old edition of Schiller
                                            While I started life
                                             in a private eye thriller
We're book lice                    We're book lice
who dwell                             who dwell
in these dusty bookshelves.    in these dusty bookshelves.
Later I lodged in
Scott's works--volume 50
                                             While I passed my youth
                                              in an Agatha Christie

Remember the Bridge

Poems of a People
by Carole Boston Weatherford

Weatherford, Carole Boston. Remember the Bridge : Poems of a People. New York, NY: Philomel Books, 2002.

 ISBN 9780399237263

This collection of twenty-nine poems was written by a single poet, Carole Boston Weatherford. She starts the book off with an African tree and the poem "Mother Africa Speaks to Civilization".There is not any mention of the poems in this book being included in any other poetry books. Weatherford is a renowned poet with poems in children's books, anthologies, and journals. 

For the layout of this book, there is no table of contents or index to aide readers in finding individual poems. The back of the book contains an author's notes page about her inspiration for writing these poems, and a page for photo and illustration credits. The illustrations throughout the book consist of real photographs, drawings, and sketches of the people and items talked about in the poems. All illustrations and photos in this book make excellent historical visuals for these poems written for and about African American heroes of the past. Weatherford shows her respect and admiration for these heroes through her poems.

Weatherford has an unique style by starting the poems off with "Remember the Bridge" and closes with "I am the Bridge". The symbolism of the people being the bridge is brilliant and inspiring. Every poem has a strong presence, and is a positive contribution to this collection and the theme of African American heroes in our history. There is a variety of poems written in free verse, rhyme, and meter. This book is written for people to learn and remember the sacrifices and challenges African Americans have made to get to where they are today. Weatherford wants her readers to remember the past and never forget. Remember the Bridge was written for children and young adults, but might be more suitable for the upper elementary through high school age. This book would be a treasure for any public or school library. Teachers will be draw to the symbolism, poetic elements, and the historical presence of this book. 

One poem I would highlight from this book is "I am the Bridge". For this poetry break the teacher will ask the students to close their eyes in visualize what the poem is saying as he/she reads the poem aloud. Then as a class have a discussion on what the students imagined from this poem. Then show the students the photograph associated with the poem. Now read the poem again. Do the students have a different view of the poem? Discuss the symbolism the poet represent in this poem.

Excerpt from I am the Bridge by Carole Boston Weatherford

The bridge is men and women,

famous and unknown,

leaving paths of memories,

timeless stepping stones.

I follow in the shadows

of heroes without names

and keep the faith of elders

who lean on hickory canes.

I hear the beat of Africa

drumming deep within,

bear the scar of slavery

beneath my ebony skin.

I stand with valiant soldiers 

who claim the victory

and jump in jubilation

with slaves at long last free.

Carver

A Life in Poems
by Marilyn Nelson

Nelson, Marilyn. Carver : a Life in Poems. New York, NY: Scholastic, 2001.

ISBN 9780439456739

This book is written by one poet, Marilyn Nelson. Marilyn is a renowned author and poet who has received numerous awards and recognition in her life.This book itself has received many acknowledgments including the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award, being a Newberry Honor Book, and a Coretta Scott King Honor Book. A good amount of the poems in this collection have been included in other poetry books and publications.

Before the book starts, Nelson presents three quotes by George Washington Carver, one by Leo Tolstoy, and one by Albert Einstein. There is no table of contents but there is a list of poems in the back of the book that acts like an index. The book also contains a page with acknowledgments from the author and publisher. Credits for the photographs throughout the book are given in the back of the book along with a page containing notes on the first publication of poems. The photographs in this book represent real pictures of people and items that resemble pieces of Carver's life. They definitely enhance the historical theme of the story. The arrangement of the poems is important because they tell the story of George Washington Carver from birth to death. 

