Cows and Sheep and Chicks That Cheep: Farm Poems. Douglas Florian. (2025). Beach Lane. 
Douglas Florian’s collection of 23 poems about life on a farm opens with “Our Family Farm,” which concludes with “A farmer’s day is never done, / but still our farm is lots of fun!” and an illustration in which a young child stands, arms outstretched, atop a pyramid of seven bales of hay marked with the letters F, A, M, I, L, Y, F, A, R, M. Subsequent poems, printed on single pages (either verso or recto), highlight Florian’s clever wordplay (cows are “udderly big”; the goats naaay “inside their naaay-borhood”) about animals, buildings, chores, crops, a scarecrow, and even a field of five hundred sunflowers. Florian’s childlike, multi-media illustrations on opposing pages contain hidden letters spelling out words. Young children are sure to enjoy visiting Florian’s farm poems with their simple rhymes, humor, and clever artwork. (PreK Up) 
—NB ​

Nancy Brashear and Carolyn Angus
Poetry is for everyone, and for this column we reviewed 14 recently published poetry books for preschoolers to young adults that will delight, inform, and invite them to think about the world around them and how they interact with it. We encourage teachers to read aloud poetry every day, incorporate it across the curriculum, and add poetry books to classroom libraries.

Black Girl You Are Atlas. Renée Watson. Illus. by Ekua Holmes. (2024). Kokila.
“Black girl you are Atlas. The way no one expected you to be the fulfillment of prophecy. But it is you, always, who holds the world up.” In this poignant, semi-autobiographical collection of 38 poetry and prose entries, Renée Watson explores issues of sisterhood, gender, race, and class through the reflections of a Black girl, Renée, as she grows up. She succinctly substantiates the collective wisdom of women in “Sisterhood Haiku, I” with “And what would we do / without the knowing women? / How could we survive?” and two other haiku about sisterhood. Ekua Holmes’ vibrant mixed media collage artwork is a perfect match to the content and tone of this mesmerizing book. (Gr 6 Up)
—NB

Bless Our Pets: Poems of Gratitude for Our Animal Friends. Lee Bennett Hopkins (Ed.). Illus. by Lita Judge. (2024). Eerdmans.
This anthology of 14 poems, each giving thanks for a different pet and accompanied by a playful watercolor-and-colored pencil illustration by Lita Judge, quickly engages the hearts of readers. Eric Ode implores, “Watch over every tiny part. / Whatever sniffs / or scurries . . .” in a poem about a gerbil; Joan Bransfield Graham murmurs, “Blessed are / the soft of fur, / the long of ear . . .” in a poem about a rabbit; and Charles Ghigna gets in a quip about a pet snake with “But heaven knows I’m grateful that— / this one belongs to you!” The last three poems in which a mouse dreams, an old calico cat rests, and an old dog snuggles “into me” provide a perfect wind down to slumber. (PreS Up)
—NB

Climbing the Volcano: A Journey in Haiku. Curtis Manley. Illus. by Jennifer K. Mann. (2024). Neal Porter.
On a trip with his family, a young boy climbs to the summit of a dormant volcanic mountain. From awakening at dawn at their campground to bedding down on their return, the boy narrates their outdoor adventure entirely in haiku with verses such as “how do you / climb a mountain? / one step at a time” and “I made it / to the summit— / jumping even higher!” Jennifer K. Mann’s childlike artwork adds interest-catching details of their day’s hike. Back matter includes information about Oregon’s South Sister volcano, the geology of the Cascade Mountain Range, supplies for a mountain hike, the difference between traditional Japanese haiku and English haiku (usually with 10 to 14 syllables total), and the flora and fauna (with common and scientific names) pictured in the book. (PreK-Gr 2)
—CA

