Buffalo Dusk (Monday Poem)

by Carl Sandburg


The buffaloes are gone.
And those who saw the buffaloes are gone.
Those who saw the buffaloes by thousands and how they
   pawed the prairie sod into dust with their hoofs, their
   great heads down pawing on in a great pageant of dusk,
Those who saw the buffaloes are gone.
And the buffaloes are gone.



from A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children
selected by Caroline Kennedy
illustrated by Jon J Muth
Hyperion, 2005

Be Like the Bird (Monday Poem)

by Victor Hugo


Be like the bird, who
Resting in his flight
On a twig too slight
Feels it bend beneath him,
Yet sings
Knowing he has wings.



from Sing a Song of Seasons: A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year
selected by Fiona Waters
illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon
Candlewick, 2018

Halfway Down (Monday Poem)

by A. A. Milne


Halfway down the stairs
Is a stair
Where I sit.
There isn't any
Other stair
Quite like
It.
I'm not at the bottom,
I'm not at the top;
So this is the stair
Where
I always
Stop.

Halfway up the stairs
Isn't up,
And isn't down.
It isn't in the nursery,
It isn't in the town.
And all sorts of funny thoughts
Run round my head:
"It isn't really
Anywhere!
It's somewhere else
Instead!"




from When We Were Very Young
by A. A. Milne
illustrated by Ernest Shepard
E . P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 1924

Happiness (Monday Poem)

by A. A. Milne


John had
Great Big
Waterproof
Boots on;
John had a
Great Big
Waterproof
Hat;
John had a
Great Big
Waterproof
Mackintosh--
And that
(Said John)
Is
That.



from When We Were Very Young
by A. A. Milne
illustrated by Ernest Shepard
E . P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 1924

Just Right Stories for the Season of Light (FAMILY magazine reviews)

            Closing the darkest part of the year with the brilliance of fine writing and painstaking paintings, to illustrate the season of Light, are this small collection of enticing picture books. Not just for the youngest, these titles bring the pleasure of a well-told tale to everyone gathered together. Celebrate!  

All-of-a-Kind Family 

Based on the classic books by Sydney Taylor 

by Emily Jenkins

illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky

            It’s snowing on the first night of Hanukkah in 1912 New York’s Lower East Side as two sisters walk home to their family. Gertie, the youngest of five (all girls is what “all-of-a-kind” describes), is excited about dinner preparations, especially the latkes, to be fried in schmaltz – “to remember the oil that burned for eight days and eight nights in Jerusalem.” Gertie wants to help peel or grate the potatoes, chop the onions, or fry the latkes in the hot schmaltz, but Mama will not allow. For Gertie, this is too much -- to miss out on the once-a-year treat preparation – her disappointment sparks an angry tantrum. Mama marches her to the bedroom with quiet, firm instructions to remain there until time for the blessings. It’s Papa’s arrival and wisdom about how to include Gertie that helps to bring the entire family and a visitor together for lighting the Hanukkah candles and sharing a delicious meal.

            Award winning illustrator Zelinsky’s digital artwork captures the texture and movement of the snowy city, the active preparations in the snugly cheerful kitchen, and the loving relationships narrated so skillfully in the text. Jenkins, who writes with authority and the support of the Sydney Taylor Foundation, has nailed the essence of these classic stories in this mindfully crafted tale for the twenty-first century. Included at the back are: glossary, author’s note, illustrator’s note, an online link for a latke recipe, and sources.

Penguin Random House, $17.99

Interest Level: Pre-School – Grade 2

The Smallest Gift of Christmas 

by Peter H. Reynolds

            In a clever whimsical recasting of an old folktale about more and bigger and better, Reynolds introduces Roland, who is unimpressed with his Christmas present - which is “the smallest gift he had ever seen.” When he wishes for a bigger gift and his wish comes true, Roland is still disappointed that it’s not “MUCH bigger.” He throws a tantrum, and stomps off after each wish still doesn’t get him what he thinks is “big enough.”

Determined, Roland sets off in a rocket ship “to search the universe.” Like the astronauts who viewed the thumb-sized earth from outer space, Roland realizes his home, his family are very far away. This time when he wishes, it’s for that “tiny speck – the smallest gift.”

Brilliant reds and greens make the digital illustrations pop off the page. And Reynolds’ characteristic hand lettering highlights the text as Roland, still wearing his polka dot PJ’s and back home on the sofa with his family, discovers that sometimes the best gifts are the ones you already have.

Candlewick, $14

Interest Level: Junior Kindergarten – Grade 5

Just Right for Christmas 

by Birdie Black

illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw

            At the market on Christmas Eve, the king buys a huge roll of beautiful bright-red cloth, ”so red and soft and Christmassy!” It’s perfect for his daughter. The sewing maids in the castle “snipped and sewed” until they completed a lovely long cloak for the Princess. Then, a kitchen maid sees the leftover fabric on the back doorstep, and turns it into a jacket for her mother. She leaves a bundle of scraps which catch the attention of Bertie Badger, whose small pile of scraps are discovered by Samuel Squirrel, and ultimately, the last tiny bit, by Milly Mouse. Each one uses the left behind pieces to create a gift for their own special someone.

            Colorful, textured, mixed-media illustrations are busily active and brightly snow-filled. This sprightly story is a charming holiday version of an older folktale, patterned with a rhythm of repetitive lines that builds to a happy holiday conclusion.

Candlewick, $15.99 (hardcover) 

$6.99 (board book)

Interest Level: Pre-School - Kindergarten

 

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Our People (Monday Poem)

by Carole Boston Weatherford


We call ourselves Inuna-Ina, Our People.
We worship Be He Tie-ht, the Man Above,
And do the Sun Dance to hail summer.

The ancestors chanted the Ghost Dance
And followed buffalo across the plains,
Roaming present day Nebraska, Kansas,
Wyoming, Minnesota and Colorado.
They allied with the Cheyenne
Warred with the Ute, Pawnee and Shoshone
And made peace with the Sioux, Kiowa and Comanche.

Our people pitched tepees in a circle.
They fished, hunted elk and deer,
And ate jerky and wild berries
After the White Owl brought winter.
The Whirlwind Woman not only gave us breath;
She gave us quillwork, embroidery.
Our every stitch a prayer.




from World Make Way: New Poems Inspired by Art from The Metropolitan Museum 
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Abrams, 2018

Rain (Monday Poem)

by Anders Holmer


Beneath ashes are
seeds for a new forest that
might burn someday too.



from Rain
by Anders Holmer 
Eerdmans, 2018

Sargasso (Monday Poem)

by Nicola Davies


The Sargasso is a sea without a shore:
a giant whirl of water,
caught by swirling currents.
You'll know you are there
when floating weed surrounds you.
Yellow-gold and green, it tangles
in the waves and sunlight,
full of life!



from A First Book of the Sea
by Nicola Davies
Illustrated by Emily Sutton
Candlewick, 2018 

Happiness (Monday Poem)

by Nicola Davies


Sand in my shoes.
Salt in my hair.
A pebble in my pocket.
The horizon in my eyes.



from A First Book of the Sea
by Nicola Davies
Illustrated by Emily Sutton
Candlewick, 2018 

'Tis the Season of Gratitude (FAMILY magazine reviews

As temperatures drop and the time for frights and spooks passes, we turn our hearts toward each other with gratitude for the many abundances in our lives. Take time to savor this season and settle in with these standout stories to share with your favorite youngster. This is a time to celebrate and these well-told tales will only add to the festivities. Enjoy!

Bagels from Benny 

By Aubrey Davis

Illustrated by Dusan Petricic

            Rooted in an old Jewish folk tale from Spain, this version, with a young boy and his grandfather at its center, makes Davis’ retelling of the legend accessible to young readers. Benny loves to help his grandfather in the bakery, where he makes the best bagels in town. But Grandpa doesn’t want thanks for the bagels – he thinks God deserves thanks.      

            So, Benny devises a plan to thank God for the bagels – he leaves a bag of bagels in the synagogue every week. Since they disappear, Benny sees this as a sign that God has heard his thanks. That is, until Benny discovers that a poor man has been coming in to prayerfully and thankfully take the bagels. 

            Petricic’s watercolor illustrations, in round bagel shapes -- using mostly brown bagel tones, with occasional brighter colors as highlights – feature a captivating youngster with large ears and an expressive face. Additional small sepia colored drawings punctuate each opposing page to emphasize the text.

            Benny is crushed when he realizes what has really been happening with the bagels. But Grandpa, who followed Benny and has seen the poor man take the bagels from the synagogue, tells Benny that he has “made the world a little better. . . And what better thanks could God have?”

            This surprising and lovely story is a holiday delight to share especially beyond Jewish settings. Not only can young children understand and value the close bond between Benny and his Grandpa, but the heartfelt wonder of sharing and giving thanks is profound and appealing to both children and the adults in their lives.

Kids Can Press, $15.95 (hardcover) $7.95 (paperback)

Interest Level: Grade1-4

Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving 

By Laurie Halse Anderson

Illustrated by Matt Faulkner

            As we prepare for Thanksgiving celebrations many of us think of Native Americans and their kindness to the Pilgrims, especially as the two groups celebrated the harvest season with feasting. But without the tireless work of Sarah Hale (Right! The same “dainty little lady” who wrote “Mary Had A Little Lamb,” one of the most famous nursery rhymes in the US.) Thanksgiving might have just faded away.

            For nearly four decades, through four US presidents, Sarah wielded her mighty pen writing tirelessly in support of a national holiday to celebrate Thanksgiving. At last, in 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday – “a day for all Americans to give thanks, together.”

Although in a silly mood, and illustrated with raucous hilarity, this peppy nonfiction picture book pays tribute to a letter-writing heroine.

A “Feast of Facts” about the day and the title character, is appended with sources included.

Simon & Schuster, $18.99 (hardcover) $7.99 (paperback)

Interest Level: Grade 1-4

Giving Thanks 

By Jonathan London

Illustrated by Gregory Manchess

            “Every morning,” a young boy says, his father thanks “Mother Earth” and “Father Sky” like his ”Indian” friends. Like them, he believes that nature gives gifts and that in return, something must be given back – a thank you. Especially at this season of the year, many of us are also thinking thankfulness.

As the two hike through a gorgeous fall day together, the father thanks frogs, crickets, wild mushrooms, autumn trees shedding leaves, a fox, deer, quail, a jackrabbit and a hawk. The boy feels a bit embarrassed as his father thanks trees and things. But his dad tells him it will become a habit for him too.

The tone of the text is respectful and matter-of-fact. The brilliant oil paintings reflect earth colors and the illustrator uses a soft focus to highlight the creatures and the boy-father pair from varied perspectives across a walking panorama.

The story ends with the boy thanking the stars. And, in this beautifully illustrated picture book, the message is simple, infused with a spirituality that cherishes the gifts nature freely gives.

Candlewick Press $16.99 (hardcover) $6.99 (paperback)

Interest Level: Junior Kindergarten – Grade 3

Shoal (Monday Poem)

by Nicola Davies


Swirl, swish.
Twirl, twist.
Flash, flick.
Gleam, glint.

All turn, all dive,
all eyes open wide.

Ten thousand bodies move in time.
a moving, swimming, living rhyme.



from A First Book of the Sea
by Nicola Davies
Illustrated by Emily Sutton
Candlewick, 2018 

Cat Watching a Spider (Monday Poem)

by Julie Fogliano


so silent and certain
a spider
can cause
a watchful and wondering cat
to pause

all prowl and prance
and teeth and claws



from World Make Way: New Poems Inspired by Art from the Metropolitan Museum of Art
edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins
Abrams, 2017

Finding Shells (Monday Poem)

by Nicola Davies


There's no special trick to finding seashells.
All you have to do is look.
It's hard at first, but soon your eyes
will start to notice tiny details
and you'll pick up little bits of beauty.
Let your heart sing for a moment,
then put them back;
someone else might need them.



from A First Book of the Sea
by Nicola Davies
Illustrated by Emily Sutton
Candlewick, 2018 

Hurricane Hustle (FAMILY Magazine reviews)

The season of hurricanes is upon us! And we remember the results and clean up from last year’s visit by Hurricane Irma! At a time when young people may feel anxious about hurricanes, these helpful books can make it easier to talk about how to prepare, what to do during, and what can be done following a hurricane. Reading any of these titles can make the opportunity for youngsters to voice their concerns and be reassured by someone who cares.

Ready, Set . . . WAIT! What Animals Do Before a Hurricane 

by Patti R. Zelch

illustrations by Connie McLennan

            South Florida is a featured character in Zelch’s (the “ch” is pronounced as a “k”) informative picture book. The animals she highlights -- from reef fish to pods of dolphin, sharks, lobsters, manatees, seagulls, herons, pelicans, crocodiles, butterflies, rabbits and mice – are waiting out the storm in various hidden locations. They seem to know the storm is coming and how to safely prepare themselves.

            Beginning with humans as they prepare for a brewing hurricane, by protecting their homes and collecting supplies, a young boy wonders what animals do to get ready for a storm. Simple but poetic text (“Fathers flicker flashlights” and “sharks explode”) companions beautiful paintings of the animals in their habitats. As the story continues and the animals huddle, the urgency builds, the clouds darken, the rain falls in sheets and the “wind howls.” The story concludes as the hurricane arrives on land!

            The back matter includes information about hurricanes as natural disasters, a map showing locations and brief explanations of typhoons, cyclones, and hurricanes, how humans prepare for storms, and what the numbers on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale mean. The final pages explain scientific and observational animal behavior. (Additional online links are provided on the publisher’s website.)

Sylvan Dell (now Arbordale Publishing)

$8.95 (paperback)$16.95 (hardcover)

Interest Level: Grade Junior Kindergarten – Grade 3

Hurricane!  

by Jonathan London

illustrated by Henri Sorensen

            Written long before the violence wreaked on Puerto Rico’s shores by last year’s hurricane Maria, this picture-book by hurricane survivor London nonetheless supplies readers with an authentic experience of the adventure, fear and relief that can characterize a hurricane. A morning can begin as any other morning, and in a moment change.

            The sky can darken with thunderclouds, the air can still, just before the wind thrashes the palm trees in a “wild dance.” The family in this story prepares by putting away bikes and closing storm shutters. They pack up bags, pets and supplies and, hurry to the shelter, while the rain slams the car.

            Dramatic paintings are magnetic accompaniments to the vigorous text. The strong sense of family and community support draws the occupants of the shelter together as they deal with a broken window and sing in Spanish.

            The true-to-life conclusion shows the clean-up of the littered yard, and the characters’ home is reassuringly still standing. But not far away others are not so fortunate.

HarperCollins, $17.99

Interest Level: Junior Kindergarten – Grade 3

Hurricane 

by David Wiesner

            Award winning author/illustrator Wiesner frames an inventive aftermath of a storm when two brothers, David and George, discover an elm tree downed by the hurricane winds during the night as they slept. They imagine a jungle exploration, a ship on the high seas searching for pirates, and a rocket into outer space. The “sleeping giant” becomes a “private place, big enough for secret dreams, small enough for shared adventures.”

            Although Wiesner uses the image of tape on windows, which has long been discredited as a realistic means for protecting glass from shattering. The experiences of the boys and their parents without electricity, and their wonderings about what animals like squirrels and birds do, are familiar to many who have lived through a hurricane.

            The watercolor paintings are both realistic and imaginative as the storm progresses and, in their play afterwards. But especially vivid are the results of the chainsaws, and the interactions between light and color in the double page illustrations that shadow the boys’ sadness as their tree playground becomes stacks of firewood.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

$7.99 (paperback)

Interest Level: Grade 1-3

Shore Crab (Monday Poem)

by Nicola Davies


Delicate!
Like a dancer,
the crab sidesteps
to a dead-fish dinner.

Wary!
Periscope eyes up, watching.
Its big claws pinch tiny scraps
and pass them to its busy mouth.

Dainty!
Like a giant eating cupcakes.



from A First Book of the Sea
by Nicola Davies
Illustrated by Emily Sutton
Candlewick, 2018 

Still I Rise (Monday Poem)

by Maya Angelou


You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may tread me like the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.


from And Still I Rise: A Book of Poems, by Maya Angelou
Random House, 1978 

The Squirrel (Monday Poem)

by Anonymous


Whisky, frisky,
Hippity hop,
Up he goes
To the treetop!

Whirly, twirly,
Round and round,
Down he scampers
To the ground.

Furly, curly,
What a tail!
Tall as a feather
Broad as a sail!

Where's his supper?
In the shell,
Snappity, crackity,
Out it fell!



from Sing a Song of Seasons: A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year
selected by Fiona Waters, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon
Candlewick Press, 2018

Noisy, Noisy (Monday Poem)

by Jack Prelutsky


It's noisy, noisy overhead,
the birds are winging south,
and every bird is opening
a noisy, noisy mouth.

They fill the air with loud complaint,
they honk and quack and squawk --
they do not feel like flying,
but it's much too far to walk.


from Sing a Song of Seasons: A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year
selected by Fiona Waters, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon
Candlewick Press, 2018 

How to Be a Poet (Monday Poem)

by Wendell Berry


Make a place to sit down.
Sit down. Be quiet.
You must depend upon
affection, reading, knowledge,
skill -- more of each
than you have -- inspiration,
work, growing older, patience,
for patience joins time
to eternity. Any readers
who like your poems
doubt their judgement.

Breathe with unconditional breath
the unconditioned air. Shun electric wire.
Communicate slowly. Live
a three-dimensional life;
stay away from screens.
Stay away from anything
that obscures the place it is in.
There are no unsacred places;
there are only sacred places
and desecrated places.

Accept what comes from silence.
Make the best you can of it.
Of the little words that come
out of the silence, like prayers
prayed back to the one who prays,
make a poem that does not disturb
the silence from which it came.


 from
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/41087/how-to-be-a-poet

From Unfriendliness and Anger, Books Transform Understanding - FAMILY magazine reviews

As we advance into the season, and the school year begins, it’s an important time to consider classroom and playtime relationships and how we support our children’s growth toward managing difficult emotions. The books included in this short list are wonderful stories, with the added bonus of strengthening the connections we make as we develop bonds with others in new settings. Don’t hesitate to share these remarkable stories and invite conversations with the young people you love!

Each Kindness 

by Jacqueline Woodson

illustrated by E. B. Lewis

            This forceful, muscular picture book about the other side of bullying – is told by the bully, using quiet straightforward language. When a new student arrives in class, the teacher introduces her as Maya, and seats her next to Chloe. Along with most of the silent class, the African-American narrator, doesn’t smile a welcome, and moves herself and her chair farther away from the girl in the raggedy shoes.

            Chloe and her friends whisper secrets, turn down Maya’s offers to play jacks, cards, dolls, pick up sticks, and call her “Never New” because her clothes are obviously secondhand. Lewis’ watercolor paintings demonstrate his skilled use of light and dark, windows, pools of water, playground perspectives, and the expressive faces of children from a variety of unexpected views. His gently controlled, realistic illustrations supply important details to complement Woodson’s intense, elegant, economical free verse.

            Later, the teacher invites students to drop a pebble into a large bowl of water, to watch “what kindness does.” How “each little thing we do goes out, like a ripple, into the world.” But Maya’s family moves away and Chloe feels the heartbreaking tension of her casual cruelty, as a lost opportunity to make it right.

The combined talents of this author-illustrator team welcome youngsters of all economic backgrounds to examine the sadly, near epidemic practice of excluding those less fortunate. This emotionally resonant story with its remorseful narrator reveals the withholding of friendship with haunting depth and authenticity, offering readers conversational and empathetic opportunities to reflect.

Penguin, $17.99

Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 3

Steps and Stones: An Anh’s Anger Story 

by Gail Silver

illustrated by Christiane Kromer

            Anh’s favorite part of the day is recess, in a sequel to Anh’s Anger by this talented author and illustrator team. But his friends run past him to play ball. Charlie says, “Digging is for babies,” when Anh calls out that he’s brought shovels. Anh feels like he’s “been punched in the stomach.”

            As a tearful Anh leans against a shady oak tree, Anger explodes into his awareness as an animated collage of colors, shapes, designs and sharp teeth. This flashy personification of Anger offers Anh a chance to tell Charlie, “I’m no baby!” and then grab the ball and throw it at him.

Eager to go, Anger flashes off, but Anh wants to slow down. Walking deliberately together, breathing in with one step, and breathing out with the next step, Anh and Anger begin to count their steps, also at Anh’s suggestion.

             This walking meditation helps Anh to control his strong feelings. And, as the counting increases, Anger's size decreases and his vivid colors begin to fade.

            The appealing collage illustrations are combined with brush and pencil drawings in a bright palette of mostly greens, yellows and browns, with a winning variety of perspectives. Especially engaging is a double page spread from above as the two begin their unhurried pace together.

            Based on teachings about mindfulness and Buddhism by Thich Nhat Hanh, this unconventional and irresistible visual story simplifies the oftentimes heavy topic of dealing with strong feelings, especially anger. Gentle and wise, this winsome picture book shows the transforming magic of an habitual practice.

Plum Blossom Books, $16.95

Interest Level: Junior Kindergarten – Grade 3

Red 

by Jan De Kinder

            It starts small – just a blush. Yet, the title encompasses the complexities arising from the narrator’s comment to her friend, Tommy, “You’re blushing . . .”

She notes, with regret, how this minor observation escalates into bullying. “This isn’t funny anymore,” she adds several pages later, “I want it to stop . . .”

            First published in Belgium, De Kinder’s quietly powerful story shares the narrator’s inner battle: Her fear of Paul, who advances the initial giggling into pushing, conflicts with her wish to stand up for Tommy, who she thinks is “pretty nice.”

            The expressive illustrations created with pencil, charcoal, ink, aquarelle, acrylic, and collage effectively use red color to highlight the rising tension. Also, several double page spreads feature shadowy figures with sharp edges, grasping hands, and pointed teeth to demonstrate the potent threat of the strong words and actions.

            Red print intensifies the force of the text, especially as the teacher questions, “Who saw what happened?” Initially, no one responds, except Paul, who grins. Ashamed faces, awash in red, are contrasted with the narrator -- lit bright for her ultimate bravery in raising her hand wordlessly in response to the teacher’s continued questions. Soon others are talking all at once, “I saw it too.” The support is immediately felt by the narrator, “I can breathe again,” she acknowledges.

            And when Paul storms over with his fists up to confront the narrator, other children stand beside her. While the story doesn’t show the bully learning from this experience, it does show the red-cheeked narrator and Tommy in reversed positions, a sturdy child-authentic conclusion.

Eerdman’s Books for Young Readers, $16.00

Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 3

 

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A Poem Can Sing (Monday Poem)

by Douglas Florian


A poem can sing
A poem can sting
A poem can shout
Or leap about
A poem can yell
Or sink or swell
A poem can talk
Or take a walk
A poem can wail
A poem can sail
A poem can wing
A poem can sing


from Poetry Aloud Here! Sharing Poetry with Children in the Library
by Sylvia M. Vardell, American Library Association, 2006

Sips of the Sea (Monday Poem)

by Avis Harley

the 

pipe

fish

seems

to 

me

to

be

a 

straw

to 

draw

up

sips

of 

the 

sea

from Sea Stars: Saltwater Poems

by Avis Harley

2006, WordSong

 

The New Colossus (Monday Poem)

by Emma Lazarus


Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles, From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"




from A Poem of Her Own: Voices of American Women Yesterday and Today
Edited by Catherine Clinton
2003, Harry N. Abrams

The Milky Way (Monday Poem)

by Michael Hettich


If we could imagine that every word we speak
were an animal or insect, the last of the species
ever to be born, that the very act of speaking
brought extinction even before our words
had been heard and replied to, we might get a feeling
for the vanishings we witness but don't see. And if every
conversation were understood as a kind
of holocaust denuding whole landscapes, some people
would simply fall silent--as far as they could--
while most others would keep chattering on. Just imagine
the vast forests of lives, the near-infinity of forms
brought to a halt with a simple conversation.
And I would be one of the talkers, despite
the fact that I knew what my talking destroyed.
And so I would mourn every word I said,
even while I argued passionately for silence
and for learning to honor the sacred diversity
of life. Just imagine watching the stars
go out on a dark night in the far north, a clear night,
one after another until the sky was black.

Once, when I was taking out the garbage, just walking
dully across my backyard, a huge bird--
as big as a vulture but glittering and sleek--
rose from the grass and flew into my body,
knocked the breath out of me, then flew up and away
with a powerful pull of its wings. I could hardly

see it in the darkness. And then it was just gone.

From The Frozen Harbor by Michael Hettich

2017, Red Dragonfly Press

On the Hunt for Bear (Stories) - FAMILY magazine reviews

 

The strength and power of bears have intrigued humans for generations, from teddy bears to bears living in wild lands and in zoos. The books included in this small collection show the humor that children’s book writers and children themselves feel in the enjoyment of inventive stories to delight our imaginations.

 

Big Bear, Small Mouse 

by Karma Wilson

Illustrated by Jane Chapman

            Once again Wilson’s delightful rhymes grab attention, this time with a focus on opposites. The rollicking rhythms of this jaunty picture book are captivatingly simple and engaging for the youngest listeners. Bear and Mouse, Badger, Hare, Wren, Owl, Mole, Gopher and Raven are all involved in demonstrating opposites; cold/warm, quiet/loud, high/low, slow/fast, small/big.

            Chapman’s breezy acrylic illustrations are an animated back and forth of white space that shows the contrast between the opposites demonstrated in this story and the happy animal adventurers as they romp through the blue and green woods to bear’s lair where everyone comes in out of the weather for a cozy conclusion.

Simon & Schuster, $16.99

Interest Level: Pre-Kindergarten – Grade 1

There’s a Bear on My Chair 

by Ross Collins

            Another perfect story for the nursery set begins with a large polar bear seated on small mouse’s chair. Collins matches his playful rhymes with large double-page digitally created spreads, that show the mouse doing nearly all the talking about the bear: “I understand that bears are rare. I know they need the utmost care. I know all that. I am aware. But still I cannot stand this bear.”

            This book is great fun to read aloud. The text is printed on one side of each spread, with a large font to magnify the intensifying drama. Solid color backgrounds concentrate attention on the expressive faces, body language and perplexing situation for the two characters.

When finally, the mouse has had it, and leaves, the bear wordlessly gets up off the chair and heads home to his igloo. The final page spread is the twist that makes the story - at last the bear speaks - for a satisfying conclusion!

Candlewick Press, $7.99 (board book) $16.99 (hardcover)

Interest Level: Pre-Kindergarten – Grade 1

How to Share with a Bear 

by Eric Pinder

illustrated by Stephanie Graegin

            When Thomas makes a cozy cave, it attracts a small bear. Clever Thomas uses blankets, pillows, and cushions to create this comfy den in the living room. But when he leaves to get a flashlight to read, bumping and thumping noises from inside lead to the discovery of a bear when he returns.

            Thomas makes a trail of blueberries “leading away from the cave” because “Everyone knows that bears like berries.” It works! – For a while. But when he gets back with his books. He’s too late! The bear is there!

            Thomas tries to think like a bear – and lures him away with a back scratcher, fish bath toys in the bathroom sink, a bowl of honey oat cereal in the kitchen – all of which are fleetingly successful. But once Thomas is inside the cave, there’s no room for the bear, who begins to cry. Fortunately, there’s a cave-in!

The bear and Thomas giggle, and rebuild a bigger cave! Youngsters can finally see the bear is Thomas’ younger brother!

Pinder uses simple engaging language to tell of the kindness of this older brother. Graegin’s blue and gold palate of absorbing details in the accompanying illustrations guides the youngest listeners along this sweetly generous journey. This captivating story includes simple instructions at the end, for the nursery crowd, on “How to Build a Cave.”

Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $17.99

Interest Level: Pre-Kindergarten – Grade 1

 

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Hurry (Monday Poem)

by Eve Merriam


Hurry! says the morning,
don't be late for school!

Hurry! says the teacher,
hand in the papers now!

Hurry! says the mother,
supper's getting cold!

Hurry! says the father,
time to go to bed!

Slowly, says the darkness,
you can talk to me . . . .




from Forget-Me-Nots: Poems to Learn by Heart
Selected by Eve Merriam
2012, Little Brown and Company

I Am a Mirror (Monday Poem)

by Nikki Giovanni


I am a mirror.

I reflect the grace
Of my mother
The tenacity
Of my grandmother
The patience
Of my grandfather
The sweat
Of my great-grandmother
The hope
Of my great-grandfather
The songs
Of my ancestors
The prayers
Of those on the auction block
The bravery
Of those in the middle passage

I reflect the strengths
Of my people
And for that alone
I am loved.



from  I Am Loved
by Nikki Giovanni
2018, Atheneum

One Leaf Rides the Wind (Monday Poem)

by Celeste Davidson Mannis


One leaf rides the wind.
Quick as I am, it's quicker!
Just beyond my grasp.


One leaf rides the wind.
Quick as I am, it's quicker!
I reach for the sky.



from One Leaf Rides the Wind: Counting in a Japanese Garden
by Celeste Davidson Mannis
2002, Viking

Somewhere (Monday Poem)

Where, oh where,
Can somewhere be:
In outer space?
Beneath the sea?

