Several poets worth exploring throughout the year
National Poetry Month is nearly over, but reading poetry should continue!
National Poetry Month will soon be over, but that’s no reason to stop exploring poetry with the young readers in your life. So today we’ve compiled a list of poets who specialize in writing poetry for children that we think would be worth exploring throughout the year. Perhaps you could head to the library and find several books by the same poet and read them over a couple of weeks. Or you might want to have a poetry tea time celebrating one specific poet. Another idea is to choose a poet you’d like to emulate and write some poems in their style. Whatever you do, we hope you’ll take some time to get to know some poets over the next few months and maybe make poetry a regular part of your reading (and writing) routine.
Read: Several poems (or poetry books) by the same poet, perhaps one listed below.
Joyce Sidman - Her poems cover a wide range of topics and are always a joy to read. One of my favorites of hers is “Big Brown Moose” from her book Winter Bees and Other Poems of the Cold.
Constance Levy - This poet writes a lot about nature, and her poems are full of whimsy and wordplay. I especially like her book Splash! Poems of Our Watery World.
Chris Harris - According to his website, he only has two poetry books published, but they are worth checking out of you’re into rhyme and nonsense and general silliness. Also, his website is probably the most entertaining and silly author website I’ve ever seen.
Allan Wolf - He writes picture books, poetry, and young adult novels (The Watch that Ends the Night, a novel in verse, is one of my personal favorites). His poetry collection The Day the Universe Exploded My Head is an entertaining book of poems full of information about the universe. He writes for a wide variety of ages, so be sure to explore his website to see what books might be right for you (including some anthologies that contain his poems).
Marilyn Singer - A very prolific children’s poet writing about everything from presidential pets to a museum of monsters! Her book A Full Moon is Rising, illustrated by Julia Clairns, is a lovely book of poems about customs and beliefs related to the moon all around the world. You’ll not soon run out of poems to read if you look for her books.
Kristine O’Connell George - A poet who writes of many topics, like trees, middle school, and camping. Her website includes a page where you can listen to some of her poetry read aloud.
Douglas Florian - A poet and artist who illustrates his own poetry books. His book Poem Runs: Baseball Poems and Paintings is full of fun and action. Find more of his books here and here.
Discuss:
What is your favorite poem by this poet?
Are there any themes or topics this poet writes about more than others?
Do poems by this poet usually rhyme or not?
Did you notice any specific poetic forms while reading?
What are some interesting ways the poet uses language?
Do: Choose a favorite poem from your chosen poet and try writing your own in a similar style. Or try writing about a similar subject. Or both!
We hope that you have enjoyed exploring poetry with us during National Poetry Month. In our next newsletter, on Monday, April 28, we will be sharing a round-up post including some of the poetry our readers have shared with us. If you would like your poetry to be considered, send it to us by Sunday, April 27. You can comment on this post, reply to this message, email us, or tag us on Instagram (use the hashtag #RDDPoetryChallenge or #RDDPoetryMonth).
Yes! Love this post so much! (And I did not know Allan Wolf has a novel in verse! The Day the Universe Exploded My Head is probably my kids' favorite poetry book of the last few years... so good.)