Poetry

 Thanku: Poems of Gratitude

Paul, Miranda. Thanku: Poems of Gratitude. illus. by Marlena Myles. 40p. Lerner Publishing Group. Sept. 2019. Tr. $19.99. ISBN 9781541523630.    

 This collection is a compilation of a diverse group of poets who are practicing showing gratitude for everything around them. The inside of the dust jacket serves as the introduction to the collection, clearly stating why these poems were selected for this collection. The poems included in the collection do serve its purpose. Per the editor’s note as well as the about the editor section, Miranda Paul (who is the compiler of this collection) does have the qualifications to adequately fulfill the purpose. These qualifications include serving on the board of We Need Diverse Books.   

 The audience of this collection is primarily school age kids. Due to the diverse nature of the poetry included, the collection is suitable for many age groups within the K-5 range, with different poems being better for different grades. Per the editors note and introduction, while there is an acknowledgement that this collection may be part of Thanksgiving displays, and can certainly be used for that, it is intended to show there are things to be grateful for all year, not just in a specific season. The poems are not specific to the holiday season, therefore it can be used all year. That being said, it could be used around Thanksgiving in classrooms or libraries, or April for Poetry month. It could also be used with kids to demonstrate there are always big and little things around us to be thankful for.

    This collection features a variety of poetic forms written by 33 different authors, but sharing 1 illustrator. The intention of this collection is to share the wide breadth of things we can be thankful for, all poems included fit that theme, but are not necessarily connected or related. A majority of this collection was unknown to me, but I recognized a few of the authors.

    There is lots of variation in this collection. There is variety in sound patterns, with different poems featuring different rhyme schemes. This collection has variation of meter within the poems. Due to each of the poems in this collection being separate, the volume and quality of figurative language differs. Some poems are rich in figurative language, some don’t have as much. There is not a table of contents, poems that are thematically similar in some way often share a 2 page spread. There is an index in the back of the book that explains the different types of poetry included in the book, and promotes readers trying these out themselves.

    The illustrations are thoughtfully integrated into the text and enrich the poetry. While each poem has a different author, they share one illustrator, which brings unity to the different work.

Bronzeville: Boys and Girls

Brooks, Gwendolyn. Bronzeville: Boys and Girls. illus. by Faith Ringold. 48p. HarperCollins. Jan. 2007. Tr. $17.89. ISBN 9780060295059.

Per the dust jacket, this collection of poetry serves to celebrate childhood. Covering a variety of topics and aiming to find the joy in the simplicities and complexities of being a kid and growing up, the poems are appropriate for the stated purpose. Originally published in the 1950s, some of the specific references throughout the poems are a bit outdated, which leaves room for discussion as to whether or not this specific collection fills a need in the general collection. Composed of poems written of her own life experience, the compiler is qualified to fulfill this purpose from her perspective. 

The intended audience for this collection is ages 7-10. Per my review, the selections skew a bit older, but are suitable for the intended audience. At this point, I think this selection could be a good accompaniment within a social studies or historical context, as it does not generally explore modern examples of childhood. However, it could provide historical context.

Each of the poems in this collection are by the same author. There are 34 poems in the collection. The poems in this collection are familiar, and a combination of traditional and unknown. They relate in the sense that they are written about similar subject matter and themes but are not necessarily connected. There is not a wide variety of poetry forms within this collection. 

The poems in this collection display a variation in meter, and mixes different sound patterns. Brooks plays with language and vocabulary throughout poems. Verse patterns are thoughtful and intentional in communicating the story of the poem. This collection uses figurative language, specifically similes and metaphors throughout, to enrich the poetry experience. There is a table of contents in the front of the book and an index in the back that provides additional information about the context that inspired the collection. Poems are standalone and do not need to be read in a specific order. The illustrations enrich the effectiveness of the poetry. They add to the narrative of the poems. It is clear that thought was put into how the illustrations shape the relationship between the written words and the paintings.