​Eating My Words: And 128 Other Poems. Brian P. Cleary. Illus. by Andy Rowland & Richard Watson. (2024). Millbrook.
Brian P. Cleary uses wordplay and rhyme in this collection of 129 laugh-out-loud poems in varied forms such as limericks, acrostics, haiku, sonnets, and villanelles with informative sidebars and colorful, cartoon artwork by Andy Rowland and Richard Watson. For example, “At the Bus Stop” is accompanied by sidebars about alliteration and list poems and a spot illustration picturing the last line, “Shawn shows Cheyenne the green, scaly, slimy bug he found in his bed this morning.” The final selection, “A Recipe for Poetry,” ends with “. . . it’s time to eat your words!” Back matter includes a glossary of poetic terms, further reading, and an index organized by poetic forms. (PreK Up)
—NB

Grace Notes: Poems About Families. Naomi Shihab Nye. (2024). Greenwillow.
Naomi Shihab Nye reflects on her life in this touching semi-autobiographical memoir in verse through more than 100 new free verse poems that focus on her mother and their complicated mother-daughter relationship, culture, and personal identity. Part One, “No Age Is Empty,” begins with the poem “How Parents Ever Get Together Anyway” that details how her American mother met her Palestinian husband while working in a psychiatric hospital in Kansas. “The only thing they had in common was / hope / and open minds.” The poems then shift to an exploration of family secrets, dreams, and the grace that comes with forgiveness. Part Two, “Sometimes We Need a Bigger Family,” expands to include poems about friends and family and ends on a note of resilience. (Gr 6 Up)
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Great Gusts: Winds of the World and the Science Behind Them. Melanie Crowder & Megan Benedict. Illus. by Khoa Le. (2024). MIT Kids.
After posing the questions “Can you ever really see the wind?” and “Can you ever really know the wind?” in an introductory poem, Melanie Crowder and Megan Benedict explore winds of the world in 14 expressive poems, each paired with a sidebar of information on how the wind forms, its geographic location, and its related weather system and presented against a stunning double-spread illustration by Khoa Le with accurate wind lines showing the movement of the wind. Back matter includes sections on the origin of wind, the naming of winds, and the use of some local traditional poetic forms; a map of where each of the winds blows; a glossary; and books for further reading. (Gr 3-5)  
—CA

​Hoop Queens 2 (Sports Royalty). Charles R. Smith Jr. (2024). Candlewick.
In this follow-up to Hoop Queens (2003), Charles R. Smith Jr. pays tribute to 13 contemporary WNBA stars with dynamic poems complemented with photo-illustration artwork. Smith uses clever wordplay and rhythm to highlight the skills of these women athletes in profiles presented in different poetic forms against vibrant double-page backdrops. For example, Skylar Diggins-Smith is featured in the alliterative poem “S-S-S-Skylar” (“Southpaw / Skylar / sly / skittery / snaking . . .” with text laid out in a sweeping “S” shape), and in “Smooth Like What” for A’ja Wilson, “smooth” is reiterated ten times (A’ja game smooth like / chinchilla fur. / Left hand smooth like / the hum of a cat’s purr.”). Back matter includes “Poem Notes” featuring biographical information on the 13 ballers and Smith’s rationale for using specific poetic elements for their verses. (Gr 3 Up)
—NB

​In and Out the Window. Jane Yolen. Illus. by Cathrin Peterslund. (2024). Philomel.
Jane Yolen’s robust collection of over 100 new and previously-published poems invites children to consider things to see and experience in poems grouped from “in” and “out” points of view in six sections: At Home, Animals, School, After School, Career Poems, and Calendar Poems. Each section is introduced by a thought-provoking poem about poetry such as “Why to Write a Poem,” “The Poem in Your Heart,” and “If There Is No Poem Today.” In the final poem, “From the Writer to the Readers: Saying Thank You,” describing how plants and animals show gratefulness in their everyday actions, Yolen sets the example for readers to also say, “Thank you. / Thank you. / Thank. / You.” (index by title) (PreK Up)
—NB

