The warm weather is here to stay. The trees are blooming, and the flowers are out. With bees buzzing and the sun shining, springtime just might be the most poetic time of year. We’re in the mood for poetry, and April is National Poetry Month!
We hope you’ve caught the poetry bug as well, because we not only have some great poetry, but we also want to share a story about a great poet. So whether you want to read poetry or read about poetry this month, we’ve got you covered. Enjoy!
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| Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton |
George loved words. But George was enslaved. In this powerful biography of poet George Moses Horton, the first Southern African-American man to be published, Don Tate tells an inspiring and moving story of talent and determination.
Powerful free verse and stunning illustrations tell the true story of the American effort to land the first man on the Moon.
Amphibian AcrobatsStep right up and learn all about the lively participants in the Amphibian Acrobat show—from the agile Wallace’s flying frog to the bouncing Venezuelan pebble toad to the tricky salamander called the yellow-eyed ensatina.
Explore the fascinating world of superlative birds―from the bee hummingbird, the tiniest bird in the world, to the peregrine falcon, the fastest creature on Earth.
Have fun on this poetic tour through the leaf litter layer and dig into the fascinating facts about the tiny critters who live there.
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| At the Sea Floor Café |
Witty poems and elegant artwork let us know what’s on the menu for some unusual undersea creatures. Leslie Bulion gives readers a clever collection of poems that describes the devious and sometimes surprising methods ocean denizens use to forage for food, capture prey, trick predators, and protect their young.
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| Random Body Parts |
Take a free-form trip through the human body with these humorous riddle poems. Which body part, if spread out flat, would cover a tennis court? Stretched end to end, which body parts would wrap four times around the equator? What’s the hardest substance in the human body? Leslie Bulion has put together anatomical, poetic, and visual clues that will help readers discover the answers to these questions — and many more!
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| Bring on the Birds; Stripes of All Types; Spectacular Spots; and Fabulous Fishes |
With simple, rhyming text and brightly colored, richly textured illustrations, author-illustrator Susan Stockdale introduces young readers to some of the distinctive qualities in animals. These board books are a great way to introduce rhythm and rhyme found in poetry to children just beginning to learn about language.
Award-winning author Margarita Engle’s distinctive picture book depiction of the childhood of the father of the modern novel, told in a series of free verse poems, is enhanced by Raúl Colón’s stunning illustrations.
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| Grow: A Novel in Verse |
This verse novel by Juanita Havill for young readers uses rich, evocative language to deliver a powerful story of the extraordinary magic that occurs every day when ordinary people work together.
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| Cats Vanish Slowly |
Meet the cats on Grandmother’s farm as they wind their way through these twelve poems. Poet Ruth Tiller captures the personalities and moods of each of her cats in clear, concise language easy enough for young readers, but with evocative imagery and varied rhythms that will engage the interest of older readers as well.
Find these books and more at your local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes & Noble!
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Cats vanish slowly is one of the most favorite books of my son. It is so nice to see it here. 🙂
That’s so cool to hear! It’s a great one.