Words with Wings and Magic Things

Burgess, Matthew. Words with Wings and Magic Things. illus. by Doug Salati. Tundra Books. 128p. March. 2025. Tr. $26.99. ISBN 9781774880289.

    The purpose of this collection as described on the dust jacket is to “celebrate the power of words… and awaken the imagination of everyday”. The collection succeeds at fulfilling this purpose, and would be a great addition to a general collection. The poems in this collection invite readers to step into a world of imagination and creativity both through written words and illustrations. With a background in poetry and picture books, and a handful of accolades, the compiler of this collection does have the qualifications to fulfill their intended purpose.

    This collection is for readers between the ages of 7-11. There is something for everyone in this collection, it could be used in a variety of settings. Teachers could use this collection to get creativity flowing in a writers workshop, while some of longer poems lend themselves to a bedtime read. The poems in this collection are all written by Matthew Burgess. There are 49 poems in this collection. The poems in this collection are unknown. They are organized into subsections that are thematically similar to each other. 

    The anthology does include a variety of forms of poetry. There is variation in the meter and sound patterns found in these poems. The verse patterns do enrich the content of the poems, giving visual meaning to the poetry. The use of figurative language is imaginative and appropriate and a crucial component of this collection. Poems are organized into 6 different subsections. There is a table of contents to help with navigation but it is in the back of the book, rather than the front. The table of contents is labeled as an index.

    The illustrations deeply enrich the effectiveness of the poetry. They help create meaning and promote the use of imagination, which is the theme of the collection. Placement of illustrations varies by poem, and is intentional to suit each entry. 

Queer and Fearless: Poems Celebrating the Lives of LGBTQ+ Heroes

Sanders, Rob. Queer and Fearless: Poems Celebrating the Lives of LGBTQ+ Heroes. illus. By Harry Woodgate. Penguin Workshop. April 2024. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780593523698.

    Per the introduction, the purpose of this collection is to tell the story of different LGBTQ+ heroes through poetry. The poems are appropriate for the stated purpose and would be a really cool addition to the nonfiction collection. Including non-poetry bios for each hero, this collection could be integrated into a picture book biography collection. The compiler is recognized as “one of the pioneers” of nonfiction LGBTQ+ picture books and does have the background qualifications to fulfill the intended purpose. 
The intended audience of this collection is ages 6-9. The selections skew towards the older end of the age range, especially the non-poetry bios. 

    This would be a good book to use in a classroom setting within a social studies curriculum as many of the heroes featured are about history or historical events. Every poem in this collection was written by Rob Sanders and illustrated by Harry Woodgate. There are 15 poems in the collection, they are unknown. Each poem is about a LGBTQ+ hero and/or significant event, and relates in that way, but do not necessarily share narrative lines. The anthology does include a variety of poetry forms.  

    There is variation in the meter and sound patterns of this collection. There is variety in the sound and verse patterns within this collection. The variation within the verse patterns and types of poems enrich the individual poems as well as the collection as a whole. There is limited use of figurative language in this collection, however, it is appropriate for the content of the poetry.

    There is a table of contents, an introduction, a glossary, and multiple indexes. The poems are in chronological order, starting with the most historic events/people and finishing with the most recent. As previously mentioned, each poem is bumpered by a non-poetry bio of the person the poem is about. The illustrations enrich the effectiveness of the poetry, in the sense that these are poems about real people/events, the imagery helps to account for historical accuracy and representation. Though the format of each poem is not necessarily the same, the layout is consistent across page design and illustration placement. 

Traditional Lit

 The Juniper Tree

Grimm, J., Grimm, W. K. (2003). The Juniper Tree: And Other Tales from Grimm (L. Segal & R. Jarrell, Trans., Sendak, M., Illus ). Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR).