​The Mighty Pollinators (Step Gently, Look Closely #7). Helen Frost. Photos by Rick Lieder. (2024). Candlewick.
This latest book in their series on observing the natural world begins with Helen Frost’s poem “Almost Invisible” about pollen, “fine powder, at the heart of a flower,” and Rick Lieder’s close-up photograph of the anthers of a flower on a blurred yellow background. Frost’s playful, lyrical verses and Lieder’s exquisite nature photography introduce readers to nine mighty pollinators: bees, ants, wasps, flies, butterflies, moths, bats, fireflies, and wind. Back matter includes informative sections on what pollen is, what pollination is, observing pollinators, and suggestions on helping pollinators. The photographed pollinators in each selection are identified by common name in a note on the back endpaper. (PreK Up)
—CA

​Poemhood: Our Black Revival. Taylor Byas, Erica Martin & Amber McBride (Eds.). (2024). HarperTeen.
This expansive young adult anthology explores Black history, Black folklore, and the diversity of the Black experience through the poetic contributions of Black poets “who are now ancestors” (James Baldwin, Gwendolyn Brooks, Lucille Clifton, Langston Hughes, Etheridge Knight, Audre Lorde, Claude McKay, and Phillis Wheatley) and more than 25 modern poets. Each poem is accompanied by an outro, a brief closing section written by the editors that provides information and context for the poem and often includes a quote from the poet about its creation. As Taylor Byas, Erica Martin, and Amber McBride point out in their insightful introduction, Poemhood is, indeed, “a patchwork quilt of poetry that highlights and celebrates the Black experience—old and new.” Back matter includes biographical notes on the editors and contributing poets. (Gr 9-12)
—CA

​Poetry Comics. Grant Snider. (2024). Chronicle. 
In graphic novel format with bright cartoonlike illustrations in panels of poems organized in Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter sections, each ending with a “How to Write a Poem” verse, Grant Snider inspires a young girl and boy (as well as readers) to create their own poetry. The Spring section opens with the girl writing, “I want to put down / on paper the feeling / of fresh possibilities” and ends with the advice “Find a quiet place / … A poem will rush in to fill the space,” in “How to Write a Poem #1.” The Winter section begins with “A new page— / my words huddle close / to keep warm” and ends with “How to Write a Poem #4” that takes her writing “somewhere undiscovered.” On the final page, “A Year of Poetry,” the girl celebrates with her cat. (Gr 3-5)
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Sometimes I Feel Like an Oak (Sometimes I Feel Like #3). Danielle Daniel. Illus. by Jackie Traverse. (2024). Groundwood.
Danielle Daniel’s 12 poems about different trees take young readers through the four seasons from spring to winter while focusing on a specific physical attribute for each tree such as maple trees have flowing sap and cherry trees have dainty pink blossoms. Many of Ojibway Jackie Traverse’s realistic illustrations, done in acrylics and gouache, feature a child identifying with the tree. For example, “Sometimes I feel like an oak, / solid, mighty and stout” shows a child hanging from a branch. Back matter includes spot illustrations of the trees paired with an emotion such as the birch with optimism, the cedar with healing, and the pine with peace. In an author’s note, Daniel explains that she believes, as did her Algonquin ancestors, that trees are sentient beings that can teach us how to care for each other. (PreK-Gr 2)
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​This Is a Tiny Fragile Snake. Nicholas Ruddock. Illus. by Ashley Barron. (2024). Groundwood.
Nicholas Ruddock’s poems reflect helpful and respectful encounters that humans have with 15 animals. In “Snake,” the opening poem, children relocate a tiny, fragile snake they almost stepped on “to a nearby woods, / no longer under heel.” In “Hummingbird,” a young girl assists a helpless bird in extricating its beak from a screen.The final poem, “Winter,” reports on what each of the 15 animals is doing during this season including that “the moose has moved into the woods / knee-deep in fallen snow” . . .  “while curled up in a nest of moss / lies our tiny fragile snake.” Each of Ashley Barron’s vibrant mixed media illustrations spans across a double spread and adds visual details to the experiences humans have with animals in the poems that read aloud well. (PreK Up)
—NB

