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Tomie dePaola's Book of Poems
An illustrated collection of poems by such authors as Dorothy Aldis, Carl Sandburg, Langston Hughes, and Federico Garcia Lorca.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published October 20, 1988
About the author
Tomie dePaola
454 books918 followersTomie dePaola (pronounced Tommy da-POW-la) was best known for his books for children.
He had a five-decade writing and illustrating career during which he published more than 270 books, including 26 Fairmount Avenue, Strega Nona, and Meet the Barkers.
Tomie dePaola and his work have been recognized with the Caldecott Honor Award, the Newbery Honor Award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, and the New Hampshire Governor's Arts Award of Living Treasure.
He had a five-decade writing and illustrating career during which he published more than 270 books, including 26 Fairmount Avenue, Strega Nona, and Meet the Barkers.
Tomie dePaola and his work have been recognized with the Caldecott Honor Award, the Newbery Honor Award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, and the New Hampshire Governor's Arts Award of Living Treasure.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 20, 2009
dePaola, T. (1988). Tomie dePaola’s book of poems. New York: G P Putnam’s Sons
Summary:
A compilation of famous and new poems from writers as well-known as Lewis Carroll, Robert Louis Stevenson, Langston Hughes, Robert Frost, Jack Prelutsky, etc…
Reviews/Awards:
Publishers Weekly- 1988
School Library Journal- 1989
Curriculum Connection:
1st graders (I have done this in the past) can put on a poetry play. This goes along with their Listening and Speaking goals. In groups, students memorize and act out a poem to present to their study buddies, parents, etc…
Personal Connection:
I was given this book when I was in college in the late 90’s, once I realized I was going to be a teacher. My favorite poems are: Cat Kisses by Bobbi Katz, The Storm by Dorothy Aldis, Rain of Leaves by Aileen Fisher, The Secret Place by Tomie dePaola, Secret Door by Myra Cohn Livingston, My Brother by Dorothy Aldis, Some Things Don’t Make Any Sense at All by Judith Viorst, Growing Old by Rose Henderson, I Speak, I Say, I Talk by Arnold L. Shapiro, Eagle Flight by Alonzo Lopez, Autumn Leaves by Aileen Fisher, and Bed in Summer by Robert Louis Stevenson. I love the classic Tomie dePaola illustrations that can lend comprehension to some of the slightly-more abstract stories.
Grades: 2-5
Summary:
A compilation of famous and new poems from writers as well-known as Lewis Carroll, Robert Louis Stevenson, Langston Hughes, Robert Frost, Jack Prelutsky, etc…
Reviews/Awards:
Publishers Weekly- 1988
School Library Journal- 1989
Curriculum Connection:
1st graders (I have done this in the past) can put on a poetry play. This goes along with their Listening and Speaking goals. In groups, students memorize and act out a poem to present to their study buddies, parents, etc…
Personal Connection:
I was given this book when I was in college in the late 90’s, once I realized I was going to be a teacher. My favorite poems are: Cat Kisses by Bobbi Katz, The Storm by Dorothy Aldis, Rain of Leaves by Aileen Fisher, The Secret Place by Tomie dePaola, Secret Door by Myra Cohn Livingston, My Brother by Dorothy Aldis, Some Things Don’t Make Any Sense at All by Judith Viorst, Growing Old by Rose Henderson, I Speak, I Say, I Talk by Arnold L. Shapiro, Eagle Flight by Alonzo Lopez, Autumn Leaves by Aileen Fisher, and Bed in Summer by Robert Louis Stevenson. I love the classic Tomie dePaola illustrations that can lend comprehension to some of the slightly-more abstract stories.
Grades: 2-5
September 14, 2024
A really special book of poetry for children, though not all of the poems were written to children. I loved dePaola's choices, spread across time, and his illustrations.
October 9, 2020
The author of this poem is Nikki Giovvani. The illustrator is Tomie Depaola. This poem has an A,B, C,B pattern in the first stanza. In the second stanza it has the same A,B,C,B pattern. I would definitely try and get a couple of books that have poems for my classroom. Like this one it has a lot of poems in it. All the poems are short, which means you could read them in a read aloud to the students and get more read in a certain period of time. It has illustrations in it, so I could ask the students to analyze the pictures in this book. Then when they are done analyzing the pictures I would have them pick their favorite verse of the poem and explain why.
