50
Used, New, and Out of Print Books - We Buy and Sell - Powell's Books
Cart |
|  my account  |  wish list  |  help   |  800-878-7323
Hello, | Login
MENU
  • Browse
    • New Arrivals
    • Bestsellers
    • Featured Preorders
    • Award Winners
    • Audio Books
    • See All Subjects
  • Used
  • Staff Picks
    • Staff Picks
    • Picks of the Month
    • Bookseller Displays
    • 50 Books for 50 Years
    • 25 Best 21st Century Sci-Fi & Fantasy
    • 25 PNW Books to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Books From the 21st Century
    • 25 Memoirs to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Global Books to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Women to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Books to Read Before You Die
  • Gifts
    • Gift Cards & eGift Cards
    • Powell's Souvenirs
    • Journals and Notebooks
    • socks
    • Games
  • Sell Books
  • Blog
  • Events
  • Find A Store

PowellsBooks.Blog
Authors, readers, critics, media − and booksellers.

Lists

Storytime Rhyme: 13 Perfect Collections for Poets of All Ages

by Sarah Reif, April 19, 2021 8:34 AM
13 Perfect Poetry Collections for Children of All Ages by Sarah Reif

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:

Sing a Song of Seasons Sing a Song of Seasons
by Fiona Waters and Frann Preston-Gannon

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.

Everything Comes Next Everything Comes Next
by Naomi Shihab Nye

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.

Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets
by Kwame Alexander, Chris Colderley, Marjory Wentworth, and Ekua Holmes

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.

Beautiful Day Beautiful Day
by Rodoula Pappa and Seng Soun Ratanavanh

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.

The Proper Way to Meet a Hedgehog and Other How-To PoemsThe Proper Way to Meet a Hedgehog and Other How-To Poems
by Paul B. Janeczko and Richard Jones

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: A Book in Verse That Just Gets Worse No More Poems!: A Book in Verse That Just Gets Worse
by Rhett Miller and Dan Santat

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.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: The Poetry of Mister Rogers A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: The Poetry of Mister Rogers
by Fred Rogers and Luke Flowers

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.

I Am Loved I Am Loved
by Nikki Giovanni and Ashley Bryan

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.

If You Go Down to the Woods Today If You Go Down to the Woods Today
by Rachel Piercey

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.

I'm Just No Good at Rhyming and Other Nonsense I'm Just No Good at Rhyming and Other Nonsense
by Chris Harris and Lane Smith

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.

The Lost Spells The Lost Spells
by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris

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.

Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice
by Mahogany L Browne, Elizabeth Acevedo, and Olivia Gatwood

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.

Poems to Live Your Life By Poems to Live Your Life By
by Chris Riddell

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.



Psst, teen and adult poetry fans! Check out our special Poets on Poets list. 
David Biespiel, Mahogany L. Browne, Matthew Dickman, and eight more of our favorite poets share what they're reading for Poetry Month 2021. 



Books mentioned in this post

The Dragons Are Singing Tonight

Jack Prelutsky

Alexander & the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day

Viorst, Judith

Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets

Kwame Alexander, Chris Colderley, Marjory Wentworth, and Ekua Holmes

I Am Loved

Nikki Giovanni, Ashley Bryan

Lost Words

Robert MacFarlane, Jackie Morris

Sing a Song of Seasons A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year

Fiona Waters, Frann Preston Gannon

Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood The Poetry of Mister Rogers

Fred Rogers, Luke Flowers

Proper Way to Meet a Hedgehog & Other How To Poems

Paul B Janeczko, Richard Jones

No More Poems A Book in Verse That Just Gets Worse

Rhett Miller, Dan Santat

Poems to Live Your Life by

Chris Riddell

Woke A Young Poets Call to Justice

Mahogany L Browne, Elizabeth Acevedo, Olivia Gatwood

Sissy A Coming of Gender Story

Jacob Tobia

The Lost Spells

Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris

Everything Comes Next: Collected and New Poems

Naomi Shihab Nye

Im Just No Good at Rhyming & Other Nonsense for Mischievous Kids & Immature Grown Ups

Chris Harris, Lane Smith

If You Go Down to the Woods Today

Rachel Piercey

Beautiful Day!: Petite Poems for All Seasons

Rodoula Pappa
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##

Most Read

  1. Best Books of 2022: Fiction by Powell's Staff
  2. The Big List of Backlist: Books That Got Us Through 2022 by Powell's Staff
  3. 25 Books to Read Before You Die: 21st Century by Powell's Staff
  4. Powell's 2023 Book Preview: The First Quarter by Powell's Staff
  5. 7 Essential Authors Recommend Their 7 Essential Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books by Powell's Staff

Blog Categories

  • Interviews
  • Original Essays
  • Lists
  • Q&As
  • Playlists
  • Portrait of a Bookseller
  • City of Readers
  • Required Reading
  • Powell's Picks Spotlight

Post a comment:

*Required Fields
Name*
Email*
  1. Please note:
  2. All comments require moderation by Powells.com staff.
  3. Comments submitted on weekends might take until Monday to appear.
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

  • Help
  • Guarantee
  • My Account
  • Careers
  • About Us
  • Security
  • Wish List
  • Partners
  • Contact Us
  • Shipping
  • Transparency ACT MRF
  • Sitemap
  • © 2023 POWELLS.COM Terms