The One Thing You'd Save by Linda Sue Park; illustrated by Robert Sae-Heng -published March 16, 2021

Another great book for poetry month! A teacher asks her students what they would save if the place where they lived was destroyed. All the living things are safe and you don't have to worry about money. So what means the most? What one thing would you save?

Linda Sue Park explains in her author's note at the end that she borrowed from the line structure for sijo (pronounced SHEE-zho), a 14th-century Korean syllabic verse form, to create the poems for this book. Sijo usually has three lines of thirteen to seventeen syllables but there are variations. As Park says, "Using old forms in new ways is how poetry continually renews itself, and the world."

I enjoyed reading the thought process behind the choices of the students. I also really liked that the teacher admits that she had chosen one thing but has changed her mind after listening to what her students selected. Using this book could spark some great discussions in a classroom -- or for your next Zoom meeting! Just be sure to give the participants plenty of time to think about their response. It isn't easy! But the students in the book do offer a lot of great ideas.

Also - don't overlook Robert Sae-Heng's lovely illustrations. They add a lot of context to the poetry and the different choices made by the students.

 

Ain't Burned All the Bright 

by Jason Reynolds; artwork by Jason Griffin

 "And freedom to play without worry about the rules being rearranged."
 

It seems the rules get rearranged a lot.
What is your oxygen mask?
Don't forget to breathe.

This is a beautiful book - with a poem by Jason about -- everything happening right now. And amazing art to accompany it by his best bud, Jason Griffin. Be sure to read the short dialogue at the end of the book that explains how they came up with the idea to create this amazing book. 

This is a blurb from the publisher -- 

"...300 pages of art, this piece, this contemplation-manifesto-fierce-vulnerable-gorgeous-terrifying-WhatIsWrongWithHumans-hope-filled-hopeful-searing-Eye-Poppingly-Illustrated-tender-heartbreaking-how-The-HECK-did-They-Come-UP-with-This project about oxygen. And all of the symbolism attached to that word, especially NOW.

And so for anyone who didn’t really know what it means to not be able to breathe, REALLY breathe, for generations, now you know. And those who already do, you’ll be nodding yep yep, that is exactly how it is." 

 

Happy Poetry Month!

Today has been an interesting day! Do you Wordle? I Wordle. And today's word was also the theme of today's NYT Crossword Puzzle. I thought that was intriguingly coincidental. AND - we found a baby turtle in the parking lot of the library! We relocated her to a safer place. 

Since it is poetry month, I am going to post a few of my favorite poetry books; novels in verse; books about poets; etc.over the next few days. Today I will highlight a book I just read  - Chester Van Chime Who Forgot How to Rhyme by Avery Monsen; Abby Hanlon (author of the Dory Fantasmagory series) contributed. (published March 22, 2022).

 

This is a perfect book for poetry month! One morning, Chester wakes up and - gasp! - he has forgotten how to rhyme! The couplets in the book are all set up for an easy rhyme but Chester replaces the rhyming word with a different set of words - a definition of sorts of the missing word that should be there. At school, the class thinks they will solve his problem by reciting a familiar nursery rhyme about a spider but that doesn't work. They try a series of words that rhyme and that doesn't work either. Chester is a bit despondent about his sudden inability to rhyme but then realizes that everyone has off days. The candle maker might mess up a wick. The baker might burn some bread. But Chester - and anyone - can overcome those not so great days and persevere. 

There are lots of allusions to nursery rhymes in both the the text and illustrations throughout the book and (obviously) tons of rhymes. I think this would be an excellent read-aloud for elementary-aged kids because they will enjoy filling in the missing rhyming word - and then hearing the words that Chester puts in place of the word that should be there.
You could also have a great mixed-up nursery rhyme story time and use books like To Market, To Market by Anne Miranda; Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet Ahlberg; and/or Interrupting Chicken: Cookies for Breakfast by Davide Ezra Stein. Or one of the many, many other books available that turn nursery rhymes topsy- turvy. Since it is National Poetry Month, I would encourage having kids share their favorite familiar rhymes and then have fun trying out other rhymes - maybe trying to find something that rhymes with their name - like Chester!