Genre: Poetry

Poetry genre

Why War is Never a Good Idea

Though War is Old It has not Become wise. Poet and activist Alice Walker personifies the power and wanton devastation of war in this evocative poem. Stefano Vitale’s compelling paintings illustrate this unflinching look at war’s destructive nature and unforeseen consequences.
Other Descriptors: International, Picture Book, Primary (Gr. K-3) » Themes: » 1 Comment

On a Road in Africa

Baskets empty on the seat | Must be filled with things to eat…On a road in Africa, On a road in Africa. | Where you gonna go, Mama O, Mama O? Follow real-life animal rescuer Chryssee Perry Martin (a.k.a. “Mama `O’rphanage”) as she makes her daily trek down a dusty road in Africa. Along the [...]
Other Descriptors: Africa, All Ages, Kenya » Themes: , , , , , » Leave a comment

How to Catch a Fish

Thirteen linked verses and handsome, mood-drenched paintings show how we catch fish–from New England to the Arctic, to Japan and Namibia and beyond.  This lovely picture book–about fishing, geography, people and customs, and the bond between parent and child fishing together–will appeal to everyone who’s cast a line in the water.
Other Descriptors: Canada, Hawaii, International, Ireland, Japan, Namibia, New Calendonia (France), Primary (Gr. K-3), Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America » Themes: , , » Leave a comment

The Poet Slave Of Cuba: A Biography Of Juan Francisco Manzano

A lyrical biography of a Cuban slave who escaped to become a celebrated poet. Born into the household of a wealthy slave owner in Cuba in 1797, Juan Francisco Manzano spent his early years by the side of a woman who made him call her Mama, even though he had a mama of his own. [...]
Other Descriptors: Biography, Cuba, Intermediate (Gr. 4-8) » Themes: , , , , , , , » Leave a comment

Red Butterfly: How a Princess Smuggled the Secret of Silk Out of China

An enchanting tale of hidden beauty and fierce courage, retold in the style of T’ang Dynasty poetry and illustrated with charm and grace. A young Chinese princess is sent from her father’s kingdom to marry the king of a far-off land. She must leave behind her home of splendors: sour plums and pink peach petals [...]
Other Descriptors: China, Folklore, Myth, Primary (Gr. K-3) » Themes: , , , , , » Leave a comment

Tap Dancing on the Roof: sijo (poems)

A sijo, a traditional Korean verse form, has a fixed number of stressed syllables and a humorous or ironic twist at the end. Like haiku, sijo are brief and accessible, and the witty last line winds up each poem with a surprise. The verses in this book illuminate funny, unexpected, amazing aspects of the everyday–of [...]
Other Descriptors: Intermediate (Gr. 4-8), Korea » Themes: , , , » Leave a comment

Stories by Firelight

The magic of winter is captured perfectly in this collection of prose, lyrical poetry, and dramatic pictures. The festive spirit of the winter season is captured in stories dealing with cold weather, winter nights, and Christmas.
Other Descriptors: England (UK), Fantasy, Picture Book, Primary (Gr. K-3) » Themes: , » Leave a comment

The Ancestors Are Singing

A collection of poems reflecting the culture, customs, daily life, and history of Mexico. Tony Johnston takes us from Mexico City to Oaxaca to Chiapas, from the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl to a shoeless boy selling newspapers, in this moving collection exuberantly illustrated by Karen Barbour.
Other Descriptors: Intermediate (Gr. 4-8), Mexico » Themes: , , , , , » Leave a comment

Flamboyan

One sunny afternoon while everyone is resting, Flamboyan, a young girl named after the tree whose red blossoms are the same color as her hair, dreamily flies over her Caribbean island home.
Other Descriptors: Caribbean, Fiction, Picture Book, Primary (Gr. K-3) » Themes: , , , , » Leave a comment

By The River

A fourteen-year-old describes, through prose poems, his life in a small Australian town in 1962, where, since their mother’s death, he and his brother have been mainly on their own to learn about life, death, and love.
Other Descriptors: Australia, Oceania, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult (Gr. 9-12) » Themes: , , , » Comments closed
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