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Lemonade: and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word
Play with your words! A brand new poetic form that turns word puzzles into poetry. Part anagram, part rebus, part riddle--these poems capture a scene from a child's daily life and present a puzzle to solve. Sometimes sweet and sometimes funny, but always clever, these poems are fun to read and even more fun for kids to write. Bob Raczka is a fresh, new voice in children's poetry who knows that fun and games can turn a poetry lesson into lemonade!
48 pages, Hardcover
First published March 15, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
June 28, 2021
Took a break from a road trip in Clear Lake Iowa and read a stack of picture-books. I told the children's librarian, once I had a bunch done, that she was welcome to reshelve them. She noticed this, asked if I liked it, I said yes, and so she grabbed not only his other poetry collection but a bunch of picture-books about artists, for me to look at. I agree that they are all worth my time, and probably yours, too. I hope other libraries have them, too!
This would make a great mentor text. I'm a fan of the game of finding words within longer words; I don't know why I never thought of arranging them to make a poem. My favorite is:
moonlight
hot
night
thin
light
moth
in
motion
This would make a great mentor text. I'm a fan of the game of finding words within longer words; I don't know why I never thought of arranging them to make a poem. My favorite is:
moonlight
hot
night
thin
light
moth
in
motion
May 13, 2011
The lady from Manhattan would like to register a complaint. The lady from Manhattan is aware, perfectly aware, that there are plenty of fabulous children's poets in a given year. The lady from Manhattan would further state that she likes many of these authors and would like to review them more often but she feels that her hand is forced, FORCED I say, to instead review the works of one Bob Raczka. This, in her opinion, is unfair. Mr. Raczka should do everything in his power to write significantly less interesting books of children's poetry. Perhaps he should consider a collection of bad limericks. That would certainly lower the bar enough for one to review his brethren with impunity. Instead, when a book like Lemonade comes across your plate, you have no choice but to review it. Brilliant and head-scratchingly insane by turns, Raczka writes one of the more inspiring books of poetry to come out in recent history. It really isn't fair in the least. The lady objects.
Take a word. Now find as many words as you can out of that word. Now take those words and make a cohesive, coherent, and downright good poem. Impossible? Not if you ask Bob Raczka. Inspired by poet Andrew Russ's "one-word poems", Raczka manages to find and write twenty-two such poems. Sometimes they are short (the poem "friends" really just boils down to "fred finds ed"). Sometimes they are longer than you'd expect ("spaghetti" starts with "papa has a pasta appetite"). And in each poem you have to read the letters as they appear under their starting words on one page, and then in order as a normal poem on the next. A clever literary technique yields even cleverer little poems. This is a premise that surpasses its initial gimmick.
There are few books I have encountered that give you the feeling that you're learning to read all over again. This is one of the few. Just reading a single poem, no matter how short, can be a challenge. Because the letters drop down to appear under their respective letters in the title, they do not fall into natural spaces or breaks. The result is that you might read the words "ivan in / ava in / ian in" instead as "ivan in a vain". It almost feels like code breaking after a while (a not unpleasant sensation). Another advantage of the format is that certain poems mimic their subject matter. The poem "moonlight", for example, mimics its subject, a moth, flitting in concentric circles down a page.
If you're tired of the old haiku you could do worse than to try blackout poems where you take newspaper articles and black out with a magic marker everything but a few words. Or how about spine poetry, where you create poems out of the titles of books piled on top of one another? Raczka's one-sentence poems are inspired by a fellow by the name of Andrew Russ. Yet while Russ may have come up with the notion of making poems from common letters, it was Raczka who recognized the real kid-potential of the form. As a result, I suspect that Lemonade is not going to be the last one-sentence children's book of poetry we ever encounter in our lifetimes. It may, however, turn out to be the best.
The technique Russ has come up with is, in a sense, a kind of natural derivation of those school assignments kids are given in school where they are given a vocabulary word and told to make as many words out of it as possible (as a kid my husband was told that the word "id" would not count since "it wasn't a real word"). I imagine that schools still do this assignment, so how much harder would it be to follow in Russ and Raczka's footsteps and to take such assignments one step further saying, "Now turn those words into a poem"? Not hard at all.