​Windsongs: Poems About Weather. Douglas Florian. (2024). Beach Lane
Douglas Florian’s collection of 20 rhyming poems gives young readers a witty and informative introduction to types and elements of weather (rain, hail, snow. fog, tornadoes, lightning, thunder, and more) as well as general topics (weather, atmosphere, weather instruments, meteorologists). The verses on backgrounds of saturated colors vary in poetic form and are paired with Florian’s childlike mixed media illustrations, most picturing children out in the weather, on facing pages. For example, the illustration for “Tornado” shows two children and their cat being tossed around by a twisting tornado, and the final poem, “Climate Change,” pictures three activists holding up “our blue planet Earth.” Back matter includes a glossary, weather websites for kids, and selected sources and further reading. (PreK Up)
—CA

​Nancy Brashear is Professor Emeritus of English at Azusa Pacific University, in Azusa, California. Carolyn Angus is former Director of the George G. Stone Center for Children’s Books, Claremont Graduate University, in Claremont, California.

Nancy Brashear and Carolyn Angus
 
In looking back at the bounty of nonfiction and poetry published in 2023, we have considered the identification of outstanding trade books with curriculum connections and the reading interests of children and young adults in deciding on our best-of-the-year picks.

​Afterward, Everything Was Different: A Tale of the Pleistocene. Jairo Buitrago. Trans. by Elisa Amado. Illus. by Rafael Yockteng. (2023). Aldana Libros. 
Wordless panoramic double-page spreads show a clan’s travels to find a place to shelter over winter. Left alone while others go hunting, a young girl uses a charred stick to draw pictures depicting events in their journey on the cave walls. Upon the clan’s return, she has a story to tell. A final page of text begins with “The cave was different afterward.” (information on cave art) (Gr 3 Up) 

​America Redux: Visual Stories from Our Dynamic History. Ariel Aberg-Riger. (2023). Balzer + Bray.
America Redux offers a new way of seeing American history through visual storytelling. In 21 nonlinear chapters filled with mixed-media collages created with archival photographs, maps, graphic images, and excerpts from documents and a lively text presented in a handwritten typeface, Ariel Aberg-Riger immerses readers in an exploration of thematic stories that have shaped our sense of the history of America, including what is not in our text books. (image sources, selected bibliography, index) (Gr 9-12)

​An American Story. Kwame Alexander. Illus. by Dare Coulter. (2023). Little, Brown.
“How do you tell a story / that starts in Africa / and ends in horror?” Kwame Alexander’s poetic text and Dare Coulter’s exquisite mixed-media artwork address the question “How do you tell a story about slavery?” in this powerful picture book in which a teacher’s telling of the history of slavery to a group of children ends with a classroom discussion in which the students’ responses affirm that this difficult American story is one that must be told.  (author’s note, illustrator’s note) (PreK Up) 

Ancestory: The Mystery and Majesty of Ancient Cave Art. Hannah Salyer. (2023). Clarion.
Hannah Salyer introduces young readers to cave art—the rock paintings, drawings, and etchings that are time capsules telling the stories of our ancient past. A spare text and stunning artwork tell the story of how our ancient ancestors produced cave art with pigments made from minerals and handmade tools. Today, archaeologists continue to study the details of the stories being told by cave art found all over the world and are working with Indigenous people from communities with connections to these ancient sites. (world map of rock art sites, information on the Lascaux Caves, author’s note, glossary, timeline, resources) (Gr 3 Up) 

Ancient Night. David Álvarez (with David Bowles). Illus. by David Álvarez. (2023). Levine Querido.
“At the start of things, the elders say, / the universe was hushed and still. / The moon alone shone bright and round / in the star-speckled dark of the sky.” Exquisite full-color illustrations and a lyrical text weave together ancient Mesoamerican tales featuring the traditional characters Rabbit and Opossum to tell how it came to be that now, as the moon dims, the dawning sun lights the sky. Noche Antigua published simultaneously. (creators’ note) (PreK Up) 

