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Children's Poetry
Readers of all ages love the lyrical magic of poetry. This Showcase features children's poetry books and collections during National Poetry Month and Young People's Poetry Week.
Please browse the titles below and click on those that interest you to see cover art and a full book description.
Some of the titles may also include examples of interior art that offer a clearer representation of the actual book. The titles included in the Showcase are selected by their publishers who provide the art and descriptive information.
These books are available at your local bookstore, which we urge you to patronize.
Your local bookseller can supply these titles and offer professional, informed help in selecting other good books for children. Check the American Booksellers Association's directory of member bookstores for a bookseller near you.
If you do not have convenient access to any local bookstores, you can purchase these CBC Showcase books online from independent bookstores at BookSense.com.
CBC Showcase is a bimonthly thematic bibliography available only online. Please visit the Showcase Archive to view previous lists, which include Poetry Titles, Math and Counting Books, Folk and Fairy tales, The African-American Experience, and Humorous Books. The next Showcase featuring fantasy and adventure books will be online as of May 1.
Chicken Soup with Rice, written by Maurice Sendak. All ages. A series of poems, one per month,
told by a young boy who believes chicken soup with rice is the perfect food all year long. (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Discovery, written by Joseph Brodsky, illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky. All ages. Discover a never
before published poem for children by Nobel Laureate Joseph Brodsky. And rediscover an America huge and silent and full of secrets still waiting to be discovered. (Farrar Straus Giroux)
Elephants & Emus, compiled and illustrated by Philippa-Alys Browne. Ages 5-10. These wild animals
are poetry in motion! With its humorous rhymes and vibrant illustrations, you don't want to miss this colorful animal safari. (Charlesbridge/Talewinds)
Fishing for a Dream: Ocean Lullabies and Night Verses
, written and illustrated by Kate Kiesler. Ages
2-5. An international selection of 15 lullabies and poems for bedtime, filled with images of the sea, fishing, and sea creatures, and illustrated with breathtaking oil paintings. (Clarion Books)
Follow the Moon, written by Sarah Weeks, illustrated by Suzanne Duranceau. Ages 3-8. A tale of a
young boy who protects a newly hatched turtle who is unable to find his way to the sea. (Laura Geringer Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
Frog Legs: A Picture Book of Action Verse
, written by George Shannon, illustrated by Amit Trynan.
Ages 5 & up. Twenty-four poems to make you jump and dance and wiggle and squirm and leap and swing and run and hop until you ribbet! (Greenwillow Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
Haiku! Gesundheit, written by Ross Venokur, illustrated by Kenny Scharf. Ages 4-8. A funny
collection of Haiku, illustrated by one of the great pop surrealist artists-perfect as a gift. (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
Have You Been to the Beach Lately?, written by Ralph Fletcher, photography by Andrea Sperling. Ages 8-12. Fresh and eye-opening poetry, as unforgettable as a long, happy day at the shore.
(Orchard Books an imprint of Scholastic Inc.)
Honey, I Love and Other Love Poems, written by Eloise Greenfield, illustrated by Diane and Leo
Dillon. From celebrated poet Eloise Greenfield, sixteen poems, straight from the heart of an African-American child. (HarperCollins Children's Books)
How To Write Poetry, written by Paul Janeczko. Ages 9-14. This how-to guide includes samples, writing tips, and words of advice from different poets. (Scholastic Inc.)
I WANT ANOTHER LITTLE BROTHER: Poems About Families
, illustrated by Anna Currey. Ages
3-8. This collection of twenty-six sweet, silly, and spunky poems about families is perfect for young children. (Puffin Books, a division of Penguin Putnam Books For Young Readers)
IF YOU SHOULD MEET A CROCODILE: Poems About Wild Animals
, illustrated by Anna Currey. Ages 3-8. This lively collection of twenty-seven poems has something for lovers of animals great and
small. (Puffin Books, a division of Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers)
It's Raining Pigs and Noodles, written by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by James Stevenson. Ages 5 &
up. The poet laureate of the young set is back, with more than one hundred poems bursting to be read, chanted, laughed over, and remembered. (Greenwillow Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
Just Around the Corner, written by James Stevenson. Ages 8 & up. What is just around the corner?
