Who Named Their Pony Macaroni? Poems about White House Pets by Marilyn Singer

Who doesn't love pets? Marilyn Singer's poems explore presidential pets from the very first president on through more contemporary pets. 

Thoughts: Pets are a very kid friendly subject. Using presidential pets draws readers in and before they know it, they're learning a little about history. I like that the poems take different forms. My favorite poems are "Unusual Pets," "A Turkey for Abe Lincoln," "Emily Spinach," "Rex the Ghostbuster," and "Born at the White House." The mixed-media illustrations are engaging and colorful. I especially like the expressions on the pets' faces throughout the book. The ten page "Executive Pets" section at the end of the book offers readers more information about all the presidents and their pets. I look forward to sharing these poems with elementary students and maybe a poem here and there during storytime. 

If you want to know more about the presidents and/or their pets, you should checkout If You Want a Friend in Washington: Wacky, Wild & Wonderful Presidential Pets by Erin McGill, Kid Presidents: True Tales of Childhood from America's Presidents by David Stabler*, and Rutherford B., Who Was He?: Poems about Our Presidents by Marilyn Singer. 

*Link is to the blurb I wrote for Cybils. 

Themes: Pets, Elementary

(Illustrated by Ryan McAmis. Disney Hyperion, 2019.)

Construction People poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Fourteen poems take you through the building of a skyscraper. 

The Poets: Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Denver Buston, Georgia Heard, Darren Sardelli, Ralph Fletcher, Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, Allan Wolf, B. J. Lee, Charles Ghigna, Matt Forrest Esenwine, Joan Bransfield Graham, Lee Bennett Hopkins, J. Patrick Lewis

Thoughts: I love how this collection is tied together by the construction of a skyscraper. As such, it reads like a story. You could also just pull out a few poems to share during a construction themed storytime. I know my construction mad storytime kids will love all the details in the poems and the illustrations. My favorite poems are "What Will I Become? by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, "Cement Speaks" by Ralph Fletcher, "Song of the Welders" by Allan Wolf, "Construction Project Manager" by Matt Forrest Esenwine, and "Electricians" by J. Patrick Lewis. The digital illustrations are soft colored and detailed. There is plenty to see on each page. 

Themes: Construction 

(Illustrated by Ellen Shi. Wordsong, 2020.)

I Remember: Poems and Pictures of Heritage compiled by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Poets and artists explore their heritage one poem and illustration at a time. 

The Poets: Kwame Alexander, Jorge Tetl Argueta, Joseph Bruchac, Nick Bruel, Margarita Engle, Douglas Florian, Guadalupe García McCall, Marilyn Nelson, G. Neri, Naomi Shihab Nye, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Carole Boston Weatherford, Janet S. Wong, Jane Yolen 

The Artists: Paula Barragán, Sawsan Chalabi, R. Gregory Christie, Julie Downing, David Kanietakeron Fadden, Insoo Kim, Rafael López, Janine Macbeth, Juliet Menéndez, Daniel Minter, Sean Qualls, Charlotte Riley-Webb, Jeanne Rorex Bridges, Simone Shin, Neil Waldman, Michele Wood 

Thoughts: This is a powerful collection filled with diverse heritage and thoughts. I love that each poet and artist is given the opportunity to say what poetry or art means to them individually. I can see this collection as a conversation starter for children to talk about their own heritages or to ask the adults in their family to share stories. Heritage and family history have always been important to me so I admire what Lee Bennett Hopkins has accomplished in putting this collection together. Reading I Remember has exposed me to other cultures and made me curious to know more. I'm glad the collection included definitions of words readers might not be familiar with and I thoroughly enjoyed the "About the Poets and Artists" section at the end of the book. My favorite poems are "Pick One" by Nick Bruel, "Gumbo Nation" by G. Neri, and "What My Kinfolk Made" by Carole Boston Weatherford. My favorite illustrations are "Mother's Day" (Simone Shin), "Far, Far Away" (Sawson Chalabi) and "What My Kinfolk Made" (Daniel Minter). I can see myself using this collection with older elementary students and homeschoolers to explore the concepts of heritage and family history (genealogy). 

(Lee and Low Books Inc., 2019.)

In the Middle of the Night: Poems from a Wide-Awake House by Laura Purdie Salas

Have you ever wondered what happens when you're asleep? Is it possible that when you're asleep  everything else is awake? 

