A Found Poem

First Snow

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When will it snow?

Snow on snow on snow –

oh, first snow!

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The books:

WHEN WILL IT SNOW? Text and illustrations by Bruce Hiscock. A classic tale of a young boy waiting for snow to arrive, while the wild animals near his home wait as well.

SNOW ON SNOW ON SNOW. Text by Cheryl Chapman; illustrations by Synthia Saint James. A boy and his dog enjoy a fun winter day together. Repetitive text inspired by Christina Rossetti’s lyrics for “In the Bleak Midwinter.” Bold, brightly-colored illustrations.

OH! Text by Kevin Henkes; illustrations by Laura Dronzek. A simple concept book about the variety of creatures that love to play in the snow. Gentle, luminous artwork.

FIRST SNOW. Text and illustrations by Emily Arnold McCully. A family of mice go sledding in the first snow of the season. The littlest mouse is afraid of the big hill, but soon finds her courage.

Out Standing in the Rain

Out standing in the rain,

a long way away,

I saw the sea come in.

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The books:

OUTSTANDING IN THE RAIN by Frank Viva – A rollicking, rhyming tale of a day at the amusement park. The bold illustrations include cut-outs for interactive fun.

A LONG WAY AWAY by Frank Viva – Take an imaginative trip from outer space down to the bottom of the sea. Or, start at the back of the book and reverse course.

Thanks to author Frank Viva. I think this is the first time I’ve used two books by the same author in one poem.

I SAW THE SEA COME IN by Alvin Tresselt and Roger Duvoisin – “Early in the morning, while the soft gray fog still hung in the sky, the little boy went down to the sea.” A timeless classic about the wonder of exploring.

Bluebird

Bluebird busy in the garden,

measuring

the perfect nest.

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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 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.

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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.

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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.