The question of how to illustrate such a book is a puzzlement best left in the hands of capable editors. Considering that Raczka's last book was a collection of haikus (Guyku) and that this one is only slightly less sparse and spare, less may be more. The words are the star of the show here. Acknowledging this, the book places each poem with the black title and red poetry against a white background. Turn the page and the page becomes red, the words of the poem neat and orderly in little white rows. The illustrator tapped to fill some of these pages with art of her own is one Nancy Doniger, previously best known for creating the art for Sharon Taberski's Morning, Noon, and Night (another book of poetry) and Gingersnaps by Anita Alexander and Susan Payne. These books came out in 1998 and 1996 respectively, so it's clear that Ms. Doniger has had other things on her plate in the interim. In this book Doniger's palette is limited to black and red watercolor spot illustrations. The art itself keeps itself distinct from the poems. It never overpowers them or even, for that matter, really does anything to catch your eye. These pictures serve as mere filler, leaving the words the true star of the show. A person can read this whole book cover to cover and not remember a single image when they have finished. And that, quite frankly, is perfect for this kind of book.
When Poetry Month comes around kids get bombarded with the same haiku or the same limerick assignments over and over again. I like to believe that Mr. Raczka might do something to change all of that. His is a book that inspires. You almost want to take your own first and last name after reading it and make poems out of those letters yourself. So thank you, Mr. Raczka, for bringing to light a great new poetic format. For inspiring adults and kids alike to write and create. And for making my life all the harder, forcing me to throw laudatory compliments your way, just because you do what you do so well. For all that sir, I thank you.
For ages 4-10.
Take a word. Now find as many words as you can out of that word. Now take those words and make a cohesive, coherent, and downright good poem. Impossible? Not if you ask Bob Raczka. Inspired by poet Andrew Russ's "one-word poems", Raczka manages to find and write twenty-two such poems. Sometimes they are short (the poem "friends" really just boils down to "fred finds ed"). Sometimes they are longer than you'd expect ("spaghetti" starts with "papa has a pasta appetite"). And in each poem you have to read the letters as they appear under their starting words on one page, and then in order as a normal poem on the next. A clever literary technique yields even cleverer little poems. This is a premise that surpasses its initial gimmick.
There are few books I have encountered that give you the feeling that you're learning to read all over again. This is one of the few. Just reading a single poem, no matter how short, can be a challenge. Because the letters drop down to appear under their respective letters in the title, they do not fall into natural spaces or breaks. The result is that you might read the words "ivan in / ava in / ian in" instead as "ivan in a vain". It almost feels like code breaking after a while (a not unpleasant sensation). Another advantage of the format is that certain poems mimic their subject matter. The poem "moonlight", for example, mimics its subject, a moth, flitting in concentric circles down a page.
If you're tired of the old haiku you could do worse than to try blackout poems where you take newspaper articles and black out with a magic marker everything but a few words. Or how about spine poetry, where you create poems out of the titles of books piled on top of one another? Raczka's one-sentence poems are inspired by a fellow by the name of Andrew Russ. Yet while Russ may have come up with the notion of making poems from common letters, it was Raczka who recognized the real kid-potential of the form. As a result, I suspect that Lemonade is not going to be the last one-sentence children's book of poetry we ever encounter in our lifetimes. It may, however, turn out to be the best.
The technique Russ has come up with is, in a sense, a kind of natural derivation of those school assignments kids are given in school where they are given a vocabulary word and told to make as many words out of it as possible (as a kid my husband was told that the word "id" would not count since "it wasn't a real word"). I imagine that schools still do this assignment, so how much harder would it be to follow in Russ and Raczka's footsteps and to take such assignments one step further saying, "Now turn those words into a poem"? Not hard at all.
The question of how to illustrate such a book is a puzzlement best left in the hands of capable editors. Considering that Raczka's last book was a collection of haikus (Guyku) and that this one is only slightly less sparse and spare, less may be more. The words are the star of the show here. Acknowledging this, the book places each poem with the black title and red poetry against a white background. Turn the page and the page becomes red, the words of the poem neat and orderly in little white rows. The illustrator tapped to fill some of these pages with art of her own is one Nancy Doniger, previously best known for creating the art for Sharon Taberski's Morning, Noon, and Night (another book of poetry) and Gingersnaps by Anita Alexander and Susan Payne. These books came out in 1998 and 1996 respectively, so it's clear that Ms. Doniger has had other things on her plate in the interim. In this book Doniger's palette is limited to black and red watercolor spot illustrations. The art itself keeps itself distinct from the poems. It never overpowers them or even, for that matter, really does anything to catch your eye. These pictures serve as mere filler, leaving the words the true star of the show. A person can read this whole book cover to cover and not remember a single image when they have finished. And that, quite frankly, is perfect for this kind of book.