Imagination. . . . Delight. . . . Laughter. . . . Amazement . . . Fun. See for yourself! (Greenwillow Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
Just Us Two: Poems About Animal Dads, written by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Susan Swan. Ages
5-8. A wonderful exploration of the relatively unknown habits of animal dads. (Millbrook Press)
Knock at a Star: A Child's Introduction to Poetry
, Revised Edition, edited by X.J. and Dorothy
Kennedy, illustrated by Karen Lee Baker. Ages 10 and up. This revised edition of a classic anthology of poetry for children will enrich and enchant a new generation of poetry lovers. (Little, Brown and Company)
Little Dog Poems, written by Kristine O'Connell George, illustrated by June Otani. Ages 4-8. Thirty
poems follow a little dog and a little girl through their day. Little Dog chases cars and guards the little girl from vacuum cleaners. (Clarion Books)
Looking for Holes, written by Niko Scharer, illustrated by Gary Clement. Ages 6-9. Wild characters
and wilder rhymes fill this book of poetry. Hiccups, gravity, and getting stuck in revolving doors delight readers in this wild collection. (Charlesbridge/Whispering Coyote)
Love Letters, written by Arnold Adoff, illustrated by Lisa Desimini. All ages. Irreverent collection of
original poems about the triumphs, perils, and pitfalls of love. (The Blue Sky Press)
Lunch Box Mail: and Other Poems
, written and illustrated by Jenny Whitehead. Ages 4-9. A
delightful poetry collection about childhood experiences by a talented newcomer. (Henry Holt and Company)
The Mermaid's Purse, written by Ted Hughes, illustrated by Flora McDonnell. All ages. In The
Mermaid's Purse, Ted Hughes explores the ocean. From starfish and seagulls to mermaids and monsters, 28 poems capture the beauty, drama, and mystery of the sea and the seashore. (Alfred A. Knopf Books For Young Readers)
Million Visions of Peace: Wisdom from the Friends of Old Turtle
, written by Jennifer Garrison & Andrew Tubesing. Ages 5 and up. Inspired by the classic fable, Old Turtle, A Million Visions of Peace
is a gift to the world from Americans of all ages who yearn for peace. Messages from 150 communities in the form of poems, stories, ideas, and songs are shared in A Million Visions of Peace. (Scholastic, Inc.)
Mississippi Mud, written by Ann Turner, illustrated by Robert J. Blake. A series of poems reflecting the
points of view of three pioneer children as they describe their family's journey across the American prairie from Kentucky to Oregon. (HarperCollins Children's Books)
The Mouse of Amherst, written by Elizabeth Spires, illustrated by Claire A. Nivola. Ages 8 & up.
When she moves into Emily Dickinson's bedroom, Emmaline the mouse discovers her own propensity for poetry. (Farrar Straus Giroux)
Mrs. McNosh and the Great Big Squash, written by Sarah Weeks, illustrated by Nadine Bernard
Westcott. Ages 3 & up. Mrs. Nelly McNosh is back in the silly sequel to Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash. (Laura Geringer Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash, written by Sarah Weeks, illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott.
Ages 3 & up. Nelly McNosh hangs up her wash, then the newspaper, the dog, the phone, and everything in sight--including herself! (Laura Geringer Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States
, selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins, illustrated by
Stephen Alcorn. Ages 8-12. A richly illustrated collection of poems evocative of each of the seven regions of the United States. (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
Nibble, Nibble, written by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard. Ages 4-8. A
collection of twenty-five poems by Margaret Wise Brown, author of Goodnight Moon, celebrating the many wonders of nature. (HarperCollins Children's Books)
An Old Shell, written by Tony Johnston, illustrated by Tom Pohrt. Ages 2 up. A collection of poems
exploring and celebrating the Galapagos Islands and their various animals, "The Voyage of the Rice Rat." (Farrar Straus Giroux)
On The Same Day in March, written by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Frane Lessac. Ages 4-8.
