How Elegant the Elephant: Poems About Animals and Insects (Hoberman) ©2025 by Marla Frazee

COELHO, Joseph with Mary Rose Brady. Goodnight, Starry Night: Bedtime Poems Inspired by Works of Art. illus. by Allison Colpoys. 40p. Thames & Hudson. Oct 2024. Tr $19.95. ISBN 9780500653333.
PreS-Gr 2–This book beautifully connects poetry with famous works of art to create a landscape that supports positive sleep habits in young children. On each page, a work of art is placed next to a poem that relates directly to the art, while creating a relaxing auditory experience for young children. The art varies in date and location of creation, including works from over a hundred years ago to more contemporary pieces from around the world. Additionally, there is a diversity of media, including paintings, photography, textiles, sculpture, and more. With each page, children are introduced to global art while simultaneously lulled to calm by the dulcet tones of their caregivers’ voices. The poems that accompany the artwork vary in design and structure to better match the art they are describing. Using repetition, rhythm, and select vocabulary, Coelho’s poems will spark readers’ curiosity and attention as they observe the artwork the poems are describing. Some verses can even be set to familiar lullaby melodies. At the end of the book, readers will find a list of artwork as well as detailed information about why sleep is so important for children and how caregivers can best support the transition from waking to sleep through interaction and stories. VERDICT This artistic picture book is best suited to bedtime reads between children and treasured caregivers.–Mary Lanni

HARRISON, David L. Wild Brunch: Poems About How Creatures Eat. illus. by Giles Laroche. 32p. Charlesbridge. Sept. 2024. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781623543945.
Gr 2-5–By sea, land, and air, wild animals roam our world and eat to sustain themselves in their natural habitats. This book features 13 different creatures and their eating habits in the form of free verse and ABAB poetry. It could be enjoyed by young readers wanting to learn more about the animal kingdom in a digestible picture book format, or by older readers who can dive into the poetic way this information is presented. Beautiful spreads with large and colorful depictions of each animal, from turkey vultures to aardvarks, make this a very visually entertaining read as well. The book is broken up by “Swimming Eaters,” “Land-Based Eaters,” and “Flying Eaters,” as well as one feature on “Not An Eater At All.” Back matter includes more detailed profiles on each animal and further reading lists. VERDICT An excellent purchase for elementary nonfiction collections where animal facts and poetry can enhance readers’ experiences when they’re engaged with both.–Molly Dettmann

HOBERMAN, Mary Ann. How Elegant the Elephant: Poems About Animals and Insects. illus. by Marla Frazee. 88p. Little, Brown. Mar. 2025. Tr $20.99. ISBN 9780316417129.
K-Gr 2–Comprised of 60 poems gathered from Hoberman’s decades-long body of work, as well as eight new poems, this collection celebrates the acclaimed poet’s lifelong love of animals and bugs. While a few selections feel a bit dated, overall the poetry is lighthearted and full of lively wordplay. It is Frazee’s clever illustrations, however, that really steal the spotlight. The art places the bugs and animals at a retro, mid-century hotel with a zebra concierge and a staff of squirrels. Rendered in black pencil and watercolor, the artwork simultaneously complements each poem and engages observant readers in amusing subplots set in various locales in and around the hotel. For example, alongside the poem “So Many Kinds of Animals,” Frazee depicts a host of hotel guests in a yoga class; on the next page, a poem about a donkey is paired with an illustration of the underappreciated animal toting a bundle of yoga mats on its back. VERDICT A playful addition to larger poetry collections.–Lauren Strohecker

LATHAM, Irene & Charles Waters, sel. The Mistakes that Made Us: Confessions from Twenty Poets. illus. by Mercè López. 40p. Lerner/Carolrhoda. Oct. 2024. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781728492100.
Gr 3-8–An engaging, emotionally honest collection of poetry that offers children a comforting glimpse of adults and their imperfections. Latham and Waters center their work on a timeless piece of advice: It’s OK to make mistakes. This gentle stance serves as the jumping-off point for the themes of the book’s four sections on embarrassing blunders, deliberate actions gone awry, missteps that lead to good fortune, and accidents that hurt others. The 20 writers depict real moments from their childhood, with annotations providing context and further reflection. Poems often employ clever visual devices to enhance their impact. For instance, George Ella Lyon’s “Dare” sets the word “JUMPED!” vertically on the page, with each letter (and the exclamation point) spilling downward onto a new line. López’s expressive art, a combination of acrylic, graphite, ink, and digital technique, gets in on the act as the letters of Linda Sue Park’s “Matter I Alls” become a breakaway floor to illustrate the paraphrased biblical proverb “Pride goeth before a fall.” Other illustrations foreground the kinetic energy of the poets’ young selves, with bright red lines representing scissor cut marks, shouts of anger, and baseball physics calculations. Certain entries feature questionable examples of mistakes, such as Tabatha Yeatts’s account of slacking off during rehearsal for a play in summer camp—only to nail her delivery on opening night—and Jorge Argueta’s glorious, consequence-free skipping of school with a friend. Then again, perhaps this is the book’s point: mistakes can be beautiful and, like beauty, lie in the eye of the beholder. VERDICT This accessible, well-tuned collection of poetry will reassure and delight young readers in equal measure.–Jonah Dragan