June 18, 2019
Some poems are hilarious, some are wistful, a few are sad, but all are engaging, and the illustrations for well. My nephew especially liked "Bananas and Cream" by David McCord, while I enjoyed the Robert Louis Stevenson poems, especially "Bed in Summer," which my nephews can identify with, in particular the lines "And does it not seem hard to you, / When all the sky is clear and blue, / And I should like so much to play, / To have to go to bed by day? "
September 20, 2020
The reader will be introduced to many wonderful poems in this book.
May 7, 2026
A lovely selection of poems with beautiful illustrations. Some of the expected ones, but many were also new to us, but all fun to read.
December 15, 2015
Identify the poet (or collection of poets)
There are so many poets in this book from Emily Dickenson to Robert Frost to an 11 year old boy named Dylan.
• Explain why this is a particularly good resource for quality children's poetry
This is a good resource for kids because there is such a large variety of poetry in this book. There is something for everyone. Some of them are long and some are very short. They are all generally happy and nice. So most students should be able to find something that they like in this book.
• Identify specific concepts that could be integrated into the classroom.
Rhyme is a big element in a lot of the poems in this book. The students could search for it and use it as a model for their own poems.
• Provide any other suggestions that would be useful regarding literary content, reading level, and other ways in which the poems might be integrated.
There is an 11 year old boy who wrote a poem in this book. I think that this could be used as inspiration for students to see that someone as young as them, who is not famous, is published in a book. It would inspire them to work hard and that they could do things like be an author of an actual published book. Also the art work is really fun and inspiring. It could be a fun way to introduce the idea of illustrating to go along with their poems.
There are so many poets in this book from Emily Dickenson to Robert Frost to an 11 year old boy named Dylan.
• Explain why this is a particularly good resource for quality children's poetry
This is a good resource for kids because there is such a large variety of poetry in this book. There is something for everyone. Some of them are long and some are very short. They are all generally happy and nice. So most students should be able to find something that they like in this book.
• Identify specific concepts that could be integrated into the classroom.
Rhyme is a big element in a lot of the poems in this book. The students could search for it and use it as a model for their own poems.
• Provide any other suggestions that would be useful regarding literary content, reading level, and other ways in which the poems might be integrated.
There is an 11 year old boy who wrote a poem in this book. I think that this could be used as inspiration for students to see that someone as young as them, who is not famous, is published in a book. It would inspire them to work hard and that they could do things like be an author of an actual published book. Also the art work is really fun and inspiring. It could be a fun way to introduce the idea of illustrating to go along with their poems.
December 4, 2009
Reading level: All elementary grades
This book of poems is a huge collection of very traditional and happy poems from a variety of poets. Some poems are written by very famous poets such as Robert Frost and Langston Hughes. dePaola also uses some more modern poets that may not be as familiar. The illustrations in the story are very light and simple. However, they do add a good picture to go with the poem. For the most part, the poems are short and written about happy things. The variety of the kinds of poems would be a good collection to have in your classroom because there are so many different poets and different kinds of writing styles. There are also some multicultural poems in the collection that adds to the author’s variety.
I would use this book as a read aloud on various occasions and also as a book to have as an individual read and something to look up various poem types.
Content Connections:
Language arts: looking up and discussing various styles of poetry.
Science: studying the poems on page 46-47 about the moon as a content connection to the moon/space study.
This book of poems is a huge collection of very traditional and happy poems from a variety of poets. Some poems are written by very famous poets such as Robert Frost and Langston Hughes. dePaola also uses some more modern poets that may not be as familiar. The illustrations in the story are very light and simple. However, they do add a good picture to go with the poem. For the most part, the poems are short and written about happy things. The variety of the kinds of poems would be a good collection to have in your classroom because there are so many different poets and different kinds of writing styles. There are also some multicultural poems in the collection that adds to the author’s variety.
I would use this book as a read aloud on various occasions and also as a book to have as an individual read and something to look up various poem types.