Is somewhere
Always far away?
In other lands?
Beyond today?

Is somewhere
Always farther still?
Beyond the woods?
Beyond the hill?

It's difficult
To be aware
Of somewhere else
Until you're there.



from Is Somewhere Always Far Away? Poems About Places
by Leland B. Jacobs
1993, Henry Holt

Tree (Monday Poem)

by Douglas Florian


Out of the earth
Springs a trunk.
Out of the trunk
Springs a branch.
Out of the branch
Springs a stem.
Out of the stem
Springs a leaf.
Inside the leaf
Are rivers
And oceans
Of life.



from Bing Bang Bong
by Douglas Florian
1994, Harcourt

Ahoy Mateys! Pirates Ahead! - FAMILY magazine reviews

Hunt for summertime treasure as you ride the high seas in these pirate tales of adventure and travel! Watch out! Imagination required, as a shipload of magical new discoveries await. 

One-Eyed Jake by Pat Hutchins

            One-Eyed Jake was the meanest pirate ever. “Nobody liked him.” The cook, the bo'sun, and the cabin boy wanted to escape. But Jake “robbed every ship in sight. . .  And if anyone dared complain,” Jake threw him overboard.

            The colorful and detailed illustrations show Jake and his ship with the requisite pirate flag, spyglass, eye patch, treasure chest and much more against a white background and bright blue sea. Pirate activity moves the story in a beautifully choreographed combination of busy paintings and jaunty text. A variety of skin colors, plus faces and body language, demonstrate the threat and fear Jake’s greediness produce.

            What the cook, the bo’sun and the cabin boy wish for becomes clear as the story progresses. And what Jake does, despite the fishermen’s warnings, actually helps each of the three achieve their dreams. And satisfyingly, “One-Eyed Jake was never seen again.”

Greenwillow

Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 1

Poppy the Pirate Dog and the Missing Treasure by Liz Kessler, illustrated by Mike Phillips

            Adorable Poppy comes to the rescue once again in this third adventure starring the pirate pup. Expressive illustrations in ink and watercolors, surrounded by lots of white space, show Poppy and her human family preparing for a pirate show in honor of Mom’s birthday. Poppy's job is to “guard the treasure and keep it safe.”

But while protecting the treasure, Poppy injures her eye and must wear a plastic cone around her neck. Thinking this will keep her from all the fun Poppy tries to take a nap. However, along with the other family members, Poppy realizes that the sparkly new necklace Dad bought for Mom's birthday is missing.

Text and illustrations together offer clues for beginning readers. How Poppy discovers this treasure's hidden location doesn’t require a pirate map. It does, however, assure readers that Mom's pirate show and party are not spoiled.

Poppy with her family supply another episode of fun for fans of this early chapter book series.

Candlewick Press, $3.99 (paperback) $14.99 (hardcover)

Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 3

Pirate Girl by Cornelia Funke, illustrated by Kerstin Meyer

Molly is on a trip, sailing to visit her grandmother, when she is captured by Captain Firebeard, the “terror of the high seas,” and his fearsome crew. They decide to hold her for a “handsome ransom.”

Meyer’s cartoon-like illustrations use mixed media to show scruffy bearded buccaneers in partnership with Funke’s humorous text. In spite of being forced to perform endless chores, Molly resists threats to feed her to the sharks, if she doesn’t reveal her parents' names and address. Instead, she makes a clever plan, waits until the pirates are sleeping, and tosses messages into the sea, secretly tucked in bottles

When she’s caught in the act, and is about to be thrown overboard, rescue arrives in the form of pirate Barbarous Bertha, who happens to be her mom. Firebeard and his mates are now required to take over Molly's chores. She, meanwhile, sails happily off to Grandma's house.

Chicken House, $15.95

Interest Level: Junior Kindergarten – Grade 1

 

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Nightmares (Monday Poem)

by Francisco X. Alarcon


sometimes
dreams

that ignore
or exclude

the dreams
of others

become
nightmares



from Poems to Dream Together / Poemas Para Sonar Juntos
by Francisco X. Alarcon
2005, Lee & Low

Until I Saw the Sea (Monday Poem)

by Lillian Moore


Until I saw the sea
I did not know
that wind
could wrinkle water so.

I never knew
that sun
could splinter a whole sea of blue.

Nor
did I know before,
a sea breathes in and out
upon a shore.




from Sing a Song of Popcorn: Every Child's Book of Poems
Selected by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers, Eva Moore, Mary Michaels White, Jan Carr
1988, Scholastic

Yellow-Bill Duck (Monday Poem)

by Jack Prelutsky


I'm a yellow-bill duck
With a black feather back,
I waddle waddle waddle,
and I quack quack quack!

I dabble for my dinner
With a swish swish swish,
and I gobble gobble gobble
all I wish wish wish.



from Ride a Purple Pelican
by Jack Prelutsky
1986, Greenwillow

The Great Frog Race (Monday Poem)

by Kristine O'Connell George


We used flashlights one night
to find them in the damp and secret
places in the garden.