This collection of translated German folktales purpose is to provide a “restorative view, one that combines authenticity, and fresh artistry and leads us to renewed admiration for this ancient folk literature” (Grimm et al., 2003, dust jacket). The description provided on the dust jacket states that this collection is a translation and compilation of traditional tales, and specifically not a retelling. The translators and illustrator worked to keep this collection as a faithful adaptation of the source material, rather than a retelling with creative liberties. Though the tales are not necessarily connected, they were selected by Lore Segal and Maurice Sendak and were largely translated from the Brothers Grimm versions. It is clear that the translators were striving to keep this collection as a fateful translation to their source material rather than a retelling. However, source notes are brief, just a page at the start of the collection that notes that all tales were translated from German, and lists where the tales were compiled from. It is clear that the tales in this collection came from other written records, not from being heard. 

The narrative style is preserved, they do sound as if they are being told, many have full and rich descriptions, and have a combination of dialogue and narration, which captures the narrative style of folk and fairytales. The tales in this collection are mostly for adult storytellers rather than children readers. Given that, the selections are appropriate for that intended user. There are tales in this collection that offer opportunities for an adult teller to tell these tales to a group of older children, as they could be worked for a middle school range by the teller. 

 There are 27 stories in this collection, and are a combination of folk and fairytales, as they have origins in oral tradition and while some contain elements of magic. The stories in this collection are not connected, they can be read independently or continuously, but are not interwoven tales. The illustrations do enhance the tales, however they are more reflective of Maurice Sendak's art style than specifically the culture of origin. Having illustrations by Maurice Sendak makes this collection different from other collections, and in that way they enhance it, but they are not integral to the comprehension of the stories. 

Trickster: Native American Tales- A Graphic Collection

Dembicki, M. (Ed.). (2021). Trickster: Native American Tales, a Graphic Collection, 10th Anniversary Edition. Chicago Review Press.

The “Meet the Trickster” section and back cover provide context for the collection that explain its purpose. There is even a sentence that clearly states that there are at least 2 purposes for the traditional tales from across Native American tribes. Each person who contributed a story to this collection has direct ties to Native American heritage. While the editor does not, per their note, they did ample research in and consultation with different community members in the curation and compilation of this book. Source notes are brief, with each tale coming from Native American Nations, but not much other information is provided beyond that. It is not clear whether the stories were found in books or heard. 

In the editors note, it explains that edits were only made for the sake of spacing and with the approval of the storyteller. Due to this collection being made up of many different storytellers, style is not consistent across tales. Some read very much like they are being told, some not as much. The stories in this collection are selected for a multi-age audience, not an adult storyteller. Different stories are suited to different ages. Due to the graphic novelization of these tales, while they could be read aloud, the format does not lend itself as naturally to the read aloud setting as a more traditional format. 

There are 22 traditional Native American tales in this collection. This collection was specifically arranged to offer these tales in a sequential format. They can be read either independently or continuously. Due to this retelling being a graphic novel format, the illustrations not only enhance the tales but they are integral to them. The artwork is reflective of the graphic novel style as well as depicting many different aspects of Native American life. Artwork is not the same from story-to-story as each was illustrated by a different artist. There are notes about each contributor in the back of the book. 

Picture Books

My Block Looks Like

Harper, J. (2024). My Block Looks Like. Penguin Young Readers Group.

The pictures in My Block Looks Like match the mood of the story. The narrative tells of a lively New York neighborhood from the POV of one of the kids who lives there. The pictures do an excellent job at illustrating the life and commotion that the text describes. 

The illustrations in this book do a majority of the narratives lifting. They do not distract from the text. You could get a very clear image of this story by only looking at the pictures, not even reading the text. 

The artist uses bold colors throughout the book. This choice amplifies the narrative of all the life that is happening in the neighborhood. They are used to compliment the lines of the drawings. Since the book walks us through a city street, lines are used to reflect the landscape. They are bold, and they express a lot of movement as the main character walks/struts/dances through New York. The colors and illustrations are generally bold and heavy; however, the shading of the illustrations is soft and blended. There is lots of texture in the illustrations whether it be in the characters or the setting. Clothing has varied shading to show movement and body position, there are shadows and depth in the settings/backgrounds.