Content Connections:
Language arts: looking up and discussing various styles of poetry.
Science: studying the poems on page 46-47 about the moon as a content connection to the moon/space study.
February 15, 2013
Tomie de Paola's Bool of Poems by Tomie dePaila
This is a collection of poems by several very famous authors with illustration done by Tomie dePaola. The illustrations showcase dePaola's talent and flair for creating a backdrop that compliments several different poems written by some of history's most famous authors, such as:
---Emily Dickinson
---William Blake
----Byrd Baylor
----Lewis Carroll
---Jack Prelucksy
My favorite poem is Cat Kisses by Bobbi Katz
Sandpaper kisses
on a cheek or a chin---
that is the way
for a day to begin
Sandpaper kisses--
a cuddle, a purr.
I have an alarm clock
that is covered in fur.
This is a book the whole family could enjoy, but is geared toward 4-6 years old.
This is a collection of poems by several very famous authors with illustration done by Tomie dePaola. The illustrations showcase dePaola's talent and flair for creating a backdrop that compliments several different poems written by some of history's most famous authors, such as:
---Emily Dickinson
---William Blake
----Byrd Baylor
----Lewis Carroll
---Jack Prelucksy
My favorite poem is Cat Kisses by Bobbi Katz
Sandpaper kisses
on a cheek or a chin---
that is the way
for a day to begin
Sandpaper kisses--
a cuddle, a purr.
I have an alarm clock
that is covered in fur.
This is a book the whole family could enjoy, but is geared toward 4-6 years old.
November 14, 2013
This is a great poetry collection! It includes poems by famous poets like Lewis Carroll, William Blake, Robert Louis Stevenson, Langston Hughes, and Robert Frost. There are also poems by other poets such as Jack Prelutsky and Nikki Giovanni. There are poems of all formats (i.e. free verse, haiku, etc.) There are a range of topics including: animals, family, loss, seasons, and nature. I found several poems that I could share with children from K-5 and they could be used for a variety of purposes. Tomie dePaolo's illustrations are wonderful as always and if the children reading this poetry collection are familiar with his other work they will love seeing his interpretation of these poems!
Bubbles - imagery
Some Things Don't Make Sense at All - Family, a bit silly
Poem - Loss
The Witch - Halloween - Rhyme
Bubbles - imagery
Some Things Don't Make Sense at All - Family, a bit silly
Poem - Loss
The Witch - Halloween - Rhyme
November 5, 2011
Format/Length: Picture book/Anthology of Poems; 128 pages
Review:
This is a great collection of poems. There are 86 poems of various topics in different forms. The anthology includes poems that are considered classics, as well as poems that are playful and fun.
I love the variety this anthology provides its reader. This anthology is beautifully illustrated by Tomie DePaola, which I feel the beauty lies in the simplicity of the illustrations.
I feel that this anthology would be a great addition to the curriculum in grades P-3 to introduce poetry to younger children through read-alouds of various poems within this collection.
Review:
This is a great collection of poems. There are 86 poems of various topics in different forms. The anthology includes poems that are considered classics, as well as poems that are playful and fun.
I love the variety this anthology provides its reader. This anthology is beautifully illustrated by Tomie DePaola, which I feel the beauty lies in the simplicity of the illustrations.
I feel that this anthology would be a great addition to the curriculum in grades P-3 to introduce poetry to younger children through read-alouds of various poems within this collection.
July 29, 2016
This collection of poems includes a variety of poets from William Blake to Nikki Giovanni. It also includes Native American chants, a Spanish poem by Frederico Garcia Lorca and Japanese haiku in both English and Japanese. All the poems that have been chosen (even those of classic poets) are accessible to all students from kindergarten on up. It would be hard not to find a connection in these poems! It includes both a table of contents as well as an index. This would be an easy book for a poetry go-around.
January 22, 2014
Review: I love this collection because it has so many pictures. The pictures are full with light and joy and so colorful really caught my eyes. This book is knew for a attention grabber to get kid evolved.
Poem: Hide out
They looked for me
and from my nook
inside the oak
I watched them look.
