November 6, 2017
Fifteen previously unpublished poems by as many authors praise familiar figures at school. Aside from Rebecca Kai Dotlich’s opening entry, written from the perspective of the school building, the poems—odes, really—unfold in the voices of students. The narrator of J. Patrick Lewis’s poem marvels at his mother’s accomplishments (“Who could ever guess/ that my School Principal/ would... also be the Principal of me?”). Darren Sardelli describes a kindly custodian (“He keeps our building neat and clean,/ yet—this man is rarely seen!”), and Irene Latham’s music teacher “walks in music, like morning rain:/ drip-drop, pitter-patter, boot-stomp, splash!” Shi’s warm digital images infuse adults and children with personality in a vibrant tribute to trusted staffers and educators, many of whom go unnoticed or underappreciated. Ages 5–8. Illustrator’s agent: Anne Moore Armstrong, Bright Group.
January 1, 2018
Gr 3-5-Hopkins's newest poetry collection is a slim picture book that highlights a baker's dozen of the people who work within and around an elementary school: bus driver, lunch lady, coach, librarian, nurse, art teacher, and others. The verse of several well-known poets-Alma Flor Ada, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, J. Patrick Lewis, and Hopkins himself-interweave beautifully with that of many less familiar voices, resulting in a collection that is fun to read and to listen to. There's the crossing guard who "guides us/like hatchlings/safely/to the other side"; the custodian who's "caring, helpful, smart, and kind."; the principal who can "teach a bully how to be humble." The digital artwork is bright and eye-catching; the cartoon people animated and upbeat. Most illustrations have painted backgrounds and detail; some faces and clothing look like they've been clipped from colored paper, then detailed with paint or colored pencil. The depicted children range in grade level from kindergarten to about sixth grade; however, most of the poems' vocabulary is geared toward older elementary school students. VERDICT Used to kick off a writing assignment or to brighten up a gloomy day, these entertaining poems will hit the spot.-Susan Scheps, formerly at Shaker Public Library, OH
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
December 1, 2017
Poems about school staff aim to reassure anxious young students. Prolific anthologist Hopkins encourages his audience with a series of poems describing school personnel, from the bus driver and crossing guard to the librarian and sympathetic nurse. He opens with the building's welcome--"I am waiting--come on in!"--from Rebecca Kai Dotlich. Most adults are described from a child's point of view. Matt Forrest Esenwine's bus driver has a "good-morning smile." In Michele Krueger's art teacher's room, "my imagination soars." Irene Latham's music teacher makes us "walk in music like morning rain." Shi's digital illustrations show students of varying ethnicities and a staff diverse in age and gender though not so much in race. They add significant details. The white custodian smilingly feeds a guinea pig; the brown-skinned, male librarian wears groovy shades. A small dog follows the children who walk to school and is waiting for its owner, a little brown-skinned child, at the end of the day. This surprisingly even collection includes short poems by 14 different authors including the compiler. These are mostly free verse, with two exceptions. The rhyming couplets Darren Sardelli uses to describe the custodian come as a pleasing change of pace. Alma Flor Ada takes advantage of the rhyming sounds of Spanish to celebrate learning that will "spice up / a world / twice as flavorful."Useful, if not vital, for a back-to-school collection and good for reading aloud. (Picture book/poetry. 4-7)
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January 1, 2019
This poetry compilation explores the many different adults one might find in a school--teacher, librarian, nurse, custodian, etc.--each with his or her own poem and spread. With both rhyming and free verse from fourteen different poets, the collection is nicely varied. Shi's soft, full-bleed digital illustrations complement the verses well. A great way to introduce brand-new students to different people in their school.
(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)