Poetry and Picture Books for National Poetry Month!

Posted on 04/10/2023

April is National Poetry Month!

 

Check Out the Poetry Collections and Picture Book Length Poems Below!

Collections: 

WHERE I LIVE: Poems about My Home, My Street, and My Town

Selected by Paul Janeczko, illustrated by Hyewon Yum
Candlewick Press | 978-1536200942

Whether you live in the city or the suburbs, in a house or an apartment, the thirty-four poems in Where I Live will conjure up special memories of your favorite neighborhood.

Whether it’s cracks in the sidewalk, ice cream cones, or a day at the park, there’s a poem for you in this collection selected by the late Paul B. Janeczko.

  • Enjoy this interview with Liz Bicknell, Janeczko’s long-time editor at Candlewick, talking about the process of completing his last poetry collection following his death in 2019.

 

AT THE POND

by David Elliott, illustrated by Amy Schimler-Safford
Candlewick Press | 978-1536205985

At the Pond is the 7th book in a series of poetry collections about animals in different settings and time periods (Farm, Sea, Woods, etc.). Flowing from one poem to the next, readers follow a variety of pond creatures from the “hello morning song” of a red-winged blackbird, to a water strider who writes “… his story/in rippling/hieroglyphics,” to the “majestic and absurb” great blue heron.

Short paragraphs of backmatter provide information about each creature mentioned.

 

Picture Books: 

Some of my favorite picture books could be described as picture-book length poems and, for National Poetry Month it seemes appropriate to mention at least two newer favorites.

MOMMY TIME

by Monique James-Duncan, illustrated by Ebony Glenn
Candlewick Press | 978-1536212266

“Wake up! Sun’s up. It’s morning time,
and we just love our Mommy time.

She drags us out of bed time,
then it’s comb our bushy hair time

dressing time
breakfast time.

Pack up lunch, a tasty munch,
and off sister goes to school time.”

I love the pacing, changing rhythm, and page turns of this sweet picture book poem about busy-at-home days with Mommy. This book is a beautiful ode to moms and a fun read-aloud, charmingly illustrated by Ebony Glenn.

 

PATCHWORK

by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Corinna Luyken
G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers | 978-1984813961

The story opens with a gender reveal party and the idea of a blue sign and a gender mark and a blue mood. Very quickly the idea of a patchwork is introduced  –  people are more than just one thing, or one way.

This story about identity is a great conversation starter for a slightly older picture book reader about the many ways to be. Although we love to celebrate the varied talents and interests of the people close to us, we also all need time and space to experiment, practice, and grow into our own choices and dreams. We are alike and different. “… more than a single note… a symphony…”