Through little slits
between the leaves
I saw their looking
legs and sleeves
They would have looked
all over town
expect
I threw some acorns down
-Aileen Fisher
Poem: Hide out
They looked for me
and from my nook
inside the oak
I watched them look.
Through little slits
between the leaves
I saw their looking
legs and sleeves
They would have looked
all over town
expect
I threw some acorns down
-Aileen Fisher
February 24, 2015
Tomie dePaola's Book of Poems contains so many different themes and concepts. There are poems on animals, holidays, etc. I even saw a multicultural poem. It was written in Spanish and translated in English. That is a great way to expose children to diversity and so forth. I skimmed around and saw a lot of illustrations each corresponding to a particular poem. The particular poem I read, The Witch, contained a lot of rhyming and alliteration. It introduced these literary concepts without taking away the essence of the poem.
March 18, 2010
"Tomie dePaola's Book of Poems" is a wonderful anthology of classics as well as modern poems. The poems are poems that children can relate too and are great to read as a family. The collection includes poems from Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Lewis Carroll, Byrd Baylor and many others. The book also has wonderful illustrations that incorporate a lot of color and detail. This is a fun book that every student will find a poem they will enjoy. I would use this with the 7-12 age range.
April 2, 2014
I thought this collection was a book that could keep children's attention with the short poems and colorful pictures. The poems were easy to read. I enjoyed reading a few of them.
Growing Old
When I grow old I hope to be
As beautiful as Grandma Lee.
Her hair is soft and fluffy white.
Her eyes are blue and candle bright.
And down her cheeks are cunning plies
Of little ripples when she smiles.
- Rose Henderson
Growing Old
When I grow old I hope to be
As beautiful as Grandma Lee.
Her hair is soft and fluffy white.
Her eyes are blue and candle bright.
And down her cheeks are cunning plies
Of little ripples when she smiles.
- Rose Henderson
October 14, 2013
I loved my friend.
He went away from me.
There's nothing more to say.
The poem ends,
Soft as it began-
I loved my friend.
Langston Hughes
This book would be good for introducing poetry to children. It can be used to introduce classic authors like Langston Hughes, Emily Dickerson, and Robert Frost.It contains a wide collection of poems.
He went away from me.
There's nothing more to say.
The poem ends,
Soft as it began-
I loved my friend.
Langston Hughes
This book would be good for introducing poetry to children. It can be used to introduce classic authors like Langston Hughes, Emily Dickerson, and Robert Frost.It contains a wide collection of poems.
April 2, 2014
Poetry is a fun way to teach children new vocabulary through rhymes. This book has beautiful colorful and representative drawings to the poems which relate
Dragon Smoke
Breathe and blow
white clouds
with every puff.
It's cold today
cold enough
to see your breath
Huff
breathe dragon smoke today
February 21, 2015
This book has over 90 pages filled with poems from a variety of different authors. They are all age appropriate for elementary students and could be a great way to introduce poetry as a lesson. I loved the many different poems and the illustrations to match are cute and simple. Just enough color to draw our interest, but not too much stimulation to take away from the words in the poems.
November 27, 2008
Tomie dePaola combined this book with poems composed by others. Each poem is short and concise. This book contains poems from a selection of others including children and adults. He included appropriate illustrations which help children to remain engaged with the text.
March 14, 2011
A wonderful anthology of classics as well as modern poems from well know poets with cute illustrations that relate to the poems. I find this to be a great book to introduce poetry and famous authors of poetry to children.
April 1, 2014
I really enjoy this poems in this book. it allows the children to start thiking. I love the picture choice.
Song
Don't you ever
you up in the sky
don't you ever get tired
of having clouds
between you and us?
Song
Don't you ever
you up in the sky
don't you ever get tired
of having clouds
between you and us?
February 22, 2015
This book of poems is great. You can use this book to teach about animals, holidays, multicultural topics and rhyming. I also loved this book because of the illusrtations. This book also as many themes and concepts.
October 30, 2015
I liked how the poems were written by different people throughout the book and also the pictures in the book go along with the poems. The talked about different experiences and I liked that about it.
September 27, 2007
The kids LOVE these poems.
January 29, 2013
A simply lovely collection of poems.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews