Just what is a Stardine?

Stardines Swim High Across the Sky and Other Poems 
by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Carin Berger
Greenwillow, HarperCollins, February 2013
Have you heard of a Tattlesnake or a Braindeer? How about a Magpipe? In Stardines, poet Jack Prelutsky introduces readers to sixteen strange creatures, writing a poem about each. Berger's collage illustrations accompany each poem, displaying Prelutsky's creatures in scenes inspired by the work of Joseph Cornell.  Absurd, creative, and funny, Prelutsky's poems will spark imaginations.

Dark & Hysterical

Last Laughs: Animal Epitaphs by J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen, illustrated by Jeffery Stewart Timmins
Looking for a dark, grim, and absolutely hilarious book? Look no further! J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen have written a series of posthumous poems, each commemorating the demise of a different animal. Dark, detailed illustrations by Jeffery Stewart Timmins show moments before, during, or after each unpleasant death, sometimes combining elements from different poems into one fantastically funny illustration. Last Laughs is simply fabulous. Read one epitaph and you'll be hooked.

Toppling

by Sally Murphy 

Candlewick, August 14th, 2012

John loves arranging long, intricate domino runs, and then toppling them. When his best friend Dominic gets sick in class and doesn't return to school, John makes domino runs instead of worrying. But then it turns out that Dom isn't just sick, he has cancer. John tells his story in chapters of poetry, the lines lining up like a domino run. But while he'll topple dominoes, John and his friends will support Dom in every way they can, so that that cancer doesn't topple him. Sally Murphy has a gift for dealing with difficult emotions in poetic form, and Toppling is a good book it have around for the right someone who needs it.

Gorgeous book of poetry

I must admit that I don't read a lot of children's poetry, but one of the things I've been trying to do is broaden my appreciation of children's books in general. I fell so in love with the illustrations & design of Outside Your Window that I ended up reading the poetry and not just the illustrations. While I try not to buy too may books, I kept going back to pick this one up and reasoned that if I waited to have children, it would probably be out of print, so if I loved it (and I do!) I had to buy it. So now it sits on my shelf and every day or so, when I'm tired of typing papers, I pull it from the shelf and randomly flip it open.


Outside Your Window A First Book of Nature
by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Mark Herald
This book is at the top of my list of most beautifully illustrated books this year. Mark Herald collages together painted papers, hand printed papers, patterned papers, and other materials to created textured scenes from nature. Each illustration reflects the tone of Davies' accompanying poem and children will be drawn to her insights about each season. Frogs' eggs are "like spotted jelly" and soil is "crumbly and moist as cake mix" while snow keeps "a diary of things that happened when you were asleep." Outside Your Window is a splendid introduction to poetry and nature alike.

Fale Apologies

Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems
by Gail Carson Levine, illustrated by Matthew Cordell

Gail Carson Levine takes William Carlos Williams' poem This is Just to Say and runs with it. Following Williams' format and intent, each poem details what was done, asks for forgiveness, but then offers up a mischievous twist. From false apologies by Rumpelstiltskin, Little Red Riding Hood's Grandmother, and other fairytale characters to apology poems for friends, enemies, and readers, there's something to make everyone giggle. Levine's intro (note: you will not find this at the beginning of the book) explains how she used Williams' poem, making the book a wonderful find for budding poets and teachers alike.