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.