Ice! Poems about Polar Life by Douglas Florian

Douglas Florian explores the environment and animals of the polar regions in twenty-one poems. 

Thoughts: Douglas Florian is one of my favorite poets to share during storytime. I look forward to adding Ice! Poems about Polar Life to my wintry storytime themes. Florian's poems are both witty and informative. The extra information for each poem helps extend the poem and leaves the reader wanting to know more. My favorite poems are Polar Bear, Arctic Hare, Snowy Owl, Moose, Narwhal, and Caribou. The illustrations are great--humorous with a child-like quality. I've always said his illustrations appeal to kids because they are reminiscent of what kids could create. My favorite illustrations are the cover illustration, The Polar Regions (clearly shows penguins and polar bears don't live together), Musk Ox (I love his facial expression!), Artic Hare (it's so whimsical), and Narwhal (I like their smiles). 

Themes: Winter, Polar Bears, Penguins, North & South Poles 

(Holiday House, 2020)

Snow Birds by Kirsten Hall

Some birds migrate south during the winter. Some don't. Have you ever wondered what the nonmigratory birds do during the winter? Kirsten Hall's poems in Snow Birds explores that question for seventeen different birds. 

The Birds: Blue Jay, Carolina Wren, Common Redpoll, Snow Bunting, Snow Goose, Black Rosy-Finch, Atlantic Puffin, Ivory Gull, Bohemian Waxwing, Great Gray Owl, Ruffed Grouse, Snowy Owl, Black-Capped Chickadee, Golden-Crowned Kinglet, American Tree Sparrow, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Cardinal

Thoughts: I'm partial to birds and poetry so I enjoyed this collection. The idea behind it is unique. Some of the birds I'd never heard of before. Others I see almost every day outside my window. I enjoyed the different types of poems featured. I like that the birds' sounds were included. I think children will enjoy trying out those sounds for themselves. (This would pair well with the Audubon Bird Guide App.) My favorite poems are Carolina Wren, Great Gary Owl, Snowy Owl, Black-Capped Chickadee, and Northern Cardinal. Jenni Desmond's mixed media illustrations are colorful and interesting. My favorites are the title page, both owls, Ruffed Grouse, Black-Capped Chickadee, Northern Cardinal, and the "Meet the Birds" section. The "Meet the Birds" section provides thumbnail illustrations of the birds along with additional information. These poems are simple enough to share a few during a preschool storytime or in their entirety with older children. 

Other Collections of Bird Poetry for Children: 

• Today at the Bluebird Café: A Branchful of Birds by Deborah Ruddell
• The Cuckoo's Haiku and Other Birding Poems by Michael J. Rosen
• On the Wing by David Elliott
• Superlative Birds by Leslie Bulion 
• Hummingbird Nest: A Journal of Poems by Kristine O'Connell George 
• Feathers: Poems about Birds by Eileen Spinelli 

Themes: Birds, Winter

(Illustrated by Jenni Desmond. Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2020.)

2020 Cybils: The Winners

 The winners were announced on February 14. Have you read any of them? 

Cybils 2020 & Poetry Part 2

Due to the pandemic, the Poetry category is on hiatus for the 2020 Cybils. I wanted to highlight the titles that would have been eligible if the category was not on hiatus. These are collections (single author or anthology) and verse novels for children and teens. They were published between October 16, 2019 and October 15, 2020. This second post will list the titles for teens in seventh through twelfth grades.

Collections for Grades 7-9

• Say Her Name by Zetta Elliott

 

Collections for Grades 10-12

• When the Stars Wrote Back by Trista Mateer
• Somebody Give This Heart a Pen by Sophia Thakur

Verse Novels for Young Adults (Grades 7-9)

• Being Toffee by Sarah Crossan
• Three Things I Know Are True by Betty Culley
• With a Star in My Hand by Margarita Engle
• Every Body Looking by Candace Iloh
• Kent State by Deborah Wiles

 

Verse Novels for Young Adults (Grades 10-12)

• Junk Boy by Tony Abbott
• Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
• The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
• I Am Here Now by Barbara Bottner
• Blood Moon by Lucy Cuthew
• Apple: Skin to Core by Eric Gansworth
• What Goes Up by Christine
• Beauty Mark: A Verse Novel of Marilyn Monroe by Carole Boston Weatherford
• The Snow Fell Three Graves Deep: Voices from the Donner Party by Allan Wolf
• Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam

Cybils 2020 & Poetry Part 1

The Poetry category for the 2020 Cybils Awards is on hiatus. This was due to the pandemic and the possible lack of judges and access to the books. It made me very sad as I was the Poetry Category Chair in 2018 and 2019, but I understand and am very hopeful that the Poetry category will return in 2021. 

