It's Drop Everything and Read Day (DEAR Day)!
Plus - April is National Poetry Month
So - why not read some poetry?
I love poetry - so I took a bit of a deep dive into my poetry history over the past few days. I know I heard all of the traditional nursery rhymes as a wee child but the first poetry books I remember reading are the ones picture below. Two favorite poems are below.
I made myself a snowball
As perfect as could be.
I thought I'd keep it as a pet
And let it sleep with me.
I made it some pajamas
And a pillow for its head.
Then last night it ran away,
But first it wet the bed.
The Swing - Robert Louis Stevenson
How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!
Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
Rivers and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside—
Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown—
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!
The Duel - Eugene Field (not the whole poem; just a stanza)
The gingham dog and the calico cat
Side by side on the table sat;
'T was half-past twelve, and (what do you think!)
Nor one nor t' other had slept a wink!
The old Dutch clock and the Chinese plate
Appeared to know as sure as fate
There was going to be a terrible spat.
(I was n't there; I simply state
What was told to me by the Chinese plate!)
Below are a few poetry books I enjoyed sharing with my kids. My favorite Shel Silverstein poem - "Snowball" - comes from his collection Falling Up.
Snowball
by Shel Silverstein
I made myself a snowball
As perfect as could be.
I thought I'd keep it as a pet
And let it sleep with me.
I made it some pajamas
And a pillow for its head
Then last night it ran away
But first, it wet the bed!
We owned all of the Prelutsky collections on audio and
listened to them over and over and over.
This was a favorite that I have used in story times and programs.
The Turkey Shot Out of the Oven
by Jack Prelutsky
from Something Big Has Been Here
The turkey shot out of the oven
And rocketed into the air
It knocked every plate off the table
And partly demolished a chair
It ricocheted into a corner
And burst with a deafening boom
Then splattered all over the kitchen
Completely obscuring the room
It stuck to the walls and the windows
It totally coated the floor
There was turkey attached to the ceiling
Where there’d never been turkey before
It blanketed every appliance
It smeared every saucer and bowl
There wasn’t a way I could stop it
That turkey was out of control
I scraped and I scrubbed with displeasure
And thought with chagrin as I mopped
That I’d never again stuff a turkey
With popcorn that hadn’t been popped
If you are looking for a place to start with poetry books, there are some wonderful picture book adaptations of nursery rhymes.
Jerry Pinkney, Paul Galdone, and Jan Cabrera have published lovely versions.
Below are some recent poetry picture books.
Kwame Alexander, Helen Frost, and Joyce Sidman
have all written wonderful poetry books for kids.
These are fun rhyming books that you should enjoy reading - and that might inspire kids to create some of their own rhymes.
Books about poets are also a great resource.
Gwendolyn Brooks and Maya Angelou both have inspiring life stories.
There Was a Party for Langston won't be published for a few months but you can add it to your TBR list today.
And there is always something new to learn about Emily Dickinson.
These are books that are written in verse. The first four are middle grade while the last three lean more to Young Adult. Linda Sue Park and Helen Frost both used unique rhyming styles in their books which I found fascinating. Novels in verse read a bit more quickly, I think. Which can help encourage a reluctant reader to give them a try.
So - what did you read for DEAR Day?
And have you read any poetry this month?
I made myself a snowball
As perfect as could be.
I thought I'd keep it as a pet
And let it sleep with me.
I made it some pajamas
And a pillow for its head.
Then last night it ran away,
But first it wet the bed.
