  | Poem in my pocket Author: Tougas, Chris | |
| Price: $21.88 | ||
Summary:
A young poet's words spill out into the world, where they join randomly with other words to form funny riffs and puns all over a busy city street. The child scrambles to capture the loose words and arrange them back into poem form, only to lose them again as a storm swoops in on a rushing wind. Eventually, the words plant themselves in the muddy ground, where they grow into something that might be even better than the original poem.
| Illustrator: | Bisaillon, Josee |
Download a Teacher's GuideReviews:
Kirkus Reviews (05/01/21)
School Library Journal (+) (00/07/21)
Booklist (03/01/21)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 03/01/2021 The process of writing a poem can be confusing and chaotic, and things get really messy in this humorous, yet serious, take on the art of poetry. After being struck with inspiration, a child scribbles down a poem, only to have it fall out of a pocket. Out tumble words, rhymes, and rhythms, all scrambled up, and—as it turns out—exposing your poem to the elements is problematic. The wind whips the words and rhythms around, resulting in everything from nonsense to puns. The child tries to reconstruct the poem, but it’s all in vain; the wind stirs everything up again. Finally, thunder and rain come, and the words go into the ground, planted like seeds, before growing back into something truly beautiful: a “poetree.” Vibrant illustrations take readers on a journey that parallels the young poet’s spiritual one, from bright and busy urban settings to a magically lush and beautiful garden. This is a whimsical, rhyming story that gives expression to the long frustration and toil that’s often part of the artistic process. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 07/01/2021 Gr 1–4—"I had a poem in my pocket, / but my pocket got a rip. / Rhymes tumbled down my leg / and trickled from my hip." As the poem visually flows out of the narrator's pocket, the watercolor illustrations draw readers in. Every page gives way to flying words, wild combinations of lettering, enthralling cityscapes, and the black-haired, brown-skinned narrator on a quest to find a poem. At the end of the story is a challenge to locate rhyming words on each page, finding mixed-up words, and other fun activities. The author also includes where to find more information about "Poem in Your Pocket Day." Children who have never been able access poetry before may be inspired to craft a line or two of their own. VERDICT Whether for classes that celebrate "Poem in Your Pocket Day" or students who love rhyming wordplay, this book is a gift.—Elizabeth Willoughby, John P. Faber Sch., Dunellen, NJ - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
