This week’s post will explore the unique world of children’s poetry. I will discuss four selections, all of which contain illustrations. 

Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Javaka Steptoe, A Pocketful of Poems, Clarion Books, 2001; ISBN: 978-0-395-93868-3; Paperback, December 2018; ISBN: 978-1328497963

Nikki Grimes explores the art of the Haiku in this collection. Each page is made up of 17 syllables and explores the life of a child in Harlem. Loosely, the poems follow the seasons/holidays of a typical year in childhood. Grimes celebrates the joy of holidays and seasonal changes, all in Haiku. The illustrations in this book are strange. They are mixed media and they don’t make a whole lot of sense to this reader. In this case, I believe they even distract from the poetry. The author’s note in the back explains the Haiku form and structure of the book, but I believe that would be better placed as an introduction. That way the reader is aware of the form from the beginning. This is especially important for the audience, as the book is geared toward children and many may not know what a Haikus is.  I enjoyed exploring these Haikus, but I feel the illustrations could really use an update. 

Selected by Paul B. Janeczko ; illustrated by Melissa Sweet. (2014). Firefly July : a year of very short poems. Somerville, Massachusetts :Candlewick Press,

Firefly July is a collection of seasonal poetry, written by various authors. The title boasts that it is a collection of very short poems, and indeed they are.  Each season has several corresponding poems and images that represent both the words and the seasons. I believe, in this case, the images do add to the overall meaning and quality of the poems. They paint a picture and the imagery is pretty accurately representational. The purpose of this collection seems to be that there don’t need to be many words used to describe things. Few words can tell a great story. I believe a child would like this little collection and have a piqued interest in poetry upon seeing this book. 

This particular page is very spot on in its artistic representation and truly paints a picture of the words. 

Ellis, Sarah. "Raczka, Bob: Wet Cement: A Mix of Concrete Poems." The Horn Book Guide, vol. 27, no. 2, fall 2016, p. 202. Gale Literature Resource Center, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A467261322/LitRC?u=rive58327&sid=bookmark-LitRC&xid=f7528b2e. Accessed 10 Oct. 2023. \

The next selection is a book of concrete poems or shape poems, called Wet Cement: A Mix of Concrete Poems. These short little poems are artistically designed to make different shapes with the words. This is a separate genre of poetry and borders on word art.  For example, there is a poem about a clock in the shape of a clock. The use of shape and line are very unique. The artist here creates words and shapes with words and I feel viewing these illustrations might be a unique experience for many readers.   

The purpose of this book is to have fun with the idea of poetry. I think this is an engaging way to get  children to think about poetry. It might be difficult for an adult to read aloud, so I would say it would be better for independent readers. This type of poetry has the ability to excite children, as it is unique and artistic. I could see this being used to guide a project based on this technique, either in the classroom or for a library program. 

Briceno, Y. (2019). Alma Flor Ada y F. Isabel Campoy, con ilustraciones de David Diaz, Yes! We Are Latinos (!Si! Somos Latinos): Poems and Prose about the Latino Experience. Chiricu, 3(2), 177+. https://link-gale-com.dom.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A619305785/LitRC?u=rive58327&sid=bookmark-LitRC&xid=e38b07f4

The next collection of poems is Yes! We Are Latinos. This collection is about the Latino/x experience in the United States. This collection is important, as it really defines and highlights the personal experiences of people through the use of poetry and verse. The poems are also written by individual people showcasing their unique experience as Latinos. There are also historical and cultural essays throughout the collection. I think this really humanizes the experience and this would be a great collection to share with children and adults alike. 

The illustrations throughout the book are sparse and they don’t exactly make sense all the time. The images appear to be inspired by Papel picados and are peppered throughout the text.  The  illustrations are pleasing to the eye, but they do not necessarily enrich the words of this collection. The stories and lessons throughout this book are capable of standing on their own. 

Each one of these four selections bring something unique to the world of children's poetry. I believe each would make a great addition to any library collection.