Poetry Can Be Fun: Part 2
Think beyond the rhyme...
Working on more of a consistent schedule, but for now, I’m squeezing in writing between nap times and kids occupied with arts + crafts and audiobooks, so thank you for bearing with me!
Where did we leave off…after a deep dive into Jack Prelutsky who followed in the OG Shel Silverstein’s footsteps, its worth exploring other types of poetry in children’s literature.
Daniel Finds A Poem is a great way introduction to poetry and encourages students to seek out poetry in their daily life. Daniel observes that for a spider “poetry is when morning dew glistens” and for a turtle “poetry is sun-warmed sand.” A beautiful, colorful picture book that mindfully connects nature and the sensory experience to poetry.
Wet Cement is a fun one to add a touch of whimsy to add poetry unit. Concrete poetry, sometimes referred to as “visual poetry” is when the typographical effect is more important than the verbal significance. This collection shapes poems in unique and delightful ways, poems shaped in strings, bends, shapes, and more. A great way to engage the reluctant poet.
Need to find a commonality with your students? Hoop Kings 2: New Royalty is an ideal in for the basketball fanatic. High-energy, bold poems punctuated with dynamic photographs of twelve professional players including Blake Griffin, Steph Curry, Lebron James, and James Harden. These poems are easy to access and connect with while highlighting the skill, ability, and panache that each of these twelve players bring to basketball.
For the dance enthusiast, Feel the Beat: Dance Poems That Swing From Salsa to Sing is a lively collection of poems that mimic the rhythms of dance. Enjoy the samba, salsa, tango, two-step, and cha-cha through dynamic poems and colorful, loud illustrations that embody the spirit and dynamism of dance.
These four books are just a sampling, there’s so many more superb poetry picture books out there to choose from. Stay tuned…