Spotlight Friday - new Poetry books, part 3 - 4.19.19

I've been celebrating National Poetry Month at the Book Nook.  If you've missed a post here's part 1 and part 2.  Today is the final post in the series.  Hope you've had a chance to read some books with your students.  Were you able to celebrate Poem in Your Pocket Day yesterday?  If not, take some time and share some poetry the rest of the month!



Blooming Beneath the Sun
poems by Christina Rossetti
art by Ashley Bryan
Artist Ashley Bryan has chosen some of his favorite poems by Christina Rossetti and illustrates them with cut paper.  Loved reading the illustrator's note at the very beginning of the book where Bryan shares he used his mother's sewing scissors to create the cut paper artwork, saying "her hand in mine."  Beautiful. 


The Day the Universe Exploded My Head
poems by Allan Wolf
illustrated by Anna Raff
I love books like these.  They have such a place within a curriculum.  The way it plays with words and plays with poetry.  And in case you're wondering more about the format, Wolf includes notes about the poems at the end of the book.  But then within each poem, there are nuggets of knowledge - full of information about space (of course, the reader will have to be a bit selective in understanding what is true and what may be some fictional information...), this collection would be so fun to use during a science unit.  I hope libraries purchase this one, I think it will be a fan favorite!


Lion of the Sky: Haiku for all Seasons
poems by Laura Purdie Salas
illustrated by Mercè López
This is the third poetry book of Salas this year and another one that is a must have for me (disclaimer, I own all three, but they are all so good!).  As she explains in the back of the book, these are Riddle-Kus - haikus that are riddles.  Separated by season, kids will love guessing the answer, and if you really have trouble, the answers are located in the back of the book!  With beautiful, soft illustrations from López, this book is one to share every year!


Like a Lizard
written by April Pulley Sayre
illustrated by Stephanie Laberis
This is a book for your language mentor text collection - put it with books you use when talking about similes or verbs.  Gorgeous language!  Another one that is full of knowledge within the poems.  Studying reptiles?  You'll want to read this one.  Not only is the poem fun, but you'll see lots of different lizards in the illustrations.  Each lizard is labeled and is featured in unique settings.  At the end of the book, Sayre includes information about each lizard.


if i was the sunshine
written by Julie Fogliano
illustrated by Loren Long
Oh, this book is just beautiful!  As I mentioned in an earlier post, sometimes a poem can be an entire book.  A book does not have to be a collection of poems, it can be one longer one that is stretched and illustrated as an entire story.  This is one of them.  Fogliano looks at connections between things in nature.  I think this is also a beautiful look at perspective.  Two things are compared (example, flower and nose) and then each say what they would call each other (sniff, rose).  Accompanies by Long's gorgeous artwork, this was a book I took my time with.


Home Run, Touchdown, Basket, Goal! Sports Poems for Little Athletes
by Leo Landry
This one will be a homerun with young readers.  Fun, rhyming poems that center around sports.  Geared for a younger reader, the rhymes are fun but perhaps a bit clunky in some areas.  I'm glad to have some sports poetry to share with readers.


I hope these posts have helped you find some new poetry books to share with readers!