I wanted to mention the books that would have been eligible if the category was not on hiatus. These are collections (single author or anthology) and verse novels for children and teens. They were published between October 16, 2019 and October 15, 2020. This first post will list the titles for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. Link are to my reviews. 

Collections for Kindergarten

• Lift As You Climb: The Story of Ella Baker by Patricia Hruby Powell
• No Voice Too Small: Fourteen Young Americans Making History edited by Lindsay H. Metcalf, Keila V. Dawson, and Jeanette Bradley
• Just Like Me by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
• In the Woods by David Elliott
• Whoo-Ku Haiku: A Great Horned Owl Story by Maria Gianferrari
• After Dark: Poems about Nocturnal Animals by David L. Harrison
• The B on Your Thumb: 60 Poems to Boost Reading and Spelling by Colette Hiller
• Construction People selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins
• Night Wishes selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins
• A Girl like Me by Angela Johnson
• Nine: A Book of Nonet Poems by Irene Latham
• Voices of Justice: Poems about People Working for a Better World by George Ella Lyon
• All Welcome Here by James Preller
• Follow the Recipe: Poems about Imagination, Celebration,and Cake by Marilyn Singer
• Thanksgiving, Here I Come! by D. J. Steinberg
• Leave a Message in the Sand: Poems about Giraffes, Bongos, and Other Creatures with Hooves by Bibi Dumon Tak
• Write! Write! Write! by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
• Box: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford
• R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul Carole Boston Weatherford

 Collections for Grades 1-2

• The Superlative A. Lincoln by Eileen Meyer
• Catch the Sky: Playful Poems on the Air We Share by Robert Heidbreder
• Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks by Suzanne Slade
• Common Critters: The Wildlife in Your Neighborhood by Pat Brisson

 

Collections for Grades 2-3

• Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice by Mahogany L. Browne
• Tag Your Dreams: Poems of Play and Persistence by Jacqueline Jules
• This Poem Is a Nest by Irene Latham
• A Hatful of Dragons: And 13.8 Billion Other Funny Poems by Vikram Madan
• A Portrait in Poems: The Storied Life of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas by Evie Robillard
• A World Full of Poems selected by Sylvia M. Vardell

 

Collections for Grades 3-4

• I Remember: Poems and Pictures of Heritage compiled byLee Bennett Hopkins
• Amphibian Acrobats by Leslie Bulion
• Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes, and Anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham and Charles Waters

 

Collections for Grades 4-6

• Cast Away: Poems of Our Time by Naomi Shihab Nye
• Everything Comes Next: Collected and New Poems by Naomi Shihab Nye

Verse Novels for Elementary (Grades 2-3)

• Blue Daisy by Helen Frost

 

Verse Novels for Elementary (Grades 3-4)

• Wishes, Dares and How to Stand Up to a Bully by Darlene Beck-Jacobson
• Love, Love by Victoria Chang
• When You Know What I Know by Sonja Solter
• I Wish by Toon Tellegen

 

Verse Novels for Middle Grade (Grades 4-6)

• Grasping Mysteries: Girls Who Loved Math by Jeannine Atkins
• The Canyon’s Edge by Dusti Bowling
• Beyond Me by Annie Donwerth-Chikamatsu
• The Places We Sleep by Caroline Brooks DuBois
• All He Knew by Helen Frost
• Closer to Nowhere by Ellen Hopkins
• On the Horizon by Lois Lowry
• The Land of Cranes by Aida Salazar 

2020 Cybils: The Finalists

The finalists were announced on January 1, 2021. The Round 2 Judges are very busy reading. The winners will be announced on February 14. Stay tuned! 

Brenda Is a Sheep by Morag Hood

Brenda is a sheep. Isn't she? 

Thoughts: Brenda clearly isn't a sheep. The kids are going to protest so much. I love that the word "wolf" isn't used anywhere in the book. The illustrations are engaging and the limited palette (green, orange, gray, white, and black) works well. Brenda Is a Sheep will pair well with The Donkey Egg by Janet Stevens and Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman

Themes: Wolves, Sheep

(Random House, 2019.)