We put the frogs in a cardboard box
and wet down the driveway.
The garden hose was the finish line.

One by one, we lined up the frogs,
(It wasn't easy.)
We yelled: Ready-- Set-- Go!

Seventeen frogs leaped in all directions,
croaking.  Blurk. Blurk. Blurk.
The Great Frog Race was over quickly.

One by one,
all contestants hopped off
into the moonlight.


from The Great Frog Race and Other Poems
by Kristine O'Connell George
1997, Clarion

Missing (Monday Poem)

by Cynthia Cotton


My brother is a soldier
in a hot, dry,
sandy place.
He's missing--
missing things like
baseball, barbeques,
fishing, French fries,
chocolate sodas,
flame-red maple trees,
blue jays,
and snow.

I'm missing too--
missing
his read-out-loud voice,
his super special
banana pancakes
his scuffed up shoes
by the back door,
his big-bear
good night
hugs.

There are people
with guns
in that land of sand
who want to shoot
my brother.

I hope
they miss him
too.

From America At War: Poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins

2008, Simon & Schuster

In Honor of Fathers and Grandfathers (FAMILY magazine reviews)

From tender to funny, dads and grandads can provide their children and grandchildren with the support and nurture that is so important in the family setting as well as in the wider world. Choose some of these grand books to share as only one of many ways to honor these family members you care about.

My Father’s Hands 

by Joanne Ryder

illustrated by Mark Graham

A blonde child and her dad share nature’s wonders in their garden, delicately examining a pink worm, a gold beetle, a sliding snail, and a leaf-green praying mantis. Full color oil paintings in soft-focus create a Monet-type setting, with lushly flowering plants in the background. Graham uses pastel coloring to enhance intimate close-ups of both daughter’s and father’s hands and faces.

The story is in the memory, with evidence of gentle touching in the melding of text and illustrations throughout. The restrained investigations established by the father, are imitated by the child. The daughter knows “nothing within my father’s hands will harm me.”

This tender picture book demonstrates mindful attention in the natural world. By example, readers will want to look for similar opportunities to care for and sustain our earth and its occupants.

Morrow, $17.99

Interest Level: Junior Kindergarten – Grade 2

Alma and How She Got Her Name 

by Juana Martinez-Neal

            Alma Sofia Esperanza Jose Pura Candela has a “too long” name, she tells her Daddy, “It never fits.” He responds by telling stories about the family members she’s been named after: a grandmother who is a book lover, an artist grandfather, and a deeply spiritual great-aunt, among others.

            The pictures, by award winning illustrator Martinez-Neal, use print transfers with graphite and colored pencils to complement the text. She crafts her delightful illustrations in grays and blacks with touches of color that help to define both Alma herself, and the ancestors whose names she shares.

            Alma’s candy stripe pants pop against sepia tones which suggest old family photos. Affectionately curved shapes connect the individual family members to the rounded images of Alma herself. Adults who share this lively story book will want to be prepared for conversations with young children about their own names.

This charming tale ends with her daddy’s explanation that Alma is “the first and only Alma.” And she will make her own story. Her name “fits me just right!” says Alma, “and I have a story to tell.”

Candlewick Press, $15.99

Interest Level: Pre-Kindergarten – Grade 2

Grandpa Toad’s Secrets 

by Keiko Kasza

            During their walk in the forest, Grandpa Toad cautions his grandson, “Our world is full of hungry enemies.” As he begins to tell Little Toad his survival secrets - the first is to, “Be brave” when you meet danger - a snake shows up. Little Toad runs away. Not Grandpa, whose bravery sends the snake on his way.

            Grandpa’s second secret, “Be smart!” works when a hungry snapping turtle arrives for a snack. Little Toad takes off again. But Grandpa whispers a tip to the turtle. However, before Grandpa can tell his third secret, a monster - so “humongous” that he only fits on the double page spread sideways – appears, and both Little Toad and Grandpa run.

Except --- Grandpa is caught by the monster! Little Toad hides in the bushes, shaking with fear as Grandpa is becoming a toad sandwich. Still, as he thinks about the two secrets he’s just learned, and sees berries nearby, Little Toad decides on a plan to trick the monster, rescuing his grandfather!

Repeated phrases, expressive animal characters, plus plenty of white space around the comical watercolor illustrations surprisingly supply emotional distance, reducing the “scare” for young children. A clever tale, told in spare but jaunty language, this a winner for adult readers as well as their listeners.

Candlewick Press, $15.99

Interest Level: Pre-Kindergarten – Grade 2

More Terrific Tales:

Things to do with Dad 

by Sam Zuppardi

Candlewick Press, $16.99

Interest Level: Pre-Kindergarten – Grade 2

With Dad, It’s Like That 

by Nadine Brun-Cosme

Illustrated by Magali Le Huche

Albert Whitman, $16.99

Interest Level: Pre-Kindergarten – Grade1