ANOTHER CALDECOTT CONTENDER?

Stardines Swim High Across the Sky and Other Poems written by Jack Prelutsky and illustrated by Carin Berger is an illustrated poetry collection.  In this imaginative work each page features a different exotic (and bogus) creature that was supposedly discovered by the author during his travels to remote places. The creatures, a blend of real and inanimate objects, are given names such as JollyFish (cheerful jellyfish creatures) and Fountain Lions (large cats with fountains atop their heads) and are accompanied by several verses of Prelutsky’s signature style humorous poems.

Illustrator Carin Berger uses a mixed media collage style to represent the 16 creatures found in the book. The creatures are playfully displayed as if they are part of a crazy museum exhibit, with specimen boxes and figure numbers lending an air of authenticity to the images. These creatures would be right at home in the Museum of Jurassic Technology. Berger cleverly incorporates the creatures' characteristics in each illustration using a mix of vintage engraved images, specimen tags, and 3-dimensional objects like buttons and ribbon. The BrainDeer have oversized craniums and are placed in front of a chalkboard of mathematical equations. The Slobster displays his slovenliness by being surrounded with a mess and clutching dinnerware in his claws (the lobster wearing a lobster bib is a nice touch).

The illustrations are definitely unique and charming in their own weird way, and the Caldecott has been awarded to collage style illustrations in the past (1995’s Smoky Night illustrated by David Diaz). So, there is a very real possibility that the Caldecott committee will be smitten with this title, too!  

For readers in 1st grade and up.  

FOLD ME A POEM!

The colorful pictures in this book are so beautiful that even if the reader doesn't want to read the poems which consist of few lines that are clever ans smart, they will just enjoy the pictures. The protagonist in the story is a boy, which adds so much more to the story since poems are usually not as popular with boys. Throughout the pages of the book, he makes different origami animals. The pages are really amazing in that they illustrate the essence of what the poet is expressing and these illustrations are in origami format. It's an engaging book that not only is pleasant to read, but you can also make the origami's that are in the book as well. FOLD ME A POEM by KRISTINE O'CONNELL GEORGE and illustrations by LAUREN STRINGER.

Grades 3rd and older.

NAKED BUNYIP DANCING

Yes, that is the title. NAKED BUNYIP DANCING by Steven Herrick with pictures by Beth Norling is a new twist on the novel in poetry format. The teacher is a blissed-out hippy teaching math to the students while singing and playing guitar. There's girls who like boys, boys who think girls are gross, kids with family problems, kids with behavior problems. It's all here. Only it's written as a series of poems. Sometimes the poem is the student. Sometimes the poem is about a student. Here is a sample from the book:

"Sophie and poetry ~

I waited until the end of class
and I went to Mr. Carey's desk

and asked him

in a really quiet voice,

in case anyone was outside listening,

if I could read a poem

in the school concert

instead of singing.

A poem of my own

on any topic I like.
He smiled so wide

I thought his face would split!

Simple.

And I've got months to write it!"

This book would probably be best for kids 6th grade and up.

IT'S A BLOG...about LOVE THAT DOG...

Not everyone understands poetry. It can make sense some of the time, but quite often, poems are just confusing. This is what one young boy things as he's learning about poetry in school. It isn't long until he sees things happening in poems that sound a lot like his life. In fact, there are a lot of poems that he really likes! What's really cool about this book is that it's written like a book of poems, and it still tells the story of this boy. The poems makes sense and you'll end up liking poetry a little bit yourself if you give it a try. The boy did. He even wrote a poem that will show you what poetry is all about. Love That Dog by Sharon Creech is more than just poetry - it's life. For 5th grades and up.