A Spectacular Selection of Sea Critters by Betsy Franco

A colorful collection of concrete poems explores ocean creatures. 

Thoughts: A colorful interesting collection! I think A Spectacular Selection of Sea Critters has broad appeal. Kids who like colorful books, kids who like graphic novels, kids who like the ocean. This collection will come in handy for my summer programs as the CSLP theme is oceanography. My favorite poems are "Box Jellies," "Seahorse," "Limerick: Trumpet Fish," "Fishy Names," "Parrot Fish," and "Boxfish/Cowfish." I love Wertz' limited palette of blues, oranges, reds, and yellows. My favorite illustration is "Fishy Names." 

Other Poetry Collections by Betsy Franco 

• Bees, Snails, and Peacock Tails: Patterns and Shapes...Naturally
• A Curious Collection of Cats
• A Dazzling Display of  Dogs

Other Concrete Poetry Books

• A Poke in the I collected by Paul B. Janeczko
• Ode to a Commode by Brian P. Cleary
• Wet Cement: A Mix of Concrete Poems by Bob Raczka 

Themes: Ocean, Fish

(Illustrated by Michael Wertz. Millbrook Press, 2015.)

Hi, Koo! A Year of Seasons by Jon J. Muth

26 short poems take you through the seasons--fall, winter, spring, and summer. 

Thoughts: A lovely collection of haiku suitable for the youngest children. I love the images the poems put in my mind even before I note the pages' illustrations. The watercolor and ink illustrations are charming. I want to have my very own panda bear like Koo! I have a poetry storytime scheduled for later this month and I've settled on spring as my theme. I'm going to share the spring sections of various seasonal poetry collections along with a few spring themed picture books. I would like to do the same with all the other seasons as they happen this year. My favorite poems are dance, king, crocuses, and tic-tac-toe. 

The author's note explains what haiku is and makes readers aware of an alphabet scavenger hunt throughout the book. Can you find all 26 words A to Z? I've had an idea for a writing exercise for older kids to go along with the book. Read Hi, Koo! and then use the alphabet words to create your own haiku. The alphabet words: autumn, broom, coat, dance, eating, friend, gathers, heart, icicles, just, king, long, morning, new, out, puddles, quiet, reading, sad, tiny, up, violet, water, Xs, your, and zero.

Other Seasonal Poetry Collections for Children: 

• Beautiful Day! Petite Poems for All Seasons by Rodoula Pappa 
• Guyku: A Year of Haiku for Boys by Bob Raczka
• Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems selected by Paul B. Janeczko
• When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons by Julie Fogliano
• Lion of the Sky: Haiku for All Seasons by Laura Purdie Salas
• Red Sings from the Treetops: A Year in Colors by Joyce Sidman
• Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature by Nicola Davies

Themes: Seasons, Poetry, Elementary

(Scholastic, 2014.)

Beautiful Day! Petite Poems for All Seasons by Rodoula Pappa

Twenty haiku-inspired poems that take you through the seasons. 

Thoughts: Lovely little poems (five for each season) paired with gorgeous illustrations makes this poetry collection for the youngest readers a gem. I love that the poems are haiku-inspired and don't adhere rigidly to the rules. The information on the front flap of the book cover provides a succinct introduction to haiku and even gives a writing tip. Seng Soun's illustrations are a visual feast. The bright colors paired with Japanese patterns (I'm assuming from fabric and paper) are so lovely to look at. I found myself going back to look at them repeatedly and I saw new details every time. I love all the illustrations, but I especially like the kites, birds, origami, and kokeshi dolls. I think this book would make a fabulous addition to my storytimes and home libraries. 

Fun fact about me: I crocheted a kokeshi doll for a good friend who lived in Japan briefly as a child when her dad was in the military.  

Other Seasonal Poetry Collections for Children: 

• Hi, Koo!: A Year of Seasons by Jon J. Muth
• Guyku: A Year of Haiku for Boys by Bob Raczka
• Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems selected by Paul B. Janeczko
• When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons by Julie Fogliano
• Lion of the Sky: Haiku for All Seasons by Laura Purdie Salas
• Red Sings from the Treetops: A Year in Colors by Joyce Sidman
• Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature by Nicola Davies

Themes: Seasons, Play, Nature 

(Illustrated by Seng Soun Ratanavanh. Cameron Kids, 2021.)

