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