March is Reading Month 2012, Tip #16: Read Some Poetry Today

Tip #16: Read Some Poetry Today!

Yesterday, I had the good fortune to get to sit around with Colby and listen to third graders read her some dog poems. Time well-spent...

I love reading poems with Fran and Claude.  Claudia is really into nursery rhymes and I absolutely love it. I just checked out Here's a Little Poem for Claudia; it's fabulous selection of poems with joyful, expressive illustrations.  I think she'll love this one:

From "Here's a Little Poem"...a little Gertrude Stein for the Claude...

And Fran has been enjoying Toasting Marshmallows (Camping poems since MIRM has a camp theme!) and we have I Didn't Do It on hold at AADL (the follow up book to Once I Ate A Pie.) I also think he's just prime for the goofy, rhyme-y stuff that kids love (and I poo-poo, but totally loved as a child) along the lines of Prelutsky and Silverstein.

I can't believe I haven't published Fran's famous Fog Poem yet on the blog.  I recited Sandburg's fog poem with the little cat feet and silent haunches while driving him to school one foggy morning, and Fran had a different image in his version, which he barked at me from the back of the mini-van:

He's not always a prolific poet-- legos and basement sports do keep him so busy-- but he has some really good ones.