​The Book of Turtles. Sy Montgomery. Illus. by Matt Patterson. (2023). Clarion. Naturalist and writer Sy Montgomery’s engaging text and wildlife artist Matt Patterson’s realistic illustrations, done with acrylic paint, introduce young readers to these shelled reptiles. The thought-provoking opening statement that around 240 million years ago “the shell invented the turtle” is followed by interesting facts about the structure of the shell; the characteristics, diversity, and conservation status of the more than 330 species of turtles; and a “You Can Help Turtles!” section. (resources, glossary, bibliography) (PreK Up) 

Facing the Mountain (Adapted for Young Readers): A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II. Daniel James Brown. (2023). Viking.
Daniel James Brown’s compelling World War II narrative focuses on four first-generation Japanese Americans (nisei): three soldiers in the heroic 442nd Regimental Combat Team and a conscientious objector who spent the war years embroiled in legal battles and imprisonment for protesting the U.S. governments racial policies under Executive Order 9066 that violated the rights of citizens and incarcerated families of Japanese descent in concentration camps in the U.S. (resources, source notes, bibliography, index) (Gr 6 Up) ​

The Fire of Stars: The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made Of. Kirsten W. Larson. Illus. by Katherine Roy. (2023). Chronicle.
Kirsten W. Larson’s lyrical narrative and Katherine Roy’s exquisite artwork depict the birth of a star and the life story of Cecilia Payne (1900-1979). Payne’s solving of the mystery of what stars are made of led to other discoveries about stars and recognition for her lifetime of excellence in astronomy research. (additional information on Payne and the birth of a star, timeline, bibliography) (Gr 3 Up) 

​Fungi Grow. Maria Gianferrari. Illus. by Diana Sudyka. (2023). Beach Lane.
In this inviting introduction to the spore-producing organisms classified in the Fungi kingdom that live all over the world, Diana Sudyka’s vibrant illustrations complement Maria Gianferrari’s lyrical narrative that considers the wide variety of fungi, their characteristics, life cycle, and importance in the natural world. (WARNING! about never eating mushrooms found outside without verification by a mycologist, glossary, examples of how fungi heal and help, fun fungi facts, a fungi life cycle infographic, sources, further reading, resources) (PreK Up) 

How Birds Sleep. David Obuchowski. Illus. by Sarah Pedry. (2023). mineditionsUS. 
This beautifully crafted picture book about the sleep behavior of 20 bird species from around the world opens at dusk in the U.S. with a barn owl wide awake while thousands of tree swallows perform an elaborate routine in the sky before funneling down to earth to slumber and ends at dawn with the owl asleep in his tree while swallows fly out of the reeds. Sarah Pedry’s lush artwork augments the text with realistic portraits of the birds (identified by common scientific name, common name, and location) sleeping in their natural habitats. (information about bird sleep, climate change, the backstory, resources) (PreK-Gr 2)

How to Write a Poem. Kwame Alexander & Deanna Nikaido. Illus. by Melissa Sweet. (2023). Quill Tree.
Opening with “Begin / with a question, / like an acorn / waiting for spring,” Kwame Alexander and Deanna Nikaido’s spare free verse text takes readers through the steps of the writing process until the words of a poem are there “to slide down your pencil” onto the blank page. Melissa Sweet’s creative collage artwork extends the playful, metaphoric imagery of the poetry. The final double spread pictures children balancing bicycle-like interconnected circles and the prompt “Now, show us what you’ve found.”  (authors’ note, illustrator’s note) (PreK Up) 

In Between. April Pulley Sayre (with Jeff Sayre). (2023). Beach Lane.
“Every creature / on Earth / at times / finds / itself / in / between.” With a poetic text and beautiful close-up photographs of animals in their natural habitats, photo-illustrator and writer April Pulley Sayre explores the concept of “in between.” Animals (mammals, birds, reptiles. amphibians, spiders, and insects) find themselves between life stages, movements, transformations, and almost-but-not yet situations. “Almost landed, / but not yet. // Almost asleep, but not yet. // Almost ready, / but not yet / living on one’s own.” (PreS Up)

