  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 03/01/2019 *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. The poems vary widely in tone: Elaine Magliaro is thoughtful and austere in “How to Be a Mole,” as she advises readers to “Listen for the soft music / of seeds sprouting, / worms wiggling / rain pattering on your grassy roof.” By contrast, Douglas Florian is playful in “Tired Hair,” as he says, “If you’re tired of your hair, / Rope it to a rocking chair . . . / Tie it into fifty knots; / Dye it green with purple spots.” Poetry content ranges from daily joys (playing on a swing, watching birds) to the fantastical (seeing goblins, scaring monsters). On one gloriously orange double-page spread, Irene Latham joyfully takes a visit to Mars (“be ready: / the first person to walk on Mars / might be you”). Nikki Grimes addresses sign language in “A Lesson from the Deaf,” while Steven Withrow offers a poetic glimpse into “How to Read Braille.” 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. - Copyright 2019 Booklist. School Library Journal - 04/01/2019 PreS-Gr 3—Janeczko's latest anthology is a cozy collection of humorous and thought-provoking "how-to" poems from contemporary writers, including Kwame Alexander, Margarita Engle, J. Patrick Lewis, and Nikki Grimes, as well as poems from Christina Rossetti, Robert Louis Stevenson, and more. This collection thoughtfully compiles poems that range in focus from the fantastical, to the natural, to the domestic. The book opens with "How to Build a Poem" by Charles Ghigna and sets the tone with the closing lines "…words that leave us/wanting more." Throughout the book, poems are often grouped thematically. For instance, the poems "On the Fourth of July" by Marilyn Singer and "Fireworks" by Anna E. Jordan occupy adjacent pages of the same spread. Jones's illustrations tenderly bring each poem to life. Children are invited to see themselves in many of the earth-toned, textured scenes. The final scene depicts an empty chair with an abandoned book on it—The Proper Way to Meet a Hedgehog—and, through the doorway, a girl and her dog stepping out into the world. Overall, Jones's illustrations achieve a strong balance of white space and image, and the full-bleed spreads connect the poems into a single, unified work. A great pick for read-alouds or for sustained, one-on-one reading. VERDICT This anthology is a solid pick for public and school collections large and small.-Erica Ruscio, Madison Public Library, WI - Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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