Thoughts: What a fun poetry collection! It's a common supposition. What if my toys come alive when I asleep or not in the room? (I'm talking to you, Toy Story film franchise!) I like that Laura writes poems from the toys' perspective as well as other objects like pencils, a lunchbox, and spaghetti. My favorite poems are "Take Flight," "Overdue-Book Hide-and-Seek," Toothpaste Art," "Not Just Dental Floss," and "Revenge of the Lunchbox." Angela Matteson's illustrations are as full of fun as Laura's poems. I love all the details. There's so much to catch your eye on each page. I don't necessarily have favorite illustrations, but rather items that appear once or throughout the book. For example, the stuffed hippo, the origami jumping frog, the pencils, and the lunchbox. I think In the Middle of the Night presents children with an invitation to create. Write a poem about an inanimate object in your room or house that comes alive while you sleep. The possibilities are endless. 

Themes: Bedtime, Toys

(Illustrated by Angela Matteson. Wordsong, 2019.)

Clackety Track: Poems about Trains by Skila Brown

All aboard! Let's learn about trains! 

Thoughts: Such a fun poetry collection! The format of one poem per two page spread makes this book short enough to share during storytime in its entirety. The cadence of the poems make them great for read-alouds. I especially like the train sounds in "Sleeper Train." Train facts at the end of the book extend the book and add more interest. My favorite poems are "Bullet Train," "Zoo Train," "Dinner Train," and "Sleeper Train." Christoph's digital illustration are soft, colorful, and detailed. There's plenty to see on each page. My favorite illustrations are the title page, steam engine, zoo train, and the train facts. 

Themes: Trains, Things That Go

(Illustrated by Jamey Christoph. Candlewick, 2019.)

The Proper Way to Meet a Hedgehog and Other How-To Poems selected by Paul B. Janeczko

Thirty-three poems by twenty-five poets are connected by the concept of how to do something. 

Thoughts: This is a fun collection filled with the nonsensical and the sensible. The collection offers a mix of older and newer poets. I think the idea of how-to poems will inspire librarians and teachers to have children try their hands at writing their own. My favorite poems are "How to Build a Poem" by Charles Ghigna, "How to Tell a Camel" by J. Patrick Lewis, "To Make a Meal" by Calef Brown, "Rules" by Karla Kuskin, "How to Be a Tree in Winter" by Irene Latham, and "Tired Hair" by Douglas Florian. The painted and digitally edited illustrations are soft and charming. My favorites are "How to Tell a Camel" and "How to Be a Tree in Winter." 

Themes: Poetry, Elementary

The Poets: Charles Ghigna, J. Patrick Lewis, Elaine Magliaro, Allan Wolf, Marilyn Singer, Christina Rosetti, Calef Brown, Monica Shannon, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Karla Kuskin, Douglas Florian, Irene Latham, Marjorie Maddox, Kwame Alexander, April Halprin Wayland, Anna E. Jordan, Robert Louis Stevenson, Margarita Engle, Ralph Fletcher, Charles Waters, Martin Gardner, Nikki Grimes, Steven Withrow, Helen Frost, Pat Mora

(Illustrated by Richard Jones. Candlewick, 2019.) 

Finding Treasure: A Collection of Collections by Michelle Schaub

A girl needs to bring a collection to school. She doesn't collect anything. In searching for the perfect collection, she explores the collections of her family, friends, and neighbors. Will she be inspired by their collections? 

Thoughts: This is such a fun poetry collection about collections. While reading the poems, I started to reflect on all the collections I've had over the years: pressed pennies, teddy bears, ceramic figurines, postcards, souvenir spoons, and wheat pennies. I still collect ceramic figurines but now they're mostly owls. I have a seashell collection and I also collect (or hoard) craft supplies. I lost my wheat penny collection in one of my moves, but a friend who works in retail is going to gift me with some for Christmas this year. My hope is that Finding Treasure inspires a new generation of collectors. My favorite poems are "My Mother's Button Box," Grandpa's Good Cents," "Granny's Teapots," and "Meg's Menagerie." Saldaña's digital media illustrations are detailed and draw the eye. My favorite illustrations are the teapots and the black and white animals. The note at the end of the book gives readers a little more information about collecting and how to start a collection. 

Themes: Poetry, Collections, Elementary

(Illustrated by Carmen Saldaña. Charlesbridge, 2019.)

Wild in the Streets: 20 Poems of City Animals by Marilyn Singer

Wild animals are meant to be just that, wild and living in the wild. What happens when wild animals live in cities instead? 

