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A few months ago, I received a text from my dad out of the blue.

A request: “Hey, I need a good line from that dragon poetry book.”

A question: “Also, what was the name of that dragon poetry book?”

This was, as they say, my moment. Jack Prelutsky’s The Dragons Are Singing Tonight has lived in my head rent-free ever since it entered the storytime rotation for my brother and me sometime in the mid-90s. I’m honestly surprised my dad didn’t remember the title himself — it was certainly one of my young self’s top requests. I spent hours poring over Peter Sís’s detailed illustrations and can still recite many of those poems from memory 20-odd years later.

The longstanding impression “the dragon poetry book” has left on my life speaks to the power and joy of poetry for children. Kids are more ready for poetry than they are necessarily given credit for. Remember, picture books are often written in poetic cadence or rhyme!

This Poetry Month let’s celebrate some of the amazing collections of poetry out there for younger readers. Collections that will inspire them to find joy in words, celebration in rhythm, and inspiration in verse.

Presented in no particular order:

This anthology from Nosy Crow has a little something for everyone and a little something for every day, with 366 gorgeously illustrated nature poems. A perfect gift item and tradition maker — meditative readers will love the rhythm of a poem-a-day and those who just can't stop themselves will find plenty to pore over.

Naomi Shihab Nye is the current Young People's Poet Laureate for the Poetry Foundation, and her mastery and love for the art is made beautifully apparent in this collection celebrating her most popular and accessible poems from the past 40 years.

Newbery Award-winning author and poet Kwame Alexander, alongside Chris Colderley and Marjory Wentworth, pays tribute to the history of poetry and poets across culture and time in this powerhouse collection of original poems. Jubilant and vivid illustrations from Caldecott honoree Ekua Holmes elevate this already astounding collection even higher.

Sometimes children's books come out with illustrations that I just want to live in. The bright imaginative artwork complimenting this collection of haiku-inspired seasonal poems is one such visual treat.

I’ll tell you a secret: this whole list was born out of my desire to talk about this book. I wish I had been lucky enough to have this collection on my childhood bookshelf — I would have spent endless hours in the pages. I am so glad it exists for childhood bookshelves now. Witty, inviting, and profound, this collection is filled with how-to poems that will have you itching to write your own. I won’t spoil it here, but I have been thinking of the resonance of the very short final poem in this book ever since I first read it two years ago.

No More Poems! is the hilarious result of a powerhouse team-up between acclaimed singer-songwriter Rhett Miller and Caldecott Medalist and bestselling artist Dan Santat. This collection is full of zany energy, clever wordplay, and irreverent humor.

Like so many, I grew up with Mister Rogers. Nostalgia dictates that I simply must include this anthology of 75 beloved songs from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and The Children’s Corner on this list. Funny, sweet, sincere, and most of all, kind.

A dozen poems from National Book Award winner Nikki Giovanni, hand-selected and illustrated by Newbery Award honoree Ashley Bryan. With bright bursts of color and joy leaping from the page, this collection reminds that nothing is more important to a child than feeling loved.

Each page of this 16-poem collection features a poem, a busy woodland scene, and a whole list of fun things to spot. A perfect and magical combination. Storytime becomes a fun game and enterprising readers (or pre-readers) will have plenty to explore on their own.

Judith Viorst, author of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, called this collection, "Ridiculous, nonsensical, peculiar, outrageous, possibly deranged — and utterly, totally, absolutely delicious." I do not think I can put together a list of adjectives any better than that! A perfect collection for language lovers and silly storytimes.

In a follow-up to the bestselling The Lost Words, Robert Macfarlane evokes the magic and wonder in the everyday natural world with this series of spell-poems. Combine that with enchanting watercolor illustrations from Jackie Morris and readers are in for something uniquely beautiful with this one.

This collection is a triumph. Written in recognition that poets have long been on the forefront of social movements, the poems in Woke are sure to inspire joy, ignite passion, and stir empathy among a new generation of activists.

Author/Illustrator Chris Riddell takes readers on a poetic tour of his inspirations, from Shakespearian sonnets to Phoebe Bridgers lyrics. The result is a thought-provoking collection (beautifully illustrated of course) that encourages readers young and old to grow into themselves.