Florian Poetry

Insectlopedia

Poems and Paintings By: Douglas Florian

Florian, Douglas. 1998. Insectlopedia. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace & Company.

ISBN: 0-15-201306-7

Insectlopedia by Douglas Florian is an informative book of poetry. The book consist of 21 poems. Each poem pertains to a particular insect. Each species of insect gets their own poem about them. Each poem is full of facts for that insect. The age group for the book of poems is aimed toward elementary. I would say that children kindergarten-5th grade would enjoy these poems. Each poem as certain beat or rhythm. Rhyming words are also used throughout each poem.

Insects is a very interesting topic for children. Children love insects and learning about them. Every child has had experiences with insects wether they liked it or not. Insectlopedia offers a gateway for children to better understand these creatures through poetry. The poems are all very informative and can be used in the classroom for all types of activities.

All the poems are very consistent in quality. Every poem supports the purpose of the book which is to inform children about insects. There are no specific feelings I thought that the poems brought about. However, after reading the poems I did feel more informed about insects. Florian also provides vivid slightly abstract paintings for each poem that he has written. After reading the book I came to realization of how much work went into putting the book together. 21 poems and 21 paintings, one for each insect in the book. There was also a table of contents located within the book.

Florian offers an different approach for students to learn about insects through poetry. Instead of just pulling and using one poem from the book. I feel the book needs to be used as a whole. Many of the poems are pack full of facts and new knowledge for students to learn.

The Caterpillar

She eats eight leaves at least

To fill her,

Which leaves her like a

Fatterpillar,

Then rents a room inside

A pupa,

And checks out: Madame Butterfly ---

How super!

Activity: This would be a great poem when teaching students about the life cycle. While teaching a science lesson on the life cycle of a caterpillar, the teacher can share this poem. After discussing the poem, the teacher then passes out paper plates one per student. The students then draw and label the life cycle on their paper plates.

Multicultural Poetry

Dizzy in Your Eyes: Poems About Love

By: Pat Mora

Mora, Pat. 2010. Dizzy in Your Eyes: Poems About Love. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

ISBN: 978-0-375-94565-6

Dizzy in Your Eyes is a collection of 50 poems by Pat Mora. The age group for this book of poetry is 7th-12th grade. All 50 of the poems found within the book all focus on the concept of love. Numerous topics that evolve love are covered in the book such as boy/girl relationships, death, family, and friends. A lot of the poems use figurative language and are left up to interpretation. The emotions of the poetry in the book run deep. Love is a very emotional thing and Pat Mora brings out many emotions with her poetry about love wether good or bad.

The topics of the poems are very appealing to the teen age group. I can't think of any teenager who would not want to read about love. The concept of love reaches all people. We have all dealt with love in some form or fashion. The book and the poems are also designed and written in a way that would keep a teen's attention, meaning none of the poems are very long, and some pages only consist of a few lines. I would also say that the poems enriches or extends the readers knowledge. Pat Mora's poetry offers readers opportunities to relate but also offers others new insight and knowledge to the subject at hand. As stated before many emotions are felt when reading through the book. Emotions such as happiness, sadness, heartbreak, embarrassment, and excitement.The poems are very consistent in quality. All of the poems reinforce the purpose which is to be about love.

The agreement or layout of the book is very interesting. All of the poems are found on the right hand side of the pages. On the left hand side Mora offers poetic terms and their meanings or definitions located at the bottom of the page. The poetic terms and definitions that are in the book are: song, ode, oda, tercet, list poem, dialogue, haiku, blank verse, tanka, letter poem, pantoum, sestina, villanelle, sonnet, anaphora, lyric, couplet, acrostic, triolet, and blues. These terms come in very handy while reading through the book. The reader obtains a better understanding of poems and the many different types. Mora also offers an example when a definition is given.