What's happening on one day in March, from the North Pole to the South? Lyrically written nonfiction explores longitude and weather. (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Pieces: A Year in Poems & Quilts, written by Anna Grossnickle Hines. Ages 5 & up. Poems about
the four seasons, as reflected in the natural world, are accompanied by photographs of quilts made by the author. (Greenwillow Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
A Pocketful of Poems, written by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Javaka Steptoe. Ages 6-10. Lyrical free
verse and haiku, inspired by the words that a young girl growing up in Harlem carries like treasures in her pocket, are set off by stunningly original collage illustrations. (Clarion Books)
ROALD DAHL'S REVOLTING RHYMES, written by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake. Ages 6
and up. Roald Dahl's Little Red Riding Hood is no conventional telling of the tale. (Puffin Books, a division of Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers)
Roots and Flowers: Poets and Poems on Family
, edited by Liz Rosenberg. Ages 11-15. This companion, to the award winning The Invisible Ladder, explores the bonds between poets and their
families. (Henry Holt and Company)
Salting the Ocean: 100 Poems by Young Poets
, selected by Naomi Shihab Nye, illustrated by Ashley
Bryan. Ages 8 & up. Memorable, moving, vivid, prickly, and always honest, these short poems by young writers will surely inspire other young poets, teachers, and readers of all ages. (Greenwillow
Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
Secrets From the Dollhouse
, written by Ann Turner, illustrated by Raul Colon. Ages 5-8. A series of
poems describing the life of a family of wooden dolls, from the perspective of the eldest doll child, Emma. (HarperCollins Children's Books)
SHORT TAKES: Fast-Break Basketball Poetry
, by Charles R. Smith Jr. Ages 8 and up. The third
volume in an award-winning homage to street-court basketball. (Dutton Children's Books, a division of Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers)
SILVER SEEDS, by Paul Paolilli and Dan Brewer, paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. Ages
5-9. The poems in this book, done in a creative acrostic format, show us the world of nature in a different light. (Viking Children's Books, a division of Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers)
Stepping Out with Grandma Mac, written by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Angelo. Ages 8 and up.
Poems celebrate the special relationship between a feisty grandmother and her equally outspoken granddaughter. (Orchard Books an imprint of Scholastic Inc.)
Summer: An Alphabet Acrostic
, written by Steven Schnur, illustrated by Leslie Evans. Ages 3-7.
Sandy beaches, juicy watermelons, and porch swings are just a few of the warm-weather delights featured in this inventive alphabet of acrostic poems about summer. (Clarion Books)
There Once Was A Man Named Michael Finnegan
, written by Mary Ann Hobberman, illustrated by
Nadine Bernard Westcott. Ages 4-8. In this familiar tale, recurring whiskers are just the beginning of Michael Finnegan s comic adventures. (Megan Tingley Books, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company)
Timothy Tunny Swallowed a Bunny, written by Bill Grossman, illustrated by Kevin Hawkens. Ages
3-7. A side-splitting collection of ironic and irreverent poems by Bill Grossman and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. (Laura Geringer Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
Toasting Marshmallows, written by Kristine O'Connell George, illustrated by Kate Kiesler. Ages 6-10.
Lighthearted, perceptive poems and glowing oil paintings will delight experienced campers and inspire those who have never been on a camping trip. (Clarion Books)
Touch the Poem, written by Arnold Adoff, illustrated by Lisa Desimini. Ages 4-9. Poems that capture the simple joys of childhood. (The Blue Sky Press)
Train Song, written by Diane Siebert, illustrated by Mike Wimmer. Ages 4-8. A celebration of the
sights, sounds, and destinations of America's railways, with a rhythm that echoes the hypnotizing beat of train wheels on the track. (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Twilight Comes Twice, written by Ralph Fletcher, illustrated by Kate Kiesler. Ages 4-8. Free-verse
text describes the transition from day to night and from night to day, revealing the magic in these everyday moments. (Clarion Books)
Two Skeletons On The Telephone And Other Poems From Tough City
, written by Paul Duggan, illustrated by Daniel Sylvestre. Ages 8 and up. A delightful collection of highly irreverent and funny,
poems combines with edgy artwork and high kid-appeal topics to create a book perfect for Halloween and year-round! (Millbrook Press)
Wake Up House!, written by Dee Lillegard, illustrated by Don Carter. Ages 2-6. This wide-awake
collection of 34 poems reveals the essential personalities of the household objects that surround us. (Alfred A. Knopf Books For Young Readers)
Winter Eyes, poems and paintings by Douglas Florian. All ages. Douglas Florian will melt your
doubts about Mother Nature's chilly grip with twenty-eight winter-inspired poems accompanied by his crisp, trademark watercolor illustrations. (Greenwillow Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
Words of Gold: A Treasury of the Bible's Poetry and Wisdom
, edited by Lois Rock, illustrated by
Sarah Young. All ages. Exploring the mysteries of life--good and evil, life and death, sorrow and happiness--Words of Gold presents the Bible in a beautifully refreshing format. (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers)
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