CCBC-Net Archives
Children's poetry suggestions
- Contemporary messages sorted: [ by date ] [ by subject ] [ by author ]
From: Robin Smith <smithr>
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2000 07:37:21 -0500
A couple of new books that I love are Jump Back Honey by Paul Laurence Dunbar and Big Talk by Paul Fleischman.
The poetry of Dunbar influenced me in college and I was thrilled when I heard that Andrea David Pinkney and Ashley Bryan and were putting together a picture book collection of his works. (What Ashley has done for spoken poetry during his whole life is beyond my ability to state!!) These are poems which appeal to children but which reflect the great range of Dunbar's poetic styles. He wrote in standard English and in dialect and this is a wonderful collection to explore both.
Big Talk: Poems for Four Voices extends the experiment started by Joyful Noise and I Am a Phoenix. I lent my copy to a third grade teacher in my school and was later treated to a performance of the first piece in the book, which is the easiest to perform. Poetry wants to be spoken aloud, celebrated and performed; it's easy to let poetry rest in our brains and it's amazing to hear and see it performed!
I leave you with the title poem of the story Aneesa Lee and the Weaver's Gift, written by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Ashley Bryan.
Aneesa Lee
Aneesa, Like her mother, Is a weave Of black And white And Japanese As blend that sometimes Led to teasing, And yet these strands Produced a pleasing, Living, breathing tapestry Christened Aneesa Lee.
Robin Smith
Nashville, TN
Received on Fri 07 Apr 2000 07:37:21 AM CDT
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2000 07:37:21 -0500
A couple of new books that I love are Jump Back Honey by Paul Laurence Dunbar and Big Talk by Paul Fleischman.
The poetry of Dunbar influenced me in college and I was thrilled when I heard that Andrea David Pinkney and Ashley Bryan and were putting together a picture book collection of his works. (What Ashley has done for spoken poetry during his whole life is beyond my ability to state!!) These are poems which appeal to children but which reflect the great range of Dunbar's poetic styles. He wrote in standard English and in dialect and this is a wonderful collection to explore both.
Big Talk: Poems for Four Voices extends the experiment started by Joyful Noise and I Am a Phoenix. I lent my copy to a third grade teacher in my school and was later treated to a performance of the first piece in the book, which is the easiest to perform. Poetry wants to be spoken aloud, celebrated and performed; it's easy to let poetry rest in our brains and it's amazing to hear and see it performed!
I leave you with the title poem of the story Aneesa Lee and the Weaver's Gift, written by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Ashley Bryan.
Aneesa Lee
Aneesa, Like her mother, Is a weave Of black And white And Japanese As blend that sometimes Led to teasing, And yet these strands Produced a pleasing, Living, breathing tapestry Christened Aneesa Lee.
Robin Smith
Nashville, TN
Received on Fri 07 Apr 2000 07:37:21 AM CDT