The illustrations as well as the text in this book make a deliberate effort to portray modern depictions. Characters reflect what kids in the 2010s-2020s look like and walk you through modern life in this community. 

There is variety within the main culture depicted, showing characters with different hair textures and styles, as well as different skin tones. 

I think this book does a good job at celebrating the main characters' neighborhood and community, and sees it for the multi-dimensional place that it is. Per my review of this book, I do not think I would be embarrassed or offended if I were part of the community that it is about. 

This book really captures the idea of mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors in children's literature. I think it would be a great book to share with a community that identifies with it, but also a great book to share with those who do not. It starts with an acknowledgment that the neighborhood we’re about to see is more than just what you see on TV or in the news, and it gives a different POV. This is what makes it a great window book, it has the opportunity to provide a different perspective to readers, for a more holistic image or understanding of the neighborhood it takes place in.  

Not He or She, I'm Me

Wild, A. M. (2023). Not He Or She, I'm Me. Henry Holt and Company (BYR).

The pictures in Not He or She, I’m Me, reflect the mood of the story. This story follows a nonbinary main character through their day, and celebrates the mundanity of living your life exactly as you are. The colors are bright and vibrant and translate the joy of the narrative. The pictures follow the textual statements. The illustrations do extend the text without distracting from it. 

The artist uses color to communicate the tone of the book. The book celebrates a nonbinary main character for living and expressing themselves as they are. This book is in full vibrant color, and reflects the happy and content feelings that the main character experiences throughout the book. The artist uses multiple mediums in their illustrations to create texture and depth. Lines are varied and add life and movement to the illustrations. 

The illustrations do a good job at avoiding stereotypes of nonbinary people. In my experience, nonbinary representation can still sometimes lean towards the feminine side. The depictions of the main character in this book are truly androgynous, which helps to communicate the message of the story, “not he or she, I’m me”.  

This book only depicts one explicitly nonbinary character, and does not assign names or pronouns to any of the other characters in it. As a result, it is hard to say whether or not there is homogeneous over-generalization happening. Per my review of the illustrations, there is a general diversity represented in the characters, with a variety of gender representations present. I do not think there is anything in this book that would embarrass or offend me. 

I think this is a book for everyone. It’s for people who identify as nonbinary, it’s for people who know nonbinary people or need help understanding it. Some people who are learning how to use they/them pronouns to refer to nonbinary people rather than as a plural pronoun can have a hard time integrating it into their vocabulary, or get tripped up on the semantics, and this book did a really beautiful job of modeling how to do that. I think it could be used with kids or adults who need to lay foundational understanding. 

Spanish Is the Language of My Family

Genhart, M. (2023). Spanish Is the Language of My Family. Holiday House.

The pictures do reflect the mood of this story. The story follows the main character (Manolo) as he prepares for and competes in his school’s Spanish Spelling Bee. The book goes back and forth between the present moment in Manolo’s preparation to learning about his Abuelas experience. The illustrations of the present day are bright, cheery, and light, whereas the illustrations of Abuela's experience of Spanish at school are darker, and more blue to reflect the narrative of each timeline. The illustrations reflect the textual statements and extend the story without distracting from it. The whole book is illustrated with vibrant color, which colors are used depends on the tone being communicated at any given point in the story. The illustrator uses more static lines that give the illusion of characters frozen in a scene rather than moving through it. The medium used for illustrations gives depth and texture, nothing is just one-tone.

The illustrations blend more traditional elements with more modern depictions of Spanish speaking cultures.

This book could benefit from greater variety within the cultural depiction. While it makes sense for the characters who are in the same family to be depicted similarly, there is room for more diversity among Manolo’s classmates.I do not think there is anything in this book that would embarrass or offend me if this was a group I identified. I think it does a good job sharing the history of a complicated subject and showing how far public education has come, while still leaving room to grow.

