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Sunday, August 27, 2017

Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets by Kwame Alexander with Chris Colderley & Marjory Wentworth

Illustrated by Ekua Holmes

Three poets honor twenty renowned poets in this collection of original poems. The poems are divided into three parts (Got Style, In Your Shoes, and Thank You). The book also features an informative section titled "About the Poets Being Celebrated."

Thoughts: This book is indeed a celebration. I love the last paragraph of the preface by Alexander. The collection as a whole is organized simply and flows well. The poems are all different stylistically which is to be expected as they honor different poets. The poems beg to be read aloud. I love the mix of poets celebrated. I was not familiar with a few of them. The information on the featured poets as well as the different lists make me want to know more about them.

The illustrations are bright, colorful, full of texture, and perfectly suit the poems. Paper collage is one of my favorite illustration mediums/techniques.  Ekua Holmes' illustrations make Out of Wonder a visually stunning book. My favorite poems are "Contemporary Haiku,' "Jazz Jive Jam," "The music of the Earth," "Hue and Cry," and "No Idle Days." My favorite illustrations are of the following poems: "In Every Season," "A Field of Roses," "How Billy Collins Writes a Poem," "The Music of the Earth," and "Majestic." 

Out of Wonder would be a great way to introduce children to these famous poets, maybe during a poetry teatime. There is a teacher's guide available here.

(Candlewick, 2017)

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