The Dirt Book: Poems about Animals that Live Beneath Our Feet by David L. Harrison

Have you ever wondered what goes on in the dirt beneath your feet? The Dirt Book offers poems about fifteen animals that live down in the ground. 

Thoughts: I really enjoyed this poetry collection. I love the rhythm of the poems and the language Harrison uses. One phrase that caught my fancy was "mole troll soul" from the poem "Mole: Worm Search." My favorite poems in addition to mole are "Earthworm: Dirty Work," "Mouse: Nightfall Calls," and "Gopher Tortoise: The Inn Keeper." I can definitely see myself incorporating these poems into storytime. If I use the collection as a whole it would be great for an underground animals storytime. I could also use the poems individually to add a bit of STEM poetry to a storytime theme. For reference, the animals in the collection are doodlebug, trapdoor spider, earthworm, ant, grub, mouse, bumblebee, yellow jacket wasp, mole, toad, chipmunk, and gopher tortoise. 

The illustrations are fabulous! They are both colorful and detailed. I love the soft colors of the colored pencils. Cosgrove's illustrations are quite reminiscent of watercolor. I like the lack of outlines. The vertical panorama style suits the subject perfectly. My favorite illustrations are earthworm (love the purple turnips), mouse (love the lavish use of lavender), bumblebee (again with the purples), and toad.

The Author Notes provide more information about all the animals mentioned in the poems as well as the dirt in which they live. The bibliography as well as the knowledge that the information in the collection was reviewed by an expert, reassures readers, parents, teachers, and librarians that this book is well-researched in addition to being engaging.  

An NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students
An NCTE Notable Poetry Book
A 2021 Cybils Poetry Nomination

Download activity sheets from the publisher's website here. 

Themes: Underground Animals, Insects 

(Illustrated by Kate Cosgrove. Holiday House, 2021.)

There's a Ghost in This House by Oliver Jeffers

A little girl lives all alone in a big, old house. She's sure there's a ghost in the house. Can you help her find the ghost? 

Thoughts: Part ghost story, part seek-and-find activity--this book is brilliant! I love the storyline, but it's the illustrations that steal the show. The use of old photographs, new illustrations (the girl and various house details on paper pages), and the ghosts (on tracing paper pages) make this story great. Make sure you look at the end pages to see the rather subtle surprise ending. I can't wait to use this book in storytime in October. I know kids will love this book. The fact that the girl never sees a ghost and they are everywhere will have the kids shouting out, "Turn around!" or "Look over there!" There's a Ghost in This House will be storytime gold. Pair with The Dark by Lemony Snicket, Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds, and What Was I Scared Of? by Dr. Seuss. 

Read about Jeffers's creative process here. 

Download an activity pack from Oliver Jeffers's website here. 

Themes: Ghosts, Spooky Stories 

 (Philomel Books, 2021.)

Jungle Night by Sandra Boynton

It's nighttime in the jungle and all the animals are sleeping. Can you hear them? 

Thoughts: I love books that feature animals sounds. I think these animal sleeping sounds are unique. I know kids will love hearing the sounds and trying to imitate them. Pair with Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? by Dr. Seuss and I'm a Frog! by Mo Willems. 

Download narration by Keith Boynton and a soundtrack featuring Yo-Yo Ma here. 

Themes: Night, Jungle, Animal Sounds 

(Workman Publishing, 2020.)

I Do Not Like Yolanda by Zoey Abbott

Bianca likes writing letters and sending them through the mail. She also likes postage stamps. There's one thing Bianca doesn't like: Yolanda at the post office. Bianca is scared of Yolanda. Will she ever overcome her fear? 

Thoughts: I also love a good story about mail and/or letters. I Do Not Like Yolanda is that and so much more. It's great to see Bianca conquer her fear and realize that Yolanda can be a friend. The illustrations are colorful, detailed, and make good use of white space. I love that all the details of Bianca's letters and envelopes are included. The letters that decorate the end pages are fun to read. For a mail themed storytime pair with The Thank You Letter by Jane Cabrera, Snail Mail by Samantha Berger, Meerkat Mail by Emily Gravett, A Letter for Leo by Sergio Ruzzier, The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt, and Love, Mouserella by David Ezra Stein. 

Download activity sheets from the publisher here. (Look for I Do Not Like Yolanda in the list of titles.) 

Themes: Mail, Letters

(Tundra, 2021.)