April Is Poetry Month!!!

April is National Poetry Month...I am a teensy bit late but my post is about children and poetry and some lovely poetry books that I used when I taught.


When I was teaching second grade I would always start the day with a poem. It would always be written on a huge sheet of chart paper...it would always cause discussion...and it would most often come from this book.  It was a part of our morning to sing and recite and chant and tap out syllables and dance and rhyme to the poem of the day.  If for some reason I forgot or didn't have a poem ready...my students would remind me and we would choose an old one. 









I used this book so much that the pages were loose and floppy.


It has wonderful illustrations and a mix of old and newer poems and it was beloved by me and my young students.


Another total favorite was anything and everything by Shel Silverstein. My students would beg for certain poems to be read over and over and over...a special favorite was called "Sick". It was about a little girl named Peggy Ann McKay who couldn't go to school today...they loved it!!!

My second graders also loved the poems of Jack Prelutsky...these were their favorite books.

The poems are silly and ridiculous and sing songy and lovely!!!

There are so many fun and unique and delightful poetry books to share with  children...it is so important to not forget that part of your library when reading books to your children!!!


Happy Poetry Month!!!

Clicking on the above link will take you to the blog tour site for National Poetry Month...there are lots of cool blogs listed there that are exploring poetry!!!

I leave you with a Jack Prelutsky classic...one of my personal favorites!!!

Be Glad Your Nose is on Your Face

Be glad your nose is on your face,
not pasted on some other place,
for if it were where it is not,
you might dislike your nose a lot.

Imagine if your precious nose
were sandwiched in between your toes,
that clearly would not be a treat,
for you'd be forced to smell your feet.

Your nose would be a source of dread
were it attached atop your head,
it soon would drive you to despair,
forever tickled by your hair.

Within your ear, your nose would be
an absolute catastrophe,
for when you were obliged to sneeze,
your brain would rattle from the breeze.

Your nose, instead, through thick and thin,
remains between your eyes and chin,
not pasted on some other place--
be glad your nose is on your face!

Thank you, Jack Prelutsky!!!