Poetry Builders: Ana and Adam Build an Acrostic by Victoria Peterson-Hilleque, illustrated by Winifred Barnum-Newman

Ana and Adam Build an Acrostic is part of the Poetry Builders Series to teach kids about all sorts of poetry types. This one, by Victoria Peterson-Hilleque, focuses on acrostics. These poems take a word and use each letter of said word as the first letter of each new one of the poem. Ana and Adam are learning about these types of poems in school. Adam has also purloined a high-school diary of his mum’s which happens to have acrostic poetry in it. The two friends decide to write acrostics about their respective siblings, and the story takes us through their brainstorming process to the finished product.

My cubs and I read this together. The artwork is just lovely. I feel it did a good job teaching kids the basics of acrostics. As a poet myself, this isn’t my favourite form. It is a great beginner form though, and I had fun creating acrostics with my cubs afterwards. The end of the book has more detailed instructions regarding this form. Highly recommended for any teacher with a poetic bent. A must for all school libraries.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Norwood Press for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Poetry Builders: Connor and Clara Build a Concrete Poem by Megan Atwood, illustrated by Reginald Butler

Connor and Clara Build a Concrete Poem is part of the Poetry Builders Series to teach kids about all sorts of poetry types. This one, by Megan Atwood, focuses on concrete poems. Concrete poems, also known as shape poems, take the shape of their topic. Clara is collecting autumn leaves when her friend Connor says he can give her the best leaf ever- a word leaf! Clara isn’t impressed at first, but when Connor reads the shape poem out, Clara wants to try. Together they make a mountain shaped poem about climbing. Then they each write their own poem, which turn out to complement each other nicely.

My cubs and I read this together. The artwork is just lovely. I feel it did a good job teaching kids the basics of shape poems. Even though I’m a poet myself, I have never tried this form. I didn’t particularly care for it due to the space required, but several of my cubs really took to it. I think it’s a great early intermediate form though. The end of the book has more detailed instructions regarding this form. Highly recommended for any teacher with a poetic bent. A must for all school libraries.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Norwood Press for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Poetry Builders: Luke and Leo Build a Limerick by Marybeth Mataya, illustrated by Ilene Richard

Luke and Leo Build a Limerick is part of the Poetry Builders Series to teach kids about all sorts of poetry types. This one, by Marybeth Mataya, focuses on limericks. Friends Luke and Leo leave a playful limerick poem on a doorstep for Lizzie as an April Fool’s joke. Lizzie loves it and wants to learn how to write limericks herself. These five line poems have a rhyme pattern. The first two lines rhyme with one another, the middle two rhyme with one another, and the final, fifth line rhymes with the first two lines. Limercis are usually playful poems and that final line often has an amusing twist. Alliteration and rhythm were also touched upon in this book.

My cubs and I read this together. The artwork is just lovely. I feel it did a good job teaching kids the basics of limericks, and it even included some well-known limericks. I’m a poet myself, and I’ve dabbled in this form. I really have to be in the mood and mindset to write limericks, but several of my cubs loved this style. I think it’s a great early advanced form to teach budding poets. The end of the book has more detailed instructions regarding this form. Highly recommended for any teacher with a poetic bent. A must for all school libraries.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Norwood Press for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.