poetry Archives - Page 276 of 287

Clothesline Clues to Sports People Play
by Kathryn Heling (Author), Deborah Hembrook (Author) and Andy Robert Davies (Illustrator)

Booktalk: The BIG Picture

The clues in each lively verse can be spotted hanging from the clotheslines. What athlete wears those items? Turn the page to discover the sport at hand—and the athlete in full gear! From baseball and soccer, to fencing and archery, there’s something for everyone . . .

#kidlit Writing Lesson: the small details

The second clothesline clue is:

Team shirt, goalie gloves,
A ball to kick away.
Long socks and shin guards.
What sport does she play?

In a poem every word needs a reason to be there. There are five clues packed into the first three lines of this four line stanza:

(1) Team shirt,
(2) goalie gloves,
(3) A ball to kick away.
(4) Long socks
and (5) shin guards.

After the clues, the stanza asks the question:

What sport does she play?

Can you guess?

More Than Enough
by April Halprin Wayland (Author) and Katie Kath (Illustrator)

Booktalk: The BIG Picture

In spare, lyrical prose, a Jewish family prepares for their Passover seder, visiting the farmer’s market for walnuts, lilacs, and honey (and adopting a kitten along the way!), then chopping apples for the charoset, and getting dressed up before walking to Nana’s house. The refrain throughout is “Dayenu”—a mind-set of thankfulness, a reminder to be aware of the blessings in each moment.

#kidlit Writing Lesson: the small details

As the story begins:

We wander the market
surrounded by colors–
dayenu

TURN THE PAGE

The word dayenu is repeated throughout the book. The poetic repetition in the refrain reinforces the concept and links each action in the story to the big idea:

We buy apples and walnuts,
lilacs and honey–
dayenu

The full meaning of the word dayenu is explained in the back matter and the Dayenu song is printed inside the back cover.

BONUS! Read an interview with April Halprin Wayland

Snippet: “I rewrote this 200-word story more than 34 times.”