When Poetry Month comes around kids get bombarded with the same haiku or the same limerick assignments over and over again. I like to believe that Mr. Raczka might do something to change all of that. His is a book that inspires. You almost want to take your own first and last name after reading it and make poems out of those letters yourself. So thank you, Mr. Raczka, for bringing to light a great new poetic format. For inspiring adults and kids alike to write and create. And for making my life all the harder, forcing me to throw laudatory compliments your way, just because you do what you do so well. For all that sir, I thank you.
For ages 4-10.
March 5, 2021
This inventive book combines anagrams and poetry to create a unique reading experience. Author Bob Raczka starts with a single word, using only its letters to construct a poem reflecting its subject. Adding to the puzzle is that you have to read the letters as they appear under the initial word, which gives the text on the page a scatterplot feeling. The following page reveals the poem written in a traditional format, allowing the reader to experience the poem in various ways. The simple watercolor illustrations add to the visual experience by perfectly complementing the often sparse text. All in all, this unique book of poetry is one that middle-grade readers and older will enjoy exploring for its puzzle element.
Check this book out from the Villa Park Public Library!
Check this book out from the Villa Park Public Library!
June 15, 2018
Bob Raczka inspires readers to think outside the poem with this book of poems "squeezed from a single word". If you had to write a poem using only the letters in the title of the poem, do you think you could? If you were using "lemonade" or "beach" as your title, could you create an entire poem using only the letters in the title word? Bob Raczka has created an entire book of poems doing just that. Sharing with the reader his proof of only using certain letters by placing the letters of his words under the letters of the title in a scattergram style, the reader is challenged to read the poem correctly by deciphering the words. Fortunately, he wrote the poem out in traditional form on the back of each page in the book, ensuring the reader a positive poetry experience. The poems in this book will delight readers of all ages and inspire them to try their hand at writing a "lemonade" poem of their own.
April 18, 2018
Lemonade and other poems squeezed from a single word written by Bob Raczka is a poetry book but not your ordinary poetry book. Each of these poems are created using the letters of one word. Some poems are funny some are thoughtful but all of them are incredibly clever. My personal favorite was “Chocolate”. This book would be good to use in upper elementary classrooms. I would use this book in the classroom as an example of a different type of poetry that doesn’t have to rhyme or follow a certain format. This book would be great to lead the students into an activity where they write their own poem using one word. This would give students practice in writing and give them an opportunity to get creative. This book was a WOW for me because of the creativity that went into each poem. I love how the author took simple words such as television, lemonade, spring and created poems with just the letters found in that one word it's like a game of scrabble turned poetry.
December 27, 2020
If your favorite art form is anagrams, then this is the book for you. Most of the poems are just gimmicks, but a few of them are actually good.
constellation
a
silent
lion
tells
an
ancient
tale
March 18, 2017
You could definitely tell it's about a "child's daily life" If you didn't know that before reading it won't make hardly any sense.
December 22, 2023
I loved the concept of the types of poems in this. Really cool and interesting. A few of the poems really stood out and impressed me!
September 7, 2013
Title / Author / Publication Date: Lemonade: and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word/Bob Raczka/2011
Genre: Non-Fiction, Poetry
Format: Hardcover
Plot summary: Part anagram, part rebus, part riddle--these poems capture a scene from a child's daily life and present a puzzle to solve. Sometimes sweet and sometimes funny, but always clever, these poems are fun to read and even more fun for kids to write. Bob Raczka is a fresh, new voice in children's poetry who knows that fun and games can turn a poetry lesson into lemonade! (GoodReads)
Considerations or precautions for readers advisory: A bit esoteric for the younger reader but still a lot of fun.
Review citation: Ellis, S. (2011). Lemonade, and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word (Book Review). Horn Book Magazine, 87(2), 133-134.
Section source used to find the material: Children's Core Collection, Most Highly Recommended
Recommended age: 7 and up
Genre: Non-Fiction, Poetry
Format: Hardcover
Plot summary: Part anagram, part rebus, part riddle--these poems capture a scene from a child's daily life and present a puzzle to solve. Sometimes sweet and sometimes funny, but always clever, these poems are fun to read and even more fun for kids to write. Bob Raczka is a fresh, new voice in children's poetry who knows that fun and games can turn a poetry lesson into lemonade! (GoodReads)
Considerations or precautions for readers advisory: A bit esoteric for the younger reader but still a lot of fun.
Review citation: Ellis, S. (2011). Lemonade, and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word (Book Review). Horn Book Magazine, 87(2), 133-134.