MADAN, Vikram. Beware the Dragon and the Nozzlewock: A Graphic Novel Poetry Collection Full of Surprising Characters! illus. by Vikram Madan. 128p. Astra/Wordsong. Nov. 2024. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9781635928174.
Gr 3 Up–A delightfully eccentric and quirky collection of poetry, set against brightly colored illustrations and graphic novel comic panels. From the many chapters about the nozzlewock to a man with a black belt in slouching, young readers will enjoy the silly bits told through a variety of poetic forms reminiscent of classic children’s poets, such as Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky. Approximately 25 poems include characters ranging from woodland animals, aliens, children, and nagging nanas, to the titular dragon and nozzlewock. Some of the forms of poetry include concrete, ABAB, and others that have singsong rhymes to them—including one that is titled as a musical. Because the subject of each poem is goofy in nature, the flow of the book is fast and easy to follow for young readers. Artwork depicts subjects as cartoonlike, with bright colors and lots of movement and action. Some stories are contained in panels and some are more freely illustrated. VERDICT A fun purchase for elementary graphic novel and poetry collections due to the exciting nature of the poems and the self-contained stories.–Molly Dettmann

MERRIAM, Eve. Starry Blankets: Poems for Bedtime. ed. by Ryan G. Van Cleave. illus. by Sejung Kim. 32p. Bushel & Peck/Moonshower. Sept. 2024. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781638193098.
PreS-Gr 1–Nineteen poems thoughtfully allude to night, bedtime, or the magical world of dreams. This collection uplifts Merriam’s gift for writing poetry for children with each poem celebrating the pleasures of language while being infused with a child’s point of view. With soothing repetition and alliteration that rolls off the tongue, the poems double as lullabies. Short poems like “The Magic of Moonlight” embody wonder and the playfulness that encourages repeating by heart (“Knobby green pickle,/ wrinkled purple prune,/ what can you see/ by the light of the moon?”), while the quatrains in “Nice and Tight” use alternating pronouns like “you” and “I” to create opportunities for a shared reading experience (“You be Good,/ I’ll be Night,/ tuck me in, tuck me in,/ nice and tight.”) Kim’s illustrations accompany the poems with the soft and fuzzy comfort of a favorite stuffy. Using a palette that reflects evening light and filled with sleepy animals, children snuggled under their covers, and even an occasional sea creature flying through the landscape of a dream, the illustrations encourage rest and slowing down. VERDICT A beautiful collection of poems that is sure to be a sweet naptime and bedtime companion.–Sarah Pousty

PINTADO,Carlos & Lawrence Schimel. HaiCuba/HaiKuba: Haikus About Cuba in Spanish and English. illus. by Juan José Colsa. 40p. Ediciones NorteSur. Sept. 2024. Tr $19.95. ISBN 9780735845688. BL
Gr 2 Up–Inky watercolors and simple haikus transplant readers to Cuba, the warm Caribbean island rich in culture and wildlife. Fourteen haikus highlight various forms of Cuba’s beauty; from its national bird (“Tocororo”) to its notable coastline (“Malecón”), this book tries to encompass a bit of everything. The beautiful illustrations are bright, look a bit like watercolor and ink, and range from more obscure to detailed. A boy with brown skin and a girl with light skin reappear on several pages. The book is bilingual and displays Spanish text alongside English text. A basic introduction to haikus at the beginning includes a definition and example, and a summary at the end discusses the topics of the haikus, giving readers a more in-depth look at the culture and environment of Cuba. This book can be read in a variety of ways, from learning more about Cuban culture and poetry to simply being enjoyed. VERDICT A worthwhile addition to libraries looking to add accessible poetry for young readers.–Katie Llera

SALTZBERG, Barney. The Smell of Wet Dog: And Other Dog Poems and Drawings. illus. by author. 40p. Holiday House/Neal Porter. Sept. 2024. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780823456390.
Gr 1-4–Saltzberg is back with a collection of 27 short, zippy poems about dogs. He touches on some of the hallmarks of canine life, including the rhythmic thump of a tail, the unfettered joy of playing catch, and, as the title suggests, the distinctive “moose and skunk perfume” of a wet dog. The poems take on a more contemplative quality as the book progresses; “Slowing Down” plainly reflects on the changes evinced by an aging pet, deciding that, in the end, a slowing-down dog means one with more time for cuddles. Each poem is accompanied by one of Saltzberg’s delightfully jaunty sketches of scruffy mutts, their eyes keen and curious, fur often askew. The illustrations are rendered in a realistic palette, with lots of browns and blacks, and the generous use of negative space makes them pop. Young readers may relate to the challenges of their four-legged friends, as in “Sit and Stay,” where a dog bemoans the standards of acceptable behavior: “It’s hard to sit./ It’s hard to stay./ Who makes these rules up, anyway?” This slim volume would be a good book to have on hand for National Poetry Month. VERDICT A short, simple, witty group of poems about the ups and downs of being a dog that would make a nice addition to a larger library collection.–Kate Newcombe