This would be a good book to share in multilingual communities, or schools that have bilingual programs. It would also be good for providing historical context in a social studies class. I would use this book with school aged kids.

Luli and the Language of Tea

Wang, A. (2022). Luli and the Language of Tea. Holiday House.

In Luli and the Language of Tea, the pictures do reflect the mood and text of the story. As the narrative shifts from the kids being alone, and illustrated to reflect loneliness, to the kids gathering together and sharing tea, the illustrations reflect this by showing happier dispositions on the kids' faces. The illustrations do extend the text without distracting from it, the layout of the book is such that the text and illustrations are integrated well and come together to express the narrative. 

Color is not necessarily used to reflect the shift in mood throughout the story. The illustrator used consistent colors throughout the book, without varying them to match the plot, the changes in the mood of characters is more visually queued through the illustration of facial expressions and body language. 

The illustrator does use lines effectively. The art in this book is very soft and child-like itself, which matches the tone of the story. With soft edges and curves, the lines are not static and invite natural movement. Texture is given through the medium which looks to be crayons and/or colored pencils. Due to this, the illustrations have variation, and even the most filled in pictures are not completely opaque, keeping things light. 

The illustrations recognize cultural diversity, while also highlighting that the kids are all just kids, even if they come from different places or speak different languages. Many different cultures are depicted in this book, and a note from the author at the back of the book explains that their focus was to bring together children from places where English is not one of the official languages. However, I think there is room for more diversity in the illustrations. 

Keeping in mind that I have not had the experience written about in this book, from my review of it, I do not think the depictions would make me feel embarrassed or offended if my own culture or experiences were in this book. Thinking about my experience as a second grade teacher with a high number of ELs in my class, I think this would be a great book for that environment. The depiction of the kids coming together and sharing in a common experience even if they can’t speak the same language demonstrates unity within diversity. 

See You Soon

Kaba, M. (2022). See You Soon. Haymarket Books.

The pictures do reflect the mood of the story. The main character experiences a range of emotions as she reflects on time spent with her mom through the lens of dropping her mom off at prison and life without her. The illustrations are expressive and use color and images to communicate the mood of the story. The illustrations go with the text, and do not conflict with it. The illustrations in this book extend the text without distracting from it. The illustrator gave each spread a border that is connected to the text or other pictures on the page, this helps move the narrative along and joins the words with the images. Color is used to communicate the changing tone and emotions experienced by the character. On the page where she says goodbye to her mom, there are bright warm colors underneath dark colors, like having a raincloud over your head and your heart. This is a really powerful illustration in the book, as it reflects how life events and circumstances can literally color your worldview. The illustrator uses soft lines with textures and variants in the shading of each picture. Characters have more static lines, especially when their whole body is shown, giving more of a frozen in space illusion rather than movement.

The illustrations avoid stereotypes by combining traditional Spanish styles in the clothing, with modern styles as well. Illustrating the characters in a variety of clothing helps to avoid the idea that people or communities are just one thing or look just one way. There are really only 3 characters in this story and they are all family. However, there is variety depicted in the representations of the characters in different generations. This helps to avoid over-generalizations.

I don’t think anything in this book would embarrass or offend me if I were part of the group that is depicted. Granted, I have not had this life experience, it seems like an accurate representation of what kids who have had it might experience.

This book strives to explain a sensitive and complicated topic in an age-appropriate way for children. Due to its sparing details about WHY her mom is going to jail, I think it would be suitable for younger readers, as I think the older you go the more questions kids are likely to have about that. This is another windows, sliding glass doors, and mirrors book. I would share it with people who have been in the same situation as the main character because that representation matters. I would also share it with those who have not had that experience, as it's probably more common than those not directly impacted realize, and an opportunity to build empathy and understanding.