On the cover of City I Love (2009) is a determined looking, brown dog who you know is going places. You open the picture book collection of poems by Lee Bennett Hopkins to find a world map on the endpapers. On the map are labeled 18 cities, from San Francisco to Tokyo. An illustration on the dedication page shows the dog at JFK International Airport-- on his way.
Within the book are 18 poems, one for each of the cities. Each poem celebrates a different aspect of city life--hydrants, skyscrapers being constructed, city lights, etc. The dog is seen as an participant in each city's activities. In the end you find the traveler back in Manhattan.
The poems are kid-friendly and are paired nicely with the illustrations of Marcellus Hall. Combined, they make a delightful package and would be good for classroom use, especially the sturdy of world cultures and poetry (this, from "From the Ground" would a fine example to teach alliteration: balance on beams/dangle on derricks/glide on girders).
This is my favorite is a short poem about a carved horse.
MERRY-GO-ROUND HORSE
Merry-go-round horse
has
tears
in
its
eyes
left
by
spring
rain.
This week's Poetry Friday Round-Up is being hosted at Critique de Mr. Chompchomp.
--Diane
1 comment:
Awww - I can see why you like that poem. And what a clever idea for a book!
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