Sidman Poetry: Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night

Citation:

Sidman, J. (2010). Dark emperor and other poems of the night. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Illustrated by Rick Allen. ISBN:9780547152288


Review:



Sidman presents a wonderful poetry book involving nature. The text contains twelve entries, "Welcome to the Night; Snail at Moonrise; Love Poems of the Primrose Moth; Dark Emperor; Oak after Dark; Night-Spider's Advance; I am a Baby Porcupette; Cricket Speaks; The Mushrooms Come; Ballad of the Wandering Eft; Bat Wraps Up; Moon's Lament." The text ends with a glossary. There are many poetic forms found in this book such as verse, concrete, lyrical and rhymes. Each poem's format is easy to follow and is accompanied with interesting information on the poem's subject. The print illustrations are full of detail and give the reader a front row view of a nighttime creature's world . Allen's illustrations are stunning and provide life to the poems. Teachers will appreciate the science element and this gives the opportunity to provide fun and engaging poetry breaks!

Excerpt:

"I Am a Baby Porcupette"

I am a baby porcupette.
My paws are small; my nose is wet.
And as I nurse against my mom,
we mew and coo a soft duet.

I am a baby porcupette.
I cannot climb up branches yet.
While Mom sleeps in the trees, I curl
beneath a log till sun has set.

I am a baby porcupette.
I nibble in the nighttime wet:
a sprig of leaves, a tuft of grass,
in hidden spots I won't forget.

I am a baby porcupette.
My fur is soft; my eyes are jet.
But I can deal with any threat:
I raise my quills
and pirouette.

Introducing the Poem:

I really like the science element in this poem! I would use a porcupette puppet or even a flannel board to re-tell this poem to children. I would ask children to draw a porcupette and as a group create a habitat similar to the poem's for their porcupette to live in. Another activity would be to have children journal a poem about an animal that they have observed in the zoo or one they live with (cat, dog, hamster, bird, etc.).

Hopkins Award Poetry: Jazz

Citation:

Myers, W.D. (2006). Jazz. New York, NY: Holiday House. Illustrated by Christopher Myers. ISBN: 0823415457.



Review:

Myers presents a wonderfully illustrated book on the journey of "Jazz". The text includes an introduction, fifteen poems, glossary of jazz terms and a jazz time line. Each poem's format is easy to follow and the combination of word play with the colorful illustrations make this book a fun read! The reader will find the glossary of jazz terms very helpful while reading the poems because one is able to understand the terminology used. The illustrations compliment the accompanying poem and help bring the poem to life. Teachers will appreciate the historical information about jazz throughout the text. Children will enjoy the rhythm that each poem reflects and appreciate how music can be brought to life through poetry. Fun book!

Excerpt:

"Bass"

Thum, thum, thum, and
thumming
I feel the ocean rhythm
coming
Thum, thum, thum, and
thumming
I feel the midnight passion humming.

Introducing the Poem:

This poem has wonderful rhythm and I would have children mimic the rhythm using different musical instruments (drums, tamborines, and rubberbands). This will allow children to experiment with a poem's rhythm using musical instruments, thus understanding how music can be used to accompany and bring life to a poem.

Performance Poetry: Poetry Out Loud

Citation:

Rubin, R.A. (Ed.). (1993). Poetry out loud. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books. ISBN: 1565120302.



Review:

This book contains over ninety poems from various poets. The poems are put into seven categories, "Poems of Love and Wreckage; Light Verse and Poems that Tell Stories; Poems of Animals and the Natural World; Poems of Contradiction and Opposition; Poems of Vision; Poems of Alienation; Art, Poetry, and the Making Thereof." The end of the text contains an index on the poems, first lines and authors. The poetic formats found in this book are limericks, ballads, raps, verse, sonnets, satires and free verse. Any reader will find some favorites in this book. An interesting note...each poem has an accompanying entry that will assist the reader on their body language while reading the poem aloud. You will also find historical information regarding the poetic form and subject matter.

Excerpt:

"The Sniffle"
By Ogden Nash

In spite of her sniffle,
Isabel's chiffle.
Some girls with a sniffle
Would be weepy and tiffle;
They would look awful,
Like a rained-on waffle,
But Isabel's chiffle
In spite of her sniffle.
Her nose is more red
With a cold in her head,
But then, to be sure,
Her eyes are bluer.
Some girls with a sniffle,
Their tempers are uffle,
But when Isabel's snivelly
She's snivelly civilly,
And when she is snuffly
She's perfectly luffly.

Introducing the Poem:

I chose this poem due to the vocabulary and rhyming elements. I would read this poem to the students demonstrating the appropriate body language. I would have the students look up the rhyming words and then have each row say a verse back to me demonstrating the approriate body language. I am hoping to achieve a "wave" response from each row. Another activity would be to have the students identify the tumbling format that was used in this poem and identify the correct use of pauses for the listener to comprehend the humor element.