The Indestructible Tom Crean: Heroic Explorer of the Antarctic. Jennifer Thermes. (2023). Viking.
Jennifer Thermes details the adventures of Irish-born Tom Crean (1877-1938) as a crewmember on three expeditions during the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration: the Discovery (1901-1904), the Terra Nova (1910-1913), and the Endurance (1914-1917). Double-spread illustrations featuring panoramic views of the icy landscape, maps, and panels depicting the explorers’ activities enhance the story of how Crean motivated others with his courage and perseverance as they faced hardships and tragedies. (afterword, timeline, sources) (Gr 3-5) 

A Long Time Coming: A Lyrical Biography of Race in America from One Judge to Barack Obama. Ray Anthony Shepard. Illus. by R. Gregory Christie. (2023). Calkins Creek.
In this biography in verse, organized in three parts: 1773-1913 Enslavement and Emancipation, 1862-1968 Freedom and Justice, and 1961-2008 The Promise of America, Ray Anthony Shepard’s story-poems focus on significant events in the lives of six Black Americans who heroically faced the challenges of their times to fight for freedom and justice: Ona Judge, Fredrick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, Martin Luther King Jr., and Barack Obama. (timeline, further reading, bibliography, source notes, and index) (Gr 6 Up) 

​The Mona Lisa Vanishes: A Legendary Painter, a Shocking Heist, and the Birth of a Global Celebrity. Nicholas Day. Illus. by Brett Helquist. (2023). Random House Studio.
Nicholas Day’s lively narrative alternates between the story of Leonardo de Vinci (1452-1519) and his creation of the Mona Lisa in Florence, Italy, in the early 1500s and the theft of the painting from the Louvre in Paris in 1911 and how the portrait became the most famous work of art in the world. Brett Helquist’s black-and-white cartoon illustrations add humor to the true-crime story. (sources, index) (Gr 6 Up) 

​Nearer My Freedom: The Interesting Life of Olaudah Equiano by Himself. Monica Edinger & Lesley Younge. (2023). Zest.
Monica Edinger and Lesley Younge used words, phrases, and quotes from Equiano’s autobiography, published in 1789, to create this found poetry version of the life story of Olaudah Equiano (1745-1797) in which Equiano, who was born in Benin (now Nigeria), explains the horrors of abductions and being sold into slavery. Edinger and Young add informative notes and archival images that provide historical context. (“Creating a Verse Version” section, timeline, glossary, source notes, bibliography, further reading, index) (Gr 9-12)   

Remember. Joy Harjo. Illus. by Michaela Goade. (2023). Random House Studio.
Joy Harjo, a member of the Mvskoke Nation, adapted her poem “Remember,” written in 1983, in a creative partnership with Tlingit illustrator Michaela Goade to produce this thought-provoking picture book for all ages. Harjo’s meditative verse, which prompts readers to reflect upon who they are and how they are connected to the earth and all living things, ends with “Remember you are this universe. // And this universe is you. // Remember.” (author’s note, illustrator’s note) (All Ages) 

Stars of the Night: The Courageous Children of the Czech Kindertransport. Caren Stelson. Illus. by Selina Alko. (2023). Carolrhoda.
In March 1939, as German soldiers march into Prague, Jewish children board a train to begin their long journey to safety in England. Fifty years pass before survivors learn that Nicholas Winton was the man who had arranged for the rescue of 669 Jewish children from Czechoslovakia: Nicholas Winton. (the Kindertransport Movement, timeline, “Winton’s Children,”, “Stars in Another Night: the Yad Vashem’s Children’s Memorial” in Jerusalem, refugee children in the world today, author’s and illustrator’s notes, source notes, bibliography, further reading) (Gr 3 Up) ​

There Was a Party for Langston: King o’ Letters. Jason Reynolds. Illus. by Jerome Pumphrey & Jarrett Pumphrey. (2023). Caitlyn Dlouhy.
In 1991, there was a dance party at the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. It was “a fancy-foot, get-down, all-out bash” to celebrate Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes (1901-1967). Jerome and Jarrett Pumphrey’s bold, colorful illustrations, created with handmade stamps and edited digitally, are as rhythmic as Jason Reynold’s tribute to “the word-making king.” (author’s note) (PreK Up)