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Round one for the CYBILS judging has begun. I am a round one judge for poetry. What this means for this poetry lover is there is a new book at my door every day. My collection is building, and I love reading them all. I look forward to discussions with other judges to see what they are thinking. I also love poetry people.
Today I’d like to review two of the books I have received. Note that this review does not in any way reveal where these books will go in the line-up for the CYBILS award. It is merely my opinion.
I have met Irene Latham thanks to a quick pass at a session at NCTE. She is as lovely as her picture. I did not know what a wildebeest was until I got her new book of poetry. It is a good thing that each page not only features a poem but also factual information.
The poetry bounces with the impala “twig pops/grazing stops” and peeps like the meerkat, “I sing my song:/peep peep peep/ It means, we’re safe!/ Forage! Sleep!”
Word play with “Saw-scaled viper/ rubs, shrugs,/ sizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzles.”
Form play in Triptych for a Thirsty Giraffe.
Humor of “Dung Beetle lays eggs/ in elephant poop.”
And even danger, “Siren-howls/ foul the air./ Vultures stick to task:”
Children will love the language and learning that wanders in this book along with the animals of the watering hole.
You may be inclined to say enough with the ABC books, and I was too until I saw this delightfully evil book by Eve Bunting. The seven to eleven year old boys that I teach would love this book of short poems and loads of nonfiction commentary about pirates. I am saving it for next year’s Talk Like a Pirate Day. The illustrations by John Manders are full of action and character. My favorite one is the Movie Pirates. There is a hidden cheat sheet at the end of the book for identifying the actors.
What I love about both of these poetry books is students can gain a love of language while reading about an interesting and engaging topic. I am off to read more poetry!
Reflections on the Teche 