Thoughts: This collection is so interesting. I have never considered what wild animals might get into if they lived in the city. In addition to the poems, Marilyn includes facts about each animal. My favorite poems are "River Crabs," "Brazilian Agoutis," "Honeybees," and "Mein-tien Tree Frogs." There's the potential to include poems from this collection in my storytimes. Bees and frogs are the obvious choices. The illustrations are detailed and muted in color. This would be a great book to use in a classroom when studying animals. There are many instances for STEM connections. 

Themes: Wild Animals, Elementary, Poetry 

(Illustrated by Gordy Wright. Quarto, 2019.)

It's a Pumpkin! by Wendy McClure

Forest animals stumble upon a large, round, orange thing. They've never seen it before. What could it be? 

Thoughts: I am immensely amused by the fact that the title of this book clearly identifies what the object is, but the animals never find out what it is so the word pumpkin is not used anywhere in the book except the title. The illustrations are colorful and full of whimsy. I love each animal's guess as to what the thing might be. In the end, even if they can't name it, they've discovered its purpose. This book would pair well with The Thingamabob by Il Sung Na, The Donkey Egg by Janet Stevens, and Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young. 

Themes: Fall, Parties, Pumpkins 

(Illustrated by Kate Kronreif. Albert Whitman and Co, 2020.) 

The Last Loose Tooth by Tyler Clark Burke

All children lose their baby teeth, but have you ever considered how the teeth feel about this rite of passage?

Thoughts:  Hilarious! I read this book because my sister is a dental hygienist and I'm always looking for new books to add to my teeth/dental health storytime. Lou (the last loose tooth) is a great character. I love that all the teeth have different personalities and unique approaches to falling out. The ending was unexpected and kind of fabulous. The illustrations are bright and colorful. The mixture of different fonts with speech bubbles add interest. I love the end pages where all the baby teeth are identified. Looking forward to using this in October (National Dental Hygiene Month) or February (National Children's Dental Health Month). 

Themes: Teeth, Dental Health 

(Random House, 2020.)

Red House Tree House Little Bitty Brown Mouse by Jane Godwin

A little mouse explores her world and invites the reader to participate by doing any number of things like counting or naming colors. 

Thoughts: Such a fun book! It's definitely a different kind of interactive book with engagement questions built into almost every page. The cadence of the words reminds me of Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett. I can't wait to use this book in storytime. I might even have to create myself a little mouse game for the flannel board to go along with the book. The illustrations are colorful and detailed. I like the lack of outlines and I know the kids will enjoy looking for the mouse on every page. 

Themes: Rhyming Books, Mice, Interactive 

(Illustrated by Blanca Gómez. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2019.)

What's This Tail Saying? by Carolyn Combs

When one animal meets another in the wild, what's their tail saying? In this beautifully illustrated nonfiction book for the youngest readers, that question is answered for eleven different animals. 

Thoughts: I love nonfiction for young children that both entertains and teaches at the same time. What's This Tail Saying? does not disappoint. The illustrations are colorful and detailed. It's impossible to pick a favorite. The two Explore More sections (For Kids, For Parents and Teachers at the back of the book add a lot to this lovely book. Pair with Who Has This Tail? by Laura Hulbert, What Do You Do With a Tail Like This by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page, Creature Features: 25 Animals Explain Why They Look The Way They Do also by Jenkins and Page, I've Got Feet!, I've Got Eyes!, and I've Got a Tail all by Julie Murphy. 

Themes: Animals, Nonfiction

(Illustrated by Cathy Morrison. Dawn Publications, 2020.)

Lift by Minh Lê

The love of pushing the elevator button paired with a case of sibling jealousy and a broken elevator leads a young girl on to take the broken button. She didn't realize it was magic. 

Thoughts: Such a fascinating story! I love the almost comic book style layout of the illustrations. You really have to "read" the pictures in this book even thought it's not wordless. I think this book would pair well with Journey, Quest, and Return by Aaron Becker. This would be a great book to use as a writing exercise with slightly older children. The girl doesn't realize the elevator button is magic until it's broken and she puts it up in her bedroom. You could ask the kids to pick an everyday object and ask what if that object was magic. Fun! I love all the places that the girl visits and the ending is sweet. 

Themes: Imagination, Siblings 

(Illustrated by Dan Santat. Disney Hyperion, 2020.)