Section source used to find the material: Children's Core Collection, Most Highly Recommended
Recommended age: 7 and up
July 31, 2014
Well, the concept of writing a meaningful poem using only the letters of one word is certainly a unique idea--and very difficult. I have to admire Raczka's efforts. What I didn't like was how the poems were presented. Each poem was presented in 2 formats--one in which the letter of each word in the poem falls directly under its corresponding letter in the title word (on white pages), and one in which the words in each poem are written normally (on red pages). In the white page format had a lot of difficulty reading the words. Aside from that, these poems should intrigue readers young and old alike, and inspire them to try to write this kind of poem for themselves. My favorites are "Constellation," "Snowflakes," and "Earthworms." Very clever. In the introduction Raczka mentions another poet, Andrew Russ, who writes this type of poem. I must look him up...
April 16, 2015
Trying to read more poetry for national poetry month! Wow this book has the coolest concept. The poems in this book are made out of a single word. For example, if the title of the poem was lemonade, the author only used the letters in the word lemonade to make a poem. The author played around with spaces and word arrangement so it was like a puzzle to read. Don't worry the same poem was on the back without the funky spaces so you could see if you read it correctly. I appreciate how the author shows readers the fun you can have with words when writing! My second graders were fascinated that this was considered poetry and loved trying to figure out what each poem said! A must have for any poetry shelf.
June 14, 2014
Very Inventive! I enjoyed reading the poems that filled the pages of Lemonade by Bob Raczka, illustrated by Nancy Doniger. I loved how each word was turned into a fun poem. I think children would not only have a great time reading this book but creating poems themselves from their spelling and or vocabulary words or simply for children learning how to spell. How exciting!! I believe it takes a lot of imagination to create such engaging poems. Raczka arranges each word on the pages so that readers end up solving puzzles. Genius!
The illustrations by Nancy Doniger were fitting for each poem. The colors were warm but not overpowering for the poems, simple yet inviting. Well Done!
The illustrations by Nancy Doniger were fitting for each poem. The colors were warm but not overpowering for the poems, simple yet inviting. Well Done!
January 11, 2012
Very, very clever. Raczka uses only letters from a single word to create a poem. More than that, he arranges the letters in such a clever and concrete way that I'm in awe that he can figure out how to make interesting, clever, fun, and wonderful poetry. I'm not sure kids could create a poem like this on their own (but who knows!) but this is certainly a great book to show them when they learn about poetry, specifically concrete poems.
Recommended for grades 2 - 5.
Recommended for grades 2 - 5.
August 9, 2011
I need to read more poetry! If I read more poetry I probably would have given this book more stars. It's not you it's me. At first I struggled to get comfortable with the way these poems were written, but eventually I started to enjoy the poems in this book.
August 20, 2015
Unique concept (would make a great creative writing assignment!), wonderful illustrations and poems—but the layout of the poems threw me off more than once. I imagine it would be even harder for a child with dyslexia or some other reading difficulty...
March 27, 2011
A clever, fun way to get kids interested in poetry and writing their own.
April 19, 2020
Lemonade is a delightfully intriguing book with many poems that makes you want to spell out W-O-W!
This book takes quite a bit of thinking and imagination while reading. It encourages students to think outside of the box through a child's daily life! Lemonade displays each poem in two different ways and then the author tries to use letters in the word "lemonade" to write descriptions about different topics. The book has an effect that visualizes letters falling down like rain to form words. Words and sentences are not always spaced in the traditional way which engages the students to puzzle out what each poem is saying. Lemonade would be best fit for 4th or 5th grade because it is playful yet stimulates their thinking about poetry and replicate the strategy to expose them to various poetry concepts. This book has various possibilities to be used in an instructional way in the classroom. It can ignite curiosity, provide new perspectives on how poetry looks, discuss how the poems are constructed and why the author chose to create them that way, and they can construct a poem of their own using anagrams and themes of their choosing. When children see the title "Lemonade", they will instantly be enthralled in the book as it represents a theme of childhood and summertime.
One important aspect of this book I wanted to highlight is the idea of puzzles. The way the poems are constructed it requires the reader to first solve the word patterns in order to enjoy the idea conveyed. This idea has a symbolic representation of that this book you are solving the puzzle patterns to understand yet that is a concept you do more broadly when reading all types of books. Every book is it's own puzzle and you are given different pieces to that puzzle while you are reading so I think that makes the book even more noteworthy because it has a larger meaning behind the patterns and puzzles in the different poems. The book encourages excitement to solve the patterns yet engages them in the comprehension of poetry and anagrams in an untraditional way.
This poetry book sends a inspiring message to readers as it is composed in an effective visual and verbal way. I would recommend this book for students in 4-5th grade because it requires deeper understanding as the reader is solving word puzzles, anagrams and poetic form while reading. This inspiring book is clever and catchy and will appeal to many student's creativity.
This book takes quite a bit of thinking and imagination while reading. It encourages students to think outside of the box through a child's daily life! Lemonade displays each poem in two different ways and then the author tries to use letters in the word "lemonade" to write descriptions about different topics. The book has an effect that visualizes letters falling down like rain to form words. Words and sentences are not always spaced in the traditional way which engages the students to puzzle out what each poem is saying. Lemonade would be best fit for 4th or 5th grade because it is playful yet stimulates their thinking about poetry and replicate the strategy to expose them to various poetry concepts. This book has various possibilities to be used in an instructional way in the classroom. It can ignite curiosity, provide new perspectives on how poetry looks, discuss how the poems are constructed and why the author chose to create them that way, and they can construct a poem of their own using anagrams and themes of their choosing. When children see the title "Lemonade", they will instantly be enthralled in the book as it represents a theme of childhood and summertime.
One important aspect of this book I wanted to highlight is the idea of puzzles. The way the poems are constructed it requires the reader to first solve the word patterns in order to enjoy the idea conveyed. This idea has a symbolic representation of that this book you are solving the puzzle patterns to understand yet that is a concept you do more broadly when reading all types of books. Every book is it's own puzzle and you are given different pieces to that puzzle while you are reading so I think that makes the book even more noteworthy because it has a larger meaning behind the patterns and puzzles in the different poems. The book encourages excitement to solve the patterns yet engages them in the comprehension of poetry and anagrams in an untraditional way.
This poetry book sends a inspiring message to readers as it is composed in an effective visual and verbal way. I would recommend this book for students in 4-5th grade because it requires deeper understanding as the reader is solving word puzzles, anagrams and poetic form while reading. This inspiring book is clever and catchy and will appeal to many student's creativity.
December 13, 2017
Summary: Each poem throughout this book is created by the letters from a single word to paint a real life scene of a child’s daily life.
Characteristics That Support the Genre: This book is full of different poems that are part anagram, part rebus, and part riddle. The reader has fun solving these clever poems as the letters from the single word represent and magnifying the literal meaning of the word.
Mentor Writing Traits:
Idea- Each poem has interesting details and is a great way to challenge young readers to decipher the puzzle the author created.
Presentation- Each poem is presented in 2 formats: one in which the letter of each word in the poem falls directly under its corresponding letter in the title word, which are on located on white pages and one in which the words in each poem are written normally under the title on red pages. Illustrations on each of the red pages consist a red squiggly arrow and the white pages contain warm, watercolor, whimsical images.
Classroom Integration: This poetry book could be read and deciphered at an independent reading level for students in the middle to upper elementary school grades (Possibly 3-6). Students could choose a word and create a poem out of it. They would need to rearrange its letters, spacing out the words, and using a similar format that the author in the book uses. This is a great way for students to be creative and challenge themselves.
Other Suggestions: As an additional idea for integration in the classroom, the students will focus on writing good titles that highlight an important theme or perspective in the text, and while also tempting the reader to want to read on. Students will gather a variety of titled poems by a variety of poets. Students will read the poems, investigating how the title works to highlight or enhance meanings that can be constructed from the poems. I will give students poems with their titles removed, and students will have to create a title for the poem that best fits the content or inquired meaning of the poem.
Book Level: 3.8, Middle Grades
Characteristics That Support the Genre: This book is full of different poems that are part anagram, part rebus, and part riddle. The reader has fun solving these clever poems as the letters from the single word represent and magnifying the literal meaning of the word.
Mentor Writing Traits:
Idea- Each poem has interesting details and is a great way to challenge young readers to decipher the puzzle the author created.
Presentation- Each poem is presented in 2 formats: one in which the letter of each word in the poem falls directly under its corresponding letter in the title word, which are on located on white pages and one in which the words in each poem are written normally under the title on red pages. Illustrations on each of the red pages consist a red squiggly arrow and the white pages contain warm, watercolor, whimsical images.
Classroom Integration: This poetry book could be read and deciphered at an independent reading level for students in the middle to upper elementary school grades (Possibly 3-6). Students could choose a word and create a poem out of it. They would need to rearrange its letters, spacing out the words, and using a similar format that the author in the book uses. This is a great way for students to be creative and challenge themselves.
Other Suggestions: As an additional idea for integration in the classroom, the students will focus on writing good titles that highlight an important theme or perspective in the text, and while also tempting the reader to want to read on. Students will gather a variety of titled poems by a variety of poets. Students will read the poems, investigating how the title works to highlight or enhance meanings that can be constructed from the poems. I will give students poems with their titles removed, and students will have to create a title for the poem that best fits the content or inquired meaning of the poem.
Book Level: 3.8, Middle Grades
October 28, 2019
Summary:
This book encompasses a collection of informal, short poems that are all based around one word, as each poem only uses letters from that word to make the poem. This book is not a straightforward, traditional book of poems, as it incorporates a sort of puzzle to crack in order to read each poem. The poems are written and formatted in various shapes, verses, and phrases as it is a fun way for the reader to use their brain in "cracking the code" and reading each poem.
Review:
This book is a nontraditional poetry book because it is complied of poems taking up one page and contains broken up words in varying patterns. At first, I found it challenging to "crack the code" of each poem, being the words and letters are separated and scattered around the page. However, after reading the first couple of poems and viewing the "answer key" poem on the back of each page, I was able to get the gist of the poetry collection and found it very fun to read.
Book Connections:
I think a book that connects well with this book would be "Child's Book of Poems" by Gyo Fujikawa because they both encompass a collection of children's poetry in a friendly and inviting way. "Child's Book of Poems" is a little more advanced than "Lemonade: and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word," therefore I would read ""Lemonade: and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word" first, then move onto the longer poems within "Child's Book of Poems."
Quote/Use:
I think "Lemonade: and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word" can be used as a mentor text in order for children to grasp the concept of poetry on a simpler scale and be able to start out by writing short poems. This book can exemplify to students that poems do not always have to rhyme and they can be written in a fun, funky format in order to play with words. As some students may think this poetry format is difficult, as the words and letters are spread out all over the pages in this text, students can use this book as a loose guide in order to help them write short poems about any item or idea they want.
This book encompasses a collection of informal, short poems that are all based around one word, as each poem only uses letters from that word to make the poem. This book is not a straightforward, traditional book of poems, as it incorporates a sort of puzzle to crack in order to read each poem. The poems are written and formatted in various shapes, verses, and phrases as it is a fun way for the reader to use their brain in "cracking the code" and reading each poem.
Review:
This book is a nontraditional poetry book because it is complied of poems taking up one page and contains broken up words in varying patterns. At first, I found it challenging to "crack the code" of each poem, being the words and letters are separated and scattered around the page. However, after reading the first couple of poems and viewing the "answer key" poem on the back of each page, I was able to get the gist of the poetry collection and found it very fun to read.
Book Connections:
I think a book that connects well with this book would be "Child's Book of Poems" by Gyo Fujikawa because they both encompass a collection of children's poetry in a friendly and inviting way. "Child's Book of Poems" is a little more advanced than "Lemonade: and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word," therefore I would read ""Lemonade: and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word" first, then move onto the longer poems within "Child's Book of Poems."
Quote/Use:
I think "Lemonade: and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word" can be used as a mentor text in order for children to grasp the concept of poetry on a simpler scale and be able to start out by writing short poems. This book can exemplify to students that poems do not always have to rhyme and they can be written in a fun, funky format in order to play with words. As some students may think this poetry format is difficult, as the words and letters are spread out all over the pages in this text, students can use this book as a loose guide in order to help them write short poems about any item or idea they want.
March 20, 2023
My Flashback
So, did you spend many hours of your childhood by trying to find as many words as you could from one single word? Like, from the word ‘earth,’ you can get ‘heart/ear/eat/art/are/tear/rate/hater/hate/hare/…..’ and so on. Well, I certainly did. I would go on a hunt for words to make words from!! But I never ever thought about using all those words from that single word to create something else.
My Thoughts
Oh so fun!! I previously read Bob Raczka’s Wet Cement book of concrete poems and totally enjoyed it. This one is no different, and also so different!! No different in the sense that I once again totally enjoyed it, and so different in the way I enjoyed it and the way Bob Raczka proves his creative word-play skills all over again!
Bob Raczka does exactly that in this book, and adds the creative dimension of concrete poetry or using typography to the same while presenting his poems. Raczka credits Andrew Russ’ one-word poetic form, and shows how we can literally squeeze out one word to create a whole new thing out of it, in this case, brilliant poems. Each poem is presented in two ways, one in the typographical format which lends it a semblance of a puzzle as readers try to figure out the words; and another time in a normal format (whew!).
And let us not forget the illustrations. Doniger’s simple and stark artwork provides the perfect complement to both the unique presentation and brilliant concept.
Umpteen ways to inspire imagination and love (and thus help improve) of words, language, poetry, and writing in general.
In Summary
Absolute brilliance!! Clever, delightful, ever-so-cool, fun, …. and I am stopping here! However, keep an eye on my poetic form for an upcoming letter!!
Also reviewed here on my blog
So, did you spend many hours of your childhood by trying to find as many words as you could from one single word? Like, from the word ‘earth,’ you can get ‘heart/ear/eat/art/are/tear/rate/hater/hate/hare/…..’ and so on. Well, I certainly did. I would go on a hunt for words to make words from!! But I never ever thought about using all those words from that single word to create something else.
My Thoughts
Oh so fun!! I previously read Bob Raczka’s Wet Cement book of concrete poems and totally enjoyed it. This one is no different, and also so different!! No different in the sense that I once again totally enjoyed it, and so different in the way I enjoyed it and the way Bob Raczka proves his creative word-play skills all over again!
Bob Raczka does exactly that in this book, and adds the creative dimension of concrete poetry or using typography to the same while presenting his poems. Raczka credits Andrew Russ’ one-word poetic form, and shows how we can literally squeeze out one word to create a whole new thing out of it, in this case, brilliant poems. Each poem is presented in two ways, one in the typographical format which lends it a semblance of a puzzle as readers try to figure out the words; and another time in a normal format (whew!).
And let us not forget the illustrations. Doniger’s simple and stark artwork provides the perfect complement to both the unique presentation and brilliant concept.
Umpteen ways to inspire imagination and love (and thus help improve) of words, language, poetry, and writing in general.
In Summary
Absolute brilliance!! Clever, delightful, ever-so-cool, fun, …. and I am stopping here! However, keep an eye on my poetic form for an upcoming letter!!
Also reviewed here on my blog
March 17, 2021
"Lemonade: and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word" by Bob Raczka is an inventive book of poetry. The author was inspired by the poems of Andrew Russ which use the letters of only one word to create an entire poem, using the main word as the subject. Raczka writes about varying topics, from Lemonade to Bleachers to Spring. The structure of the poems are especially interesting because the words are spaced to illustrate that Raczka only uses words from the topic word. This can prove tricky at times to read some of the words, but don't worry because Raczka writes the poem in a more traditional way on the back of each page. The illustrations from Nancy Doniger help bring Raczka's poems to life through simple representations of each.
I would recommend this book for students in grades 2-5. This book would be great as a mentor text to demonstrate interesting structure choices in poetry and would be a great jumping off point for students to attempt to write their own single word poems. In addition, this book demonstrates the importance of illustrations as a way better understand the author's message. A teacher could recreate one of the poems without the illustrations and the class could discuss how the illustrations impact their understanding.
I would recommend this book for students in grades 2-5. This book would be great as a mentor text to demonstrate interesting structure choices in poetry and would be a great jumping off point for students to attempt to write their own single word poems. In addition, this book demonstrates the importance of illustrations as a way better understand the author's message. A teacher could recreate one of the poems without the illustrations and the class could discuss how the illustrations impact their understanding.
October 25, 2018
1. Awards: None
2. Grade Level: 4-6
3. Summary: This is no ordinary poetry book, rather a combination of anagram and poetry. Every poem in this book is made by using the letters of one word. Furthermore, all the poems are meant to depict activities of a child’s life.
4. Review: This is a very clever book of poetry. The way in which the poems are presented (one as a puzzle to figure out and the other as the answer) can keep the reader entertained for a while. Some children may struggle to understand this poetry, so I think it is important for an adult to be present while they read it.
5. In Class Use:
a. This book can be used to demonstrate that poetry comes in many different forms. Although this is not an example of typical rhyming poetry, it still brings about emotions and creates pictures in the reader’s mind.
b. It may be difficult for students to do alone, therefore I suggest working with partners, but I think older children may enjoy trying to write their own poems following the book’s lead. Even if they are unable to come up with a finished poem, I think it is important that they give this kind of poetry a try.
2. Grade Level: 4-6
3. Summary: This is no ordinary poetry book, rather a combination of anagram and poetry. Every poem in this book is made by using the letters of one word. Furthermore, all the poems are meant to depict activities of a child’s life.
