Poetry Book Reviews

POETRY BOOK REVIEWS

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Grimes, Nikki. 2006. THANKS A MILLION. Ill. by Cozbi A. Cabrera.  New York, NY: Greenwillow Books. ISBN 0688172938

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

The 2006 NCTE Poetry Award winner writes a beautiful collection of poems that say “thank you” in different ways for many different reasons. Each poem describes a situation from the point of view of a young person in which they express gratefulness.

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The book exhibits different forms of poetry to convey the message of “thanks”.  In the poem “Even the Trees” the author writes a haiku which personifies the gratitude trees demonstrate.  There was a riddle in the poem titled “Mystery”.  In case the reader could not guess the answer to the riddle, it is written at the bottom of the page upside down.  The poem titled “Homemade Card” is written in the form of a rebus which is illustrated beautifully with pictures of animals, objects, numbers and letters as well to convey the meaning of the poem. 

The illustrator uses acrylic paints to display the multicultural, multiracial characters in the book.  Everyone everywhere has something to show gratitude for, and the book demonstrates that.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “K-Gr 4-Sixteen thoughtful poems about being thankful for everyday things.”

KIRKUS review: “Gratitude for simple pleasures and small kindnesses is the theme of Grimes’s newest collection of poems.”

 

5. CONNECTIONS

*Children should be encouraged to think about something or someone that they are thankful for then write a poem in one of the forms used in the book. 

*Other books of poetry by this author include:

Grimes, Nikki.  THE WATCHER. ISBN 978-0802854452

Grimes, Nikki. a dime a dozen. ISBN 978-0-8037-2227-9

                                                                                     

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Florian, Douglas. 2010. POETREES. New York, NY: Beach Lane Books. ISBN 9781416986720

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

A book of poems all about trees.  This book explains the growth, function and development of different types of trees. If you are unfamiliar with the terms used in the poems, there is a “Glossatree” in the back of the book to help.

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3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The text and images in this book are displayed in a very interesting way.  The entire book must be read in the vertical orientation. In the poem titled “The Seed” the words are typed in an infinity symbol to display the continuation of the life cycle.  “Roots” is a poem that arranges the letters for the words “down” and “pours” in a vertical pattern to illustrate the meaning of the words.  The organization of this book is unique and intriguing.

Douglas Florian shows his love for trees in these beautiful illustrations of watercolor paints, oil pastels, colored pencils, rubber stamps and collage form primed on brown paper bags.  These illustrations create a visual that matches with the words of each poem but the words alone, in their unique visual display could stand alone to convey the same imagery.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

KIRKUS review: “Trees receive a witty and informative rhyming appreciation...”

BOOKLIST review: “Starting with the book’s title and ending with a final ‘glossatree’, the world play in Florian’s latest poetry collection provides plenty of fun...”

 

5. CONNECTIONS

*After reading this book have students choose their favorite poem from the book and create their own illustration for that poem. 

*Other books of tree poems:

O’Connell George, Kristine. OLD ELM SPEAKS:  TREE POEMS. ISBN 0395876117

Hutchens, Verlie. TREES. ISBN 1481447076

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY

Woodson, Jacqueline. 2014. BROWN GIRL DREAMING. New York, NY: Nancy Paulsen Books. ISBN 9780399252518

2.  PLOT SUMMARY                                                             

A free verse biographical poetry book that describes a young girl’s life in two worlds, Greenville, South Carolina and Brooklyn, New York.  The author explains how the experiences in the two worlds ultimately shape her future that is to come.

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This captivating book begins with a diagram depicting three generations of Woodson’s family tree.  This visual is necessary to understand the dynamic of the characters in the poems.  Organized in chronological order, each poem tells a story of the author’s past.  There are a series of haiku poems titled “How to Listen”. There are 10 of them throughout the book, strategically placed provoking thought on a topic already mentioned in a previous poem.  At the end of the book, the author includes photographs of her family.  Although the poems are full of language that evoke the emotions conveyed, the photographs add more of an emotional attachment to the story for the reader, seeing the real-life people mentioned in the poems reinforces the imagery in the language of the poems.  Readers can find at least one experience in this book that they can relate to. 

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4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

2014 National Book Award Winner for Young People’s Literature 

2015 Coretta Scott King Award

2015 Newbery Honor Award

Starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “The emotions and high-quality writing make it a book well worth recommending.”

Starred review in BOOKLIST review: “A memorable affecting novel about the sustaining power of love and friendship.”

 

5. CONNECTIONS

*After reading the book, readers can discuss relationships with family members and the emotions behind the dynamics of those relationships.

*Other books by Jacqueline Woodson that include poetry:

Woodson, Jacqueline. LOCOMOTION. ISBN 9780142415528

Woodson, Jacqueline. THE OTHER SIDE. ISBN 9780399231162

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY

Garcia McCall, Guadalupe. 2011. UNDER THE MESQUITE. New York, NY: Lee & Low Books Inc. ISBN 9781600604294

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

This is the story of a young immigrant girl named Lupita.   She must take on responsibilities that she does not want due to a family crisis. Once the crisis is over, Lupita must decide what her path in life will be.

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This beautiful novel in verse is written in only one point of view, that of the main character. The poems use similes and metaphors to describe emotions and actions throughout.  The poem “Swimming the Rio Grande” uses several metaphors and similes to describe the actions of the family out for a swim.  The language is captivating.  There is no need for illustrations, the author uses vivid descriptive adjectives to make the novel come alive.  The reader can close their eyes and get a mental picture of the action described in the poems. 

The book concludes with a reference section.  This section helps the reader define Spanish terms used in the book.  It includes correct pronunciations to help the reader get a feel for the way the language is spoken by those who live in this region of Texas where the setting of the novel takes place.  This reference section helps the reader better understand the culture.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

2012 Pura Belpré Author Award

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “This novel rightfully won Pura Belpré Author Award and it deserves wide exposure.”

BOOKLIST review: “The close-knit family relationships, especially Mami and Lupita’s, are vividly portrayed, as is the healing comfort Lupita finds in words, whether written in her notebooks or performed on stage.”

 

5. CONNECTIONS

*Students could choose their favorite poem from the novel and perform it as a dramatic reading. 

*Other novels in verse about immigrant families include:

Lai, Thanhha. INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN. ISBN 9780061962783

Thompson, Holly. ORCHARDS. ISBN 9780385739788