Celebrating Poetry Month
Children's poetry book reccs, goals for the month, and other April holidays to observe
This weekend I picked up a used book from a café shelf and stumbled across it’s epigraph - One Art by Elizabeth Bishop, which begins, "The art of losing isn't hard to master.” Just days before I’d read an article advocating the memorization of poetry (it will improve how you inhabit your own existence, the author claims) so of course my first thought was, I must memorize this poem. Ironically, I've already lost the first line.
But now that I’ve written it (Write it!), and given that April is national poetry month, I think it will be a fun challenge for myself. In hindsight I wish I'd picked a shorter one - perhaps one from A Whale of a Time by Lou Peacock and Matt Hunt - the children's poetry anthology I bought for my kids (ahem, myself) over a year ago. At the time my intent was to read each daily poem over the course of 2024. That didn’t pan out, but I have read aloud a good many of them, usually on their corresponding day. I also like to text them to friends and family. The hefty collection lives on our coffee table for easy access.
In celebration of the month I’m recommitting to that unfulfilled new year’s goal to read a poem a day, if not a poetry book per day. Sarah of Can we read? writes regularly and persuasively about why poetry matters for kids. I agree heartily with all of her points - and I would say many if not all of them apply to adults as well. (I am a big proponent that adults should read children's lit, so why not poetry too.) Thanks to Sarah I was inspired to give books of children’s poetry to a few lucky ducks on my holiday list last year, accompanied by her amazing Poetry Almanac.
Here are my poetry month goals:
Pick up new poetry books from the library
Read poetry aloud before school (or like tonight, over dinner)
Host a poetry tea-party for the kids
Memorize a poem - one myself and one with the kids. I love what Sarah shares about memorization from Edutopia: “For…autistic students…reciting poetry is an especially powerful way to understand language and build confidence. For our kids who need small victories, mastering one poem is a welcome vindication and relief.” My autistic son does have an amazingly good memory, so we'll see how this goes!
Attempt some poetry writing. This activity sheet will help the kids. As for me, I've been inspired by Bob Raczka, who himself was inspired by the one-word poetry of Andrew Russ, to create little gems like this:
Here are some of my favorite kid's books to dip your toe in the poetry waters:
A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk: A Forest of Poems by Deborah Ruddell and Joan Rankin
Green on Green and Dark on Light by Dianne White and Felicita Sala
Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems by Paul B. Janeczko and Melissa Sweet
Hi Koo!: A Year of Seasons by Jon J. Muth
Lemonade: and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word by Bob Raczka and Nancy Doniger
Orangutan Tongs: Poems to Tangle Your Tongue by Jon Agee
Poetry for Kids: Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson, Susan Snively and Christine Davenier
Stop That Poem by Eric Ode and Jieting Chen
Where The Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. I loved his poems as a kid and wish I still owned his anthologies.
One of my faves from A Whale of a Time. And I have already memorized it!
These are on my library holds list, many from Sarah's poetry spotlight, and some from elsewhere:
A Child's Calendar by John Updike and Trina Schart Hyman
Cricket in the Thicket: Poems About Bugs by Carol Murray
GUYKU: A Year of Haiku for Boys by Bob Raczka and Peter H. Reynolds
If I Was the Sunshine by Julie Fogliano and Loren Long
Morning, Noon, and Night: Poems To Fill Your Day by Sharon Taberski and Nancy Doniger
Predator and Prey: A Conversation in Verse by Susannah Buhrman-Deever
UnBEElievables: Honeybee Poems and Paintings by Douglas Florian
We have much to gain from reading poetry ourselves and to our kids. What is gained from just a few minutes a day of connection, language and emotion will not easily be lost.
Other “holidays” to celebrate this month:
National Sourdough Bread Day - April 1
World Autism Awareness Day - April 2
National Library Day - April 6
Gus’s Birthday - April 8 (And my seven-year mom-iversary!)
National Parks Week - April 19-27
International Dark Sky Week - Week of the new moon, April 21-28
Nonbinary Parents Day - Third Sunday, April 20
Earth Day - April 22
Independent Bookstore Day - Last Saturday, April 26
I hope you’ll join me in celebrating this month in whatever ways you’d like!