4. Review: This is a very clever book of poetry. The way in which the poems are presented (one as a puzzle to figure out and the other as the answer) can keep the reader entertained for a while. Some children may struggle to understand this poetry, so I think it is important for an adult to be present while they read it.
5. In Class Use:
a. This book can be used to demonstrate that poetry comes in many different forms. Although this is not an example of typical rhyming poetry, it still brings about emotions and creates pictures in the reader’s mind.
b. It may be difficult for students to do alone, therefore I suggest working with partners, but I think older children may enjoy trying to write their own poems following the book’s lead. Even if they are unable to come up with a finished poem, I think it is important that they give this kind of poetry a try.
December 6, 2018
In this book, Bob Raczka literally plays with his words. Using only the letters from a single word he develops a poem and captures daily life. On each page he introduces the word with an illustration and the various words made using only that single word. On the following page, the red page, he writes a poem about the word but again only using the letters from the word. What a creative way to show off his talent. You have to pick you this book to see the fun he has making these poems. I can see myself using this book during our poetry unit. Ths students can challenge themselves to see if they can come up with more words or also have them select different words and create their own poems. This book is suitable for students of all ages.
March 25, 2020
This book is a poetry book. The intended audience for this book are children ages 8-12. In this book the author makes poems using only a single word. This book allows children to use their language skills to make up the words of the poems. Each poem presents a problem for them to solve. I rated this book four stars. I feel that ultimately this book will motivate children to make their own poetry out of words. Even me as an adult, love this book because it makes my brain work a little as well. This is a great book for children who love solving puzzles. The only downside to this book is that of a child isn't into language arts or puzzles this book may cause some frustrations for them. I love the illustrations in this book as well.
October 28, 2021
Lemonade: and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word is a Children’s Poetry Book written by Bob Raczka and illustrated by Nancy Doniger. The writing is a bit unique as Raczka picks a word, types the word out, and then picks out certain letters to make a poem reflect its subject. It becomes a little puzzling that the reader must decipher the words but it’s not that hard to figure out each word. The illustrations are a bit simple looking with uses of black, white, and red. I’d say this book could be recommended to kids that love poetry and like deciphering words. I wouldn’t say that it’s a good book for beginners but probably for readers that want to listen to more poetry and maybe can have a little challenge.
April 7, 2023
What a fun way to play with words! Raczka takes a word like “lemonade” then using only the letters in to words writes a poem like an anagram. The poem is written in a format the almost needs to be solved or decoded by showing blank space where the missing letters from the word would fall. Don’t worry if you have trouble making sense of it, for the next page writes the poem in a more typical format. This collection was so creative and fun. I love riddling out each poem! It felt like a game. The illustrations are simple watercolors that pair perfectly with the simple poems. Some of the poems are a little forced with the limited letter selection, but some of them are winners. Overall I loved the uniqueness and fun of this book.
September 19, 2017
I started this book in the middle, which is a bad idea - I had to read the intro to understand these poems. Once I did, though, I found them totally delightful. Bob Raczka takes a word and then, uses only the letters available in that word, creates small poems. Some of them do take a bit of puzzling out, but they are all very clever, A couple of them, such as "snowflakes", surprised me with their beauty, and a couple more (like "earthworms") made me laugh. I absolutely adore "Wet Cement" (a book of concrete poems" by this author. I wonder if this would grab kids in the same way - but it certainly made me want to get out a pencil and do some word tinkering.
June 27, 2018
Cute book of poetry here. The author did a great job turning single words into poems. He uses only the letters from a single word to create a poem, using words from those letters. Lemonade poem only has words with the letters from lemonade in it. The words look a bit jumbled on the page of the poem but on the following page, the poem is written out in a more normal way. Very cute idea that I think kids would like. I would use this book to get my students writing poems maybe using the letters from their name.
March 30, 2022
The way these poems are set up they are difficult to read and understand. On one page it shows a word and then scrambles the words underneath to make a poem. On the next page it shows you what the poem is saying in a normal text, so readers are able to see what the author is really trying to say. It makes the poems more like a puzzle and a mystery to make the readers engage more in the text. It makes the poems more interesting and gets your minds thinking. It is a creative way to write in this type of format, because it is not common for authors to do.
February 8, 2019
This book was very fun to read. I think this book would be great for children who are in grades 2 or 3 because it breaks down the main word into smaller words and makes a poem. I think it would be great for children who are learning words and sentences, as well. This book is also very colorful and the illustrations are very pleasing to look at. All in all, I really enjoyed this book and its poetry and illustrations.
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