Today I walked outside and spied
a hedgehog on the hill.
When she and I met eye to eye,
she raised up straight and still.
Be they practical (how to mix a pancake or how to bird-watch) or fanciful (how to scare monsters or how to be a snowflake), the poems in this book boast a flair and joy that you won't find in any instruction manual. Poets from Kwame Alexander to Pat Mora to Allan Wolf share the way to play hard, to love nature, and to be grateful. Soft, evocative illustrations will encourage readers to look at the world with an eye to its countless possibilities.
Contributors include:
Kwame Alexander
Calef Brown
Rebecca Kai Dotlich
Margarita Engle
Ralph Fletcher
Douglas Florian
Helen Frost
Martin Gardner
Charles Ghigna
Nikki Grimes
Anna E. Jordan
Karla Kuskin
Irene Latham
J. Patrick Lewis
Marjorie Maddox
Elaine Magliaro
Pat Mora
Christina Rossetti
Monica Shannon
Marilyn Singer
Robert Louis Stevenson
Charles Waters
April Halprin Wayland
Steven Withrow
Allan Wolf
Richard Jones has worked for more than twenty years in the creative arts. He is the illustrator of numerous picture books, including Bird Builds a Nest and The Squirrels' Busy Year, both written by Martin Jenkins. Richard Jones lives in Devon, England.
Who can resist a good how-to? Janeczko, an astute editor of children's poetry, capitalizes on his readers' natural curiosity and yearning for autonomy while opening up the possibilities for what a how-to--both the question and the answer--can be...The entire book becomes a how-to, instructing readers not only in various activities but also in all the ways poetry can resonate.
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
In this charmingly illustrated collection, poets classic (Christina Rossetti, Robert Louis Stevenson) and modern (Kwame Alexander, Margarita Engle) offer a variety of how-to poems, providing young readers with instructions both jocular and sincere...Jones' illustrations are truly scene-stealing: at times impish and adorable, at others restrained and lovely, they capture the essence of each poem. A useful poetry compendium that can be shared in sections or in its entirety.
--Booklist (starred review)
Esteemed poet and anthologist Janeczko here assembles over thirty compact poems that explore, with varying degrees of seriousness, how something should be done...Kids who find poetry too abstract will appreciate the more actionable approach, and those just dipping in are sure to find unexpected pleasures.
--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Jones's digitally edited paintings capture the tone and feeling of each piece while still being unified overall with color choices, soft edges, and keen observations of nature. Though some of the selections are silly, the accompanying pictures are lush, gentle, and tender, filling each large page. A varied and approachable poetry collection that children can enjoy on their own, and that adults can enjoy sharing with them.
--The Horn Book