Carver : a life in poems is basically an eloquent biography written in poems about George Washington Carver. This representation of his life is done in fifty-nine poems. Readers will definitely have a better understanding of what life was like for an African American born slave who grew up to become a botanist, inventor, scholar, and incredible man. The poems are not too sentimental, but the reader will experience emotions as they read through this book. Readers will be amazed and enlightened by the challenges, obstacles, and accomplishments Carver goes through in his lifetime. He achieved a great deal for an African American in the 19th and 20th centuries. The poetic elements for this book focus on emotional impact and sense imagery. 

One poem that I would choose to highlight from this book is "1905". A good place to use this poem is in a history class to show how Carver initiates the Jesup wagon which includes taking his agricultural teachings to the poor who live in rural areas. The teacher will ask for volunteers to read aloud the five different stanzas of the poem, and have a class discussion after reading aloud. 

Excerpt from 1905 by Marilyn Nelson

(first two stanzas)

Looking out of the front page, a wild-haired,

gentle-eyed young German man stands

before a blackboard of incomprehensible equations.

Meanwhile, back in the quotidian,

Carver takes the school to the poor.

He outfits an open truck

with shelves for his jars

of canned fruit and compost,

bins for his croker sacks of seeds.

He travels roads barely discernible 

on the county map,

teaching former field-slaves

how to weave ditch weeds

into pretty table place mats,

how to keep their sweet potatoes form rotting

before winter hunger sets in,

how to make preacher-pleasing

mock fried chicken

without slaughtering a laying hen.

He notes patches of wild chicory

the farmers could collect

to free themselves form their taste

for high-priced imported caffeine.

Poems about Earth

The Elements in Poetry
Compiled by Andrew Fusek Peters

Peters, Andrew Fusek, comp. Poems about Earth. Mankato, MN: Cherrytree Books, 2008.

This collection of earth poems represents twenty-one different poets. There are some well known and prestigious poets such as John Keats, J. Patrick Lewis, and William Wordsworth. Poems from this book have been represented in other publications, but there is no mention of it in this book. 

The majority of the poems in the book have a consistent quality and are positive contributions to this collections. Young readers may not recognize the poets, but adults, teachers, and people in the writing community will know a few of the well named poets represented in this collection. All of the poems tie into the theme of earth. Some poems definitely stand out more than others, but they all speak of wonders in our natural world. Readers may experience a few emotions from certain poems. One poem, "After the Earthquake" will stimulate sympathy and sadness. The tone of the book is more educational than emotional. The selected poems will teach readers how to remember the difference between stalactites and stalagmites, plate tectonics, elements, and other earth related concepts. This book is full of poems containing many poetic elements. The most prominent element is personification. Almost every poem gives human characteristics to plants, bugs, elements, gravity, and other non-human items. There is also a lot of sound, figurative language, and sense imagery. This collection also has two concrete/shape poems, "Web of Life" and "Nature's Jewel".

The book's layout starts with a table of contents and concludes with an author index, acknowledgments, picture credits, a short note about the anthologist, and information on the three other books in The Elements of Poetry series. There does not seem to be a specific arrangement of the poems. They can be used in any order, by themselves, or together. The commonality that all the poems have is Earth. As a collection these poems represent our natural world. All of the pictures and illustrations are distinctive to each poem. Some pages have a picture background representing the poem, while others have a single picture on a solid background. The illustrations do not overpower the poems, and they are not a main attraction for this book. They complement the poems, but they are not extraordinary. This book can provide an easy connection to science in the English classroom.

A poem I would highlight from the book is "The Sunflower" by Polly Peters. A good way to include this in the classroom would be to have some students act out the different stanzas while other students read aloud. This would be a fun poetry break that the students can fully get involved. Student participation is require for this poetry break.

Excerpt from The Sunflower by Polly Peters

(last 3 stanzas)

now I am uncurling

young leaves on either side

then whoosh! I'm stretching upwards

first straight and tall, then wide.

my leaves are arched like bird's wings,

they flutter in the air.

my petals are unfurling

like a plate with yellow hair.

look at me! I'm swaying

a leaning, smiling tower.

I turn my face to catch the sun,

a tall and proud sunflower.