A Pocketful of Poems

by Nikki Grimes

Other authorsJavaka Steptoe (Illustrator)
Hardcover, 2001

Status

Available

Call number

J2L.007

Publication

Clarion Books

Pages

30

Description

Poems and haiku verses provides glimpses of life in the city.

Description

Tiana has a pocketful of words: green words like spring, night words like moon, and words with wings, like angel. Each word is the inspiration for a pair of poems—one, lyrical free verse and the other, haiku. The paired poems reflect Tiana’s lively spirit and urban outlook and are showcased in Javaka Steptoe’s inventive collages, which include a wide range of materials, from faucet handles to pumpkin seeds to a hand-sculpted, gilded alphabet. A fusion of two remarkable creative talents, A Pocketful of Poems is an engaging portrait of a down-to-earth girl who has a way with words, as well as a tantalizing introduction to poetry. Author’s note on haiku.

Collection

Barcode

5436

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2001

Physical description

30 p.; 11.25 inches

ISBN

0395938686 / 9780395938683

UPC

046442938686

Lexile

540L

User reviews

LibraryThing member mmburks
This is a collection of little poems a little girl named Tiana writes. She bases all of the poems on one word such as moon, spring, hot, and pumpkins. Would be a good book in introducing poetry and getting students to write their own poems.
LibraryThing member Tryante
In this poem book Tiana has a pockeful of words that has their own meaning. Each word is the source for the pair of poems. This book is a good read because it shows you different types of poems . For an activity you could also allow the students to create their own poem starting with their favorite
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words.
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LibraryThing member nbabyak
I immediately noticed the gorgeous artwork, consisting of creative use of textured paper, materials such as denim and felt, clay, tin, plastics, etc. It creates something that is both tangible and surreal at the same time. Visually awesome to look at.

The characters in the book are an African
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family, which would add to the diversity of my library.

The poems/haiku are about the seasons and holidays of the year. There's enough figurative language to intrigue and challenge young readers, but not so much that it would confuse or alienate them. I liked this enough to want it in my library, but at this point I'm still new to the game and there might be far better poetry books out there.
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LibraryThing member kailee.gibbs
A Pocketful of Poems by Nikki Grimes, Javaka Steptoe (Illustrator)

This is a book of poems that the girl named Tina writes. Tina uses only one work to base her poems off of.

This is a very creative and interesting book. It is a great way to have students use their imagination.

The teacher could have
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each student draw a word from a bag and create a poem based off of that word.

After creating a poem, the students could turn it into a art project drawing a picture of what word they chose.
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LibraryThing member ktran4
I enjoyed this book of poems for a few reasons. One reason is because the illustrator uses mixed media like straws, felt, wire, and other found materials. I believe the illustrator does this to represent the unique culture of Harlem. I also enjoy that the author tells the story in chronological
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order of events throughout a year. For example, it starts off from spring and ends with the winter holidays. The poems are relevant to young children’s experiences. For example, there is a poem about snow and a poem about being hot in the summer. Another reason I liked the book was because of the flow and placement of parts of the poems. For example, there is a poem about showers. The illustrations are clouds and rain, therefore the author places some of the lines of the poems as the rain drops. The phrases of the raindrops say, “April showers scrub the air. No wonder I can run now. I can breathe!” The reader places parts of the poem in a way that relates to the content of the poems. This helps keep the reader stay interested because the book has to be turned a certain way for the words to be read. The big idea of this book is to be proud of where you are from because that is part of your identity.
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LibraryThing member mhilary
This book is full of fun words to describe the seasons and things that each season shares. It would be a great way to get ideas flowing about what students enjoy about each season and to use the same type of illustration, collage, to share their thoughts.
LibraryThing member jamdwhitt
This is a really cool book! It took me at least 2 reads to like it, though-- so it give it another chance if you don't care for it at first.

I wasn't raised in the city, so until I was 29 and finally experienced my first city spring, I wouldn't have known how much beauty can be found in pockets of
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street corners, window boxes, and even cracks in the sidewalk. Grimes and her illustrator capture the whole experience of seasons in the city, though.

The illustrations are all collages that have been photographed-- so they aren't that realistic, they aren't really even that beautiful. But, like the experience of seeing the beauty of nature in the crevices of cities, the viewer has to pay close attention to the illustrations in order to actually see how beautiful they are.

The writing is really what does it, though. In Grimes fashion, her poetry has a jazz feel-- it's quick and it's brief, but it's alive. Each page has a short section of unrhymed but alliterative verse followed by a haiku.

If you're an art teacher, a high school teacher teaching poetry, or an elementary teacher (city or country), this is a definite book to have around.
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LibraryThing member lizzydelg
Summary:This book is a book about different haiku poems but made into a story. The little girl Tiara makes haiku poems about things she sees throughout the day.

Personal Reaction: This is a good book because it easily explains how haikus work and how all poems aren't just about rhyming and that
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there is different kinds. It helps realize that you can make a poem about almost anything.

Classroom Extension Ideas:
1) Have the students create their own Haiku's
2) Have the students create words that rhyme together and match them.
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LibraryThing member Sluper1
This poetry book is a playful and thoroughly successful pairing of words and pictures. Most double-page spreads offer two poems, one in free verse, one in haiku, set on bright collages of cut paper and found objects. Graceful, rhythmic, and accessible, the poems depict sensory impressions and
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precisely observed moments. For example, in the haiku poem: "Hot days send me to/the water fountain where my/face goes for a swim.” The illustrations are original and distinctive and sometimes a bit busy, but give the book an urban, upbeat, and contemporary look.
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Rating

½ (28 ratings; 3.9)

Call number

J2L.007
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