Dizzy in Your Eyes is a great poetry book for teens. It focuses on a very interesting topic, which is love. It provides great room for relating to the poetry written. Even if some of the poetry is figurative and left up for interpretation the poems allow for the reader to relate with their own experiences.

Valentine to Papi

I kept looking in the mirror

and touching my grown-up hair.

Remember, Papi, ten years ago?

You smiled when you saw me

wearing a new yellow dress.

I was shining for my cousin's wedding.

Your smile lit the room.

Strangers who said they were my aunts,

uncles, great-aunts,

kept squeezing me.

I'd smooth and straighten my dress.

When the romantic music started,

Mami looked at you

and pointed at me.

You looked down

and took my hands,

mine cold, yours warm.

I put my shiny shoes on yours,

and we danced.

Ten years later, in my heart

we still dance

perfectly, Papi.

Activity: I loved this poem about a girl reflecting back on her memory of a dearly loved family member. Teens I feel could really relate to this poem. You could introduce the poem by asking students to share some favorite memories they have about their favorite family members. Then read the poem titled "Valentine to Papi." After reading the poem students could reflect on their own memories and write their own Valentine to a family member or late family member.

NCTE Award Poetry

The Llama Who Had No Pajama

By: Mary Ann Hoberman
Illustrated by: Betty Fraser

Hoberman, Ann Mary. 1998. The Llama Who Had No Pajama. Ill. by Betty Fraser. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace & Company.

ISBN: 0-15-200111-5

The Llama Who Had No Pajama is a collection of 100 poems. Mary Ann Hoberman who is the author of the poems was the winner of the NCTE poetry award in 2003. The age group for this collection of poems is for younger elementary age children, probably between the ages of 5 to 10 years old. The topics covered in the book are very age appropriate. The topics that the poetry in the book covers are: weather, birthdays, family, animals, seasons, and insects. Abstract concepts that appeal to children are also covered in the poems. These topics are: dress-up, pretend, the concept of time, and the feelings that are involved in growing up. All the poetry found in the book is based on very familiar topics of childhood experiences.

Most of the poetry has a particular beat or meter to it. Almost all of poems contain the poetic elements of rhythm and rhyme. Sensory language is also used. The senses of hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, and feeling are used in many of the poems for children in the particular age group that the book is aimed at.

Many of the poetry extends and enriches a child's experiences. A lot of the poetry is informative especially the poetry revolving around animals or insects. These poems would be great to use for science lessons. All of the poetry stimulates good emotions and provides room for children to use their imagination when reading or listening to the poetry in the book. All of the poems are consistent in quality and reinforce the purpose of the book in the fact that even if a lot of the poetry is silly it still provides an avenue for children to experience poetry written for them to understand. I would have to say that all the poems represent the overall mood of joy. I found myself smiling while reading the poetry in the book.

All of the poems in the book are by Mary Ann Hoberman. There are 1 to 3 poems per page. Betty Fraser does a great job of providing an illustration for every poem. There is a colorful picture that represents each poem found in the collection. A table of contents is provided as well as an index.

The Llama Who Had No Pajama is a great collection of poetry to read to young readers. Children will throughly enjoy all the poems. Also, as stated before many of the poems can be used for cross curricular teaching.

Penguin

O Penguin, do you ever try

To flap your flipper wings and fly?

How do you feel, a bird by birth

And yet for life tied down to earth?

A feathered creature, born with wings

Yet never wing-borne. All your kings

And emperors must wonder why

Their realm is sea instead of sky.

Activity: This would be a great poem to use during a penguin unit. The teacher could focus the lesson for the day on the differences between penguins and other birds. The teacher could then share the poem titled "Penguin." After reading the poem and discussing the differences students could fill out a venn diagram comparing penguins and other birds.

African American Poetry

Come Sunday

Written by: Nikki Grimes

Illustrated by: Michael Bryant

Grimes, Nikki. 1996. Come Sunday. Ill. by Michael Bryant. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.

