The Found Poem

Bluebird

Bluebird busy in the garden,

measuring

the perfect nest.

❀

The books:

BLUEBIRD by Bob Staake – Wordless picture book about a lonely boy and a true-blue, bluebird friend.

BUSY IN THE GARDEN by George Shannon and Sam Williams – Twenty-four poems fresh from the garden, with happy illustrations.

MEASURING by Marcia S. Gresko and Michael Jarrett – Part of the I CAN DO MATH series, introduces basic measuring tools with a rhyming question/answer format, and colorful photographs.

THE PERFECT NEST by Catherine Friend and John Manders – A crafty cat builds the perfect nest to trick an unsuspecting chicken, but then nothing goes according to plan.

Dandelion Seed

The dandelion seed

up and down

over the green hills –

miles to go.

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The Books:

THE DANDELION SEED by Joseph Anthony and Cris Arbo – Where does a dandelion seed go when the wind takes it? Much farther than you would guess.

UP AND DOWN by Oliver Jeffers – In the sequel to LOST AND FOUND, a boy and a penguin learn about flying and friendship.

OVER THE GREEN HILLS by Rachel Isadora – Beautiful story and illustrations tell the tale of a young boy’s walk to see his grandmother in the South African countryside.

MILES TO GO by Jamie Harper – A day in the life of a preschooler and his little car, with fun illustrations.

Fair Weather

Foals in the field,

the summer cat out the door –

fair weather.

❀

The books:

FOALS IN THE FIELD by Ben M. Baglio – One of the fun Animal Ark series chapter books. Mandy and her veterinarian parents care for a pair of foals, and help a neighbor in the bargain.

THE SUMMER CAT by Howard Knotts – What if you find the perfect cat, but it belongs to somebody else? Picture book with pen and ink illustrations.

OUT THE DOOR by Catherine Matthias – Early reader that follows a little girl through her day, from out the door to home again.

FAIR WEATHER by Richard Peck – Historical fiction – a girl and her family travel to Chicago for the 1893 World’s Fair.

Sandpipers

Sandpipers back and forth

when the tide is low –

now it is Summer.

❀

The Books:

SANDPIPERS by Edith Thacher Hurd and Lucienne Bloch – Nonfiction picture book with a lovely rhythm and classic illustrations.

BACK AND FORTH by Lola M. Schaefer – The many ways we use the term “back and forth,” explored in photos.

WHEN THE TIDE IS LOW by Sheila Cole and Virginia Wright-Frierson – Waiting for the tide to recede, a child and mother converse about the wonders they will find when the tide is low.

NOW IT IS SUMMER by Eileen Spinelli and Mary Newell DePalma – A little mouse is looking ahead to Autumn, but his mother shows him the fun of Summer all around him.

Question for a Rabbit

Itty-bitty book spine poem. Or maybe the start of a longer poem…

Little white rabbit,

do you have any carrots?

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The books:

LITTLE WHITE RABBIT by Kevin Henkes – A gentle picture book about wondering by beloved Caldecott Medal winner Henkes.

DO YOU HAVE ANY CARROTS? by Leonard Kessler and Lori Pierson – Early Reader – Two bunnies go looking for carrots, and learn what other animals eat along the way.

Cows

Today’s book spine haiku.

Counting cows

on the farm –

no two alike.

❧

Acknowledgements:

COUNTING COWS by Woody Jackson – Woody Jackson’s bold cow paintings in a colorful counting book, with a surprise at the end.

ON THE FARM by David Elliott and Holly Meade – A Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year. David Elliott’s fun verse, and the late Holly Meade’s beautiful woodcut illustrations make this a picture book to read many times over.

NO TWO ALIKE by Keith Baker – A rhyming walk through the forest in search of things that are exactly alike. A classic picture book for younger listeners.

Summer

Summer, Summer, more Summer. A good excuse for a book spine haiku.

Summer –

my many colored days

over in the meadow.

❦

Acknowledgements:

SUMMER by Ruth Thomson and Peter Millard – Third book in a nonfiction series of seasonal activities and projects.

MY MANY COLORED DAYS by Dr. Seuss, Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher – Posthumously-published, this picture book explores children’s emotions using color as metaphor.

OVER IN THE MEADOW by John Langstaff and Feodor Rojankovsky – Classic rhyming story based on a vintage children’s counting song by the same author/illustrator team who gave us the 1956 Caldecott Medal Winner, FROG WENT A-COURTIN’.