In the Woods by David Elliott

David Elliott's newest poetry collection takes us In the Woods with fifteen different forest animals. 

The Animals: bear, fox, scarlet tanager, opossum, skunk, porcupine, fisher, hornet, millipede, moose, beaver, wild turkey, bobcat, raccoon, deer 

Thoughts: Another great collection for the youngest listeners and readers. I like that Elliott chose woods for the title instead of forest. All the kids I interact with refer to the forest as the woods. This will immediately make the book familiar to them. Of the fifteen animals, there was only one I had never heard of. My favorite poems are opossum, moose, and beaver. The watercolor and mixed media illustrations perfectly suit the poems and the setting. My favorite illustrations are the scarlet tanager and the bobcat. 

This book would pair well with Forest Has a Song by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater and A Whiff of Pine, A Hint of Skunk: A Forest of Poems by Deborah Ruddell if you were sharing forest poetry with elementary school students. For storytime, I would pair In the Woods with a few of my favorite forest books like Too Tall Houses by Gianna Marino and Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris. 

Themes: Forest Animals 

Don't miss the other books in David's Poetry Series for Candlewick! (Links are to my reviews.) 

On the Farm

In the Wild 

In the Sea 

On the Wing 

In the Past 

At the Pond (coming Spring 2021)

(Illustrated by Rob Dunlavey. Candlewick Press, 2020.)

Follow the Recipe: Poems about Imagination, Celebration, & Cake by Marilyn Singer

Twenty-six poems function as recipes for various things like love, balance, and courage. 

Thoughts: Such a fun collection. When I was a child there was a plaque beside the wall telephone in the kitchen that was titled something like "Recipe for a Happy Home." Follow the Recipe reminds me of this plaque. The topics are interesting and I like that they all aren't food related. My favorite poems are "recipe for measurement," "recipe for a poem," "recipe for fairy tales," "recipe for reading," and "recipe for magic." Priceman's illustrations are full of color and whimsy. I especially like the incorporation of postage stamps. My favorite illustrations are "recipe for a good recipe," "recipe for a poem," "recipe for love," and "recipe for magic." I think this collection will be fun to share with children and then encourage them to write recipe poems by adding a word to the phrase "a recipe for." "recipe for memories" would also be a great staring point for children (or anyone really) to recall favorite food memories. 

My reviews of other poetry collections by Marilyn Singer: 

Follow Follow: A Book of Reverso Poems 

Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse 

Twosomes: Love Poems from the Animal Kingdom 

(Illustrated by Marjorie Priceman. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2020.)

Write! Write! Write! Poems by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater

Amy Ludwig Vanderwater's newest poetry collection is a celebration of writing. Twenty-two poems explore all aspects of writing from a child's point of view. 

Thoughts: Writing is one of my favorite things so I've been looking forward to Write! Write! Write!. The poems celebrate both the act and craft of writing as well as children. The poems touch on things kids can relate to like crazy socks, state reports, and essays. I can't wait to share some with kids when I visit schools in the fall. My favorite poems are "Our Alphabet," "How to Begin," "If I Were an Octopus," "Writing about Reading," "Revision Is" Writing Is for Everyone," "Now," "The Pen," "Truth," and "One Wish." The illustrations are colorful and fun. My favorites are the cover, the octopus, and "Writing about Reading." I like that different types of poems are included. I'm especially fond of list poems. 

Don't miss Read! Read! Read! Poems by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater! 

(Illustrated by Ryan O'Rourke. Wordsong, 2020.)

If I Couldn't Be Anne by Kallie George

Inspired by Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery, this picture book explores what Anne would want to be if she couldn't be herself. 

Thoughts: This book expertly captures the essence of Anne through brief text and lovely illustrations. Fans of the 1908 book will recognize many scenes from the book. The exultation of imagination is perfect as is the sentiment at the end of the book. The pastel and watercolor illustrations are soft and detailed. My favorite illustrations are lily maid and Anne taking the ribbon out of her hair. My first copy of AOGG had Anne as the lily maid on the cover. This would be perfect to introduce the youngest children to the world of Anne of Green Gables. 

Be sure to check out Kallie George's other books about Anne: Anne Arrives, Anne's Kindred Spirits, and Goodnight, Anne. 

Themes: Imagination, Nature 

(Illustrated by Geneviève Godbout. Tundra, 2020.) 

Snakes on a Train by Kathryn Dennis

Snakes go on a train ride. You might think a train makes a choo-choo sound, but this train makes a hissing sound. 

Thoughts: I enjoyed Snakes on a Train just as much as I did Snakes on the Job. The illustrations are bright and colorful. The snakes look friendly. I like the hissing refrain. I know my storytime kids will join in with little prompting. Dennis's snake books make me wonder. What other topics could you add snakes to in order to create fun picture books?

Themes: Snakes, Trains, Transportation 

(Feiwel and Friends, 2019.) 

Summer Song by Kevin Henkes

Summer Song is a celebration of summer. 

Thoughts: Exactly what I've come to expect from Henkes and Dronzek. Summer Song heralds the completion of their seasonal picture books. The illustrations are colorful with great black outlines. My favorites are green and lying in the grass. I like the mixture of illustration types. It makes the book interesting. It is a perfect book for a summer storytime. 

Themes: Summer, Season, Author 

Don't miss When Spring Comes (2016), In the Middle of Fall (2017), and Winter is Here (2018).

(Illustrated by Laura Dronzek. Greenwillow Books, 2020.) 

Hound Won't Go by Lisa Rogers

Taking Hound for a walk should be easy. And it is...until he won't go. 

Thoughts: Brief rhyming text paired with vibrant, colorful illustrations make this book a hit. I especially love Hound's expressions. Anyone who has ever owned a dog has had a moment like this. It made me laugh. The short text is lyrical. I'd like to use this book with my traffic light prop on the flannel board. 

Themes: Dogs, Storms, Transportation 

(Illustrated by Meg Ishihara. Albert Whitman & Company, 2020.)

Diggersaurs Explore by Michael Whaite

The diggersaurs go exploring hoping to find something old or gold. Using their abilities they are able to overcome any obstacles. 

Thoughts: Dinosaurs + construction machines = storytime gold. The illustrations are bright and colorful. I love the story that takes place below the diggersaurs and the author's invitation to find treasure on the dedication page. 

Themes: Dinosaurs, Construction

(Random House, 2018.)