ISBN: 0-8028-5108-8

Summary/Review: The book titled Come Sunday tells the story of a young African American girl named LaTasha and her experiences on Sunday. The book is full of poems, and it starts with LaTasha's day when she is woken up by her mother telling her to get ready to go the Paradise Baptist Church for Sunday services. Grimes goes on to explain the things LaTasha experiences once she arrives at church. These experiences include running into blue-haired ladies, ladies' hats, and her mother's white gloves she wears every Sunday. Other poems in the book are devoted to the happenings LaTasha has during the church service. Coming into the service, worship, baptism, and the alter are the types of things LaTasha experiences while in church service. Other poems are about Sunday School, church supper, and Sunday afternoons. The last poem describes LaTasha going home.

Grimes' poetry is heart-felt, and helps students read and learn about another child's experiences. Some children may relate the the story being told through poetry while others may not. No matter the before experiences students can read this book and understand that poetry can be written about anything. Some of the poetry has a certain beat or meter to it, while others have more of a free verse style. Michael Bryant illustrates the book with beautiful water color paintings, that allow the reader who has not been to church understand what is going on. Come Sunday is a good book to read to students to help them understand about family and the traditions or rituals they do together.

Come Sunday

Come Sunday, Mommy wakes me up with whispers.

LaTasha, honey, she says to me.

Time to shed dawn's cozy quilt.

Come on, Sweet Pea. Open up those eyes.

I rise and wander to the kitchen,

where Mommy makes my hair and scalp

tingle with oil and comb and brush.

If only she din't weave the braids so tight.

I fight to keep from squirming ' round

until the braiding's finally done,

'cause once I'm dressed, I look so nice,

I practically run to Paradise-

to Paradise Baptist Church.

Activity: After reading this poem to students have them think about the traditions or places they go with their family. It could be holidays, church services, vacation spots, or maybe it is a place or event they go with their family fairly often. Allow students to share with the rest of the class. Then have students write a poem about their family experiences just like Nikki Grimes did about LaTasha in Come Sunday.

Hopkins Collection

Marvelous Math: A Book of Poems

Selected by: Lee Bennett Hopkins

Illustrated by: Karen Barbour

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 1997. Marvelous Math: A Book of Poems. Ill. by Karen Barbour. New York, NY: Aladdin Paperbacks.

ISBN: 978-0-689-84442-3

0-689-84442-3

Summary/Review: In the book titled Marvelous Math: A Book of Poems Lee Bennett Hopkins has selected a wide range of poems all pertaining to the subject of math. Many math topics are covered throughout the book. Many of the poems deal with math in everyday life and how math can be applied in just about every situation. Some of the poems deal with mathematical operations as well, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. There is a poem about fractions found in the book, as well as how math can make a person feel.

Some of the poetry found in the book is fairly abstract, while some of it is concrete. Rhyme is in some of the poems, while others use metaphors or similes is to describe the subject of math. The poems in the book would make students understand more about how math is applied in everyday life. It would also help students to understand the concept of there is more to math than just numbers. Karen Barbour provides beautiful and very colorful illustrations, that involve some numbers but not many. Marvelous Math is a great example of how two subjects in curriculum can be combined for further understanding about how the things we learn carry over into different parts of our lives.

To Build A House

Lillian M. Fisher

Here on this plot

Our house will rise

Against the hill

Beneath blue skies

Ruler and tape

Measure the size

Of windows and cupboards

The floors inside

We add, subtract,

Multiply, divide

To build closets and stairs

The porch outside

Without numbers and measure

Would our house ever rise

Against the hill

Beneath blue skies?

Activity: There are so many activities that could go along with this poem. One activity that comes to mind is after reading the poem students could brainstorm other ways math applies to everyday life besides building a house. Students could brainstorm individually or in small groups. After the brainstorming is complete students could share their ideas and then as a class pick one other way math is used in everyday life. After the one topic has been chosen the class writes a poem about that topic together as a whole group.