Poem In My Pocket

Rhyming, fanciful allegory of the creative writing process. When a child’s carefully written poem slips out of a ripped pocket, its words join randomly with other words to form funny riffs and puns all over a busy city street. The child scrambles to capture the loose words and arrange them back into poem form, only to lose them again as a storm swoops in. Eventually, the words plant themselves in the muddy ground, growing into something that might be even better than the original poem: a Poet-Tree. A poem is never really lost. The words may just need a little room to play.

Usher in National Poetry Month with Mr. Tiffin and his students, stars of the hugely popular How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? and The Apple Orchard Riddle. Once again, Margaret McNamara sets her playful, child-friendly story in the classroom, and this time, poetry—from metaphors to acrostics to haiku—is the name of the game. The focus here is on Elinor, whose confidence falters as she tries to write something "perfect" for Poem in Your Pocket Day and impress a visiting poet. G. Brian Karas's accessible, adorable illustrations add to the fun. Includes a list of Mr. Tiffin's tips for celebrating Poem in Your Pocket Day. "A nimble introduction to poetry as well as a sensitive look at the perils of perfectionism." —The New York Times "Pair this book with the works of Shel Silverstein, Paul B. Janeczko, Jack Prelutsky, Douglas Florian, or Robert Louis Stevenson." —School Library Journal, Starred

This lively collection is packed with kid-friendly, "pocket-sized" poems of eight lines or less by such well-known poets as Eve Merriam, Karla Kuskin, and the anthologist herself, Bobbi Katz. The easy-to-memorize, pint-sized poems reflect many different facets of children's lives and are embellished with witty, winning art by the beloved Marylin Hafner, making a package that will be welcomed by children and their teachers.

First there was National Poetry Month, then there was National Poem in Your Pocket Day, now you can carry a poem in your pocket anytime! Published in conjunction with the Academy of American Poets, Poem in Your Pocket enables you to select a poem you love, tear it out neatly from the book, and then carry it with you all day to read, be inspired by, and share with coworkers, family, and friends. This innovative format features 200 poems from Shakespeare to Sexton, cleverly organized by theme. If you're feeling wistful, flip to the "Sonic Youth" section. If you want to romance your lover and surprise him or her with a seductive sonnet, turn to the "Love and Rockets" section. Now you can easily spread the love of poetry or treasure it in private with Poem in Your Pocket! Whether you're a fan of Sylvia Plath or Emily Dickinson, Frank O'Hara or Walt Whitman, Poem in Your Pocket has a poem for everyone.

"Published in conjunction with The Academy of American Poets."

Rhyming, fanciful allegory of the creative writing process. When a child’s carefully written poem slips out of a ripped pocket, its words join randomly with other words to form funny riffs and puns all over a busy city street. The child scrambles to capture the loose words and arrange them back into poem form, only to lose them again as a storm swoops in. Eventually, the words plant themselves in the muddy ground, growing into something that might be even better than the original poem: a Poet-Tree. A poem is never really lost. The words may just need a little room to play.

Each unit includes the following components: Illustrated poem page -- Pocket chart word cards -- Pocket chart picture cards -- Student illustration page -- Mini book version of the poem -- Home/school connection activity -- Daily activities -- Literature links.

Consists of five units: Teddy bears, Leaves, Pumpkins, The nut hunt, and Apples. Each unit contains a full week